Welcome to my little blog where I write about my life as an Irish mamma living in Limerick with an Italian family. My partner Bruno was born here in Ireland to Italian parents, one from the south of Italy and the other from the north and where did they meet?? in Limerick. Bruno spent his summers in Italy and is fluent in Italian, I on the other hand spent my summers in Salthill and Tramore.
My first visit to Italy was a school tour when I was 14 and I swore on that tour that I would marry an Italian:). I loved everything about Italy even at that age, the food, the culture, the style and their great attitude to life and family. I met Bruno when I was 18 and have been travelling to Italy a couple of times a year since.
Bruno’s family have been involved in the restaurant business for over 30 years and I left my high flying career over 5 years ago to join them. Myself and Bruno opened an Italian deli and take-away in Castletroy in 2003 and have gone from strength to strength since. We were supposed to open a new Italian restaurant this year but the current economic climate put a stop to that, hopefully it will happen in the future.
We have a little 2 year old so the recipes I post here will always be of the simple variety as there isn’t much time between running the business and looking after the princess for anything fancy in the kitchen. I love simple food anyway using good quality ingredients and that is what I will focus on in this blog.
Hope you enjoy my blog:)
ciao
Lorraine
italian foodies 
Lorraine, what a lovely blog you have here! We at Foodista love Italian food as well, if you have time will you drop by at Foodista ? We are building an online food and cooking encyclopedia ala wikipedia and you can also check out our recipes on the site as well 🙂 Cheers!
Thought you might enjoy our blog…
sardinesociety.com
Hi Lorraine,
What a romantic story. I really happy you like italians. I Moved from Italy since 4 years ago and I can tell you for sure I like Irish 🙂
I see there are lots of recipies, so I will try one sooner to share with my friends.
Have a Nice day, Donald
Ciao Donald, welcome. great to see an Irish Italian site, where are you from in Italy?
Thanks for dinner Lorraine. The “mozzarella in carrozza” was delicious! I forgot about it until I found your blog.
Love you
Parente
Hi there, Stumbled across your interesting blog whilst creating a website for a couple who have a holiday rental place in Frosinone. I assume your family’s Italian restaurant is in Atila in this region? If so, I was wondering, given that the website mentions local dining whether I could use a couple of shots (and caption / credit them to you, of course) – would that be okay, do you think?
Just back from Ireland myself – beautiful country.
Kind regards
Chris Amodeo
Hi Amodeo yes Atina is in Frosinone near Cassino! No problem using the photos as long as the credit is given. LEt me know when the website is up and running and I’ll give it a mention on the blog
ciao!
Hi there
I found your blog via foodgawker and love your recipes! I’m the editor for Allrecipes.co.uk and was wondering if you would be interested in posting some of your recipes and photos on the site? At first glance I’m interested in these, but any would be welcome!
We’ve had other bloggers post their recipes before – and they add a link to their blog at the bottom of the recipe, as well as to their profiles. Examples include:
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/7103/passover-chicken-lasagne.aspx
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/6539/izmir-soya-kofte-balls–meatfree-meatballs-.aspx
It’s a great way to showcase your recipes and widen your audience. You can enter the recipes yourself by signing up for an account and submitting them here http://allrecipes.co.uk/cooks/my-stuff/submit-a-recipe.aspx — or if you prefer, I am more than happy to enter them for you.
I really appreciate your time and consideration and do hope you’re able to share some recipes on the site! Let me know what you think, and many thanks in advance.
Best regards
Diana Moutsopoulos
p.s. We’re also currently having a recipe and photo competition open to UK and Ireland residents – simply upload a recipe and pic to enter. The prize is 500 quid (or equivalent in euros)!!!
Hi Diana, that sounds great! Would be delighted for my recipes to be featured:) I’ll email you. Thanks
What a great blog! I love your step by step directions with great pictures.
Love your blog – and family story!
Thanks Joe and Karyn and welcome:)
Hi Lorraine,
I am already a fan of La Cucina and have recently discovered your blog via your posts on MM. I’m so very impressed by your cooking, your writing and your attitude to life.
My husband and I both work in Castletroy we enjoy a take-away coffee from La Cucina as a mid-week or Friday afternoon treat and maybe one of the wonderful brownies you sell also. We don’t eat there often enough (damn recession) but we did in the past and find everything you serve fabulous and bursting with flavour.
My commiserations that your restaurant plans have been shelved for the moment, but I’m sure you’ll be able to re-visit the plan in time. When you do open your fabulous restaurant, my DH and I will be queueing up to be among your first customers!
I’m going to try your Italian Stew tomorrow… I just hope my version turns out to be half as good as yours looks in the pictures 🙂
All the best,
Marianne
Hi Marianne.
thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely comment. It’s always nice to hear feedback, I think people may under estimate how important it is for business owners to hear back positive feedback. Make sure you say hi next time you’re in and good luck with the stew, it’s really nice and very simple.
Re the restaurant, we will do it someday as I think Limerick needs something new and exciting in the casual dining scene, I just hope with the recession that it will be easier for the small guy to open up new businesses in the future.
thanks again and let me know how you get on with the stew:)
I just returned from Ireland where I ate – a lot of Italian! Now, I wish I had been in Limerick and at your place.
Hi Lorraine,
Just found your lovely blog through Foodbuzz! I am subscribing so I can keep up. I’m new to food blogging, and am excited to meet other foodies around the world. I have Irish roots (among so many others), and my husband is 1/4 Italian (Italian grandfather, 1/2 Italian mother). Just started working part time at an Italian restaurant (family owned – the young couple are Italian). It’s neat hearing the language spoken, and beautiful. I’m excited to peruse your blog today!
Hi Denise, welcome, glad you like the blog:) Must pop over to yours and say hi…
Hi there, I stumbled across your blog and just love your posts! Even though now I feel very hungry after looking at your scrummy foods…I do the PR for unearthed who has launched a new range of Continental foods ranging from cured meats, cheeses and sweet panettones. We would love for you to try some of the range to see what gorgeous recipes you would come up with! Do let me know if this is of interest to you to recieve samples by dropping me an email. Check out the full product range here – http://www.discoverunearthed.co.uk
Happy Friday!
Hello Lorraine, I’m a food blogger myself and I love your story (and blog)! I myself and half Irish and half Italian and I love how these two European ethnicities have become so intertwined over the past 100 years or so. I was raised in my Italian family but I have yet to make it to either Ireland or Italy so the next time you meet a Joyce, say hello from a very distant American relative!
Ciao!
Hi Lorraine. Wonder if you can help me…. My husband is half italian and is raving about spaghetti N 1 pasta, which I cannot find. I’d love to get him a few packets. I’m in Dublin, do you know if there is any company in Ireland that sells these?
Thanks a lot!
And great blog, BTW 🙂
Hallo, try Little Italy or K&C Norton, they would have it for sure I’d say. I can get addresses for you if you like?
Hi Lorraine,
I live in Cork and train in UL Arena Limerick at the weekends. Your restaurant is the only kind I’ve found in either city; Tasteful, healthy, authentic and ‘fast’ food at a decent price.
Well done.
Hi Lorraine,
Love your restaurant. Just wondering if you could tell me where in Limerick I could get the italian 00 flour?
Hi Nessa, we have it here in the shop for sale:)
hi lorraine,
do ye happen to sell buratta in your deli?
Hi Niamh I’m afraid not but I can enquire if I can get it for you?
Looking for the oven ribs recipe? Anyone know in which month it was listed? Thanks
Is this what you’re looking for?
http://italianfoodies.ie/2007/08/23/mustard-rosemary-crusted-rack-of-lamb/
I love this! And, the recipes are amazing! Mille Grazie!
Raleigh
great to hear, thanks a mil:)
Tell us about ‘proper’ Bolognese ragu please!
Most people (including me) grow up thinking of spaghetti bolognese made from a very sweet tomato sauce from a jar, with minced beef, onion and garlic – perhaps even mushrooms.
Then you start looking for more ‘authentic’ recipes and you come across this sauce with soffrito, lots of milk, white wine, chopped pork, pancetta, chicken livers etc. served with tagliatele… completely different thing.
Obviously it varies from region to region and from family to family, and therre is no ‘correct’ way to do it… but what is your way of making ragu Bolognese?
Hi there,
I love your blog!! Gorgeous photos and great writing. Will defo check out the restaurant next time I’m in Limerick.
All the best,
Sarah
Hi there, just stumbled upon your blog. I’m Irish (originally from Tipperary), married to a Sicilian and we’re currently living in Piedmonte. I’ve been living in Italy now for almost 12 years so have been fully immersed in the culture, eat only italian food, buy and drink only italian wines(what other kind is there?) We’re plannning to move back to Ireland in the not too distant future and have been toying with the idea of going into the italain food business, so seeing that you and your husband seem to be doing quite well in this area gives me hope that we can eventually do the same. Love the photos of Cefalù by the way, have been there several times. Ciao
Hey Lorraine,
Great blog you have here. Just found it! I was not sure how to email you, so leaving you a note here. I am Italian-American myself. Such a great combo! Two places I MUST visit soon is Ireland and Italy! I am passionate about Italian food and have spent a lot of time working on my Italian grandmother’s recipes. I have an Italian Recipes Website that you might enjoy. Lot’s of authentic Italian recipes that my grandmother used to make and my mom and now me 🙂 I have spent a lot of time working out all the details. I think you may enjoy them. I spell out the entire process of making the big Sunday Gravy! All the works. great stuff!
Happy cooking, Happy times and Share the LOVE!!
Ciao, Anthony
Lorraine,
I added a link to your blog on this page here:
Anthony’s List Of Food Blogs and Recipe Forums
on my Italian Recipes Website. Great blog you have here 🙂
Ciao, Anthony
hello Lorraine hope you remember me. I’m Ezio from Sicily I worked at the little Italy before you opened the pizzeria. I’m glad you’re married and have a child. Please give my regards to Anna and Alfredo and the rest of the family.
hi lorraine
a fellow photographer has contacted me saying that you are looking for someone to design food labels etc..
i am a chef by trade following up the photography buzz and studying graphic design
send me an email and we see what we can come up with
cheers
brian
i am neither Italian or Irish and until today have never ‘blogged’ – ……..I’m an Aussie and love the sound of your cannelloni recipe so am making it tonight for my in-laws and family (i have a vegie patch overflowing with spinach). It sounds such a tasty dish and like others I loved your story. I have 3 kids under 6 so am rather time poor also. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, I am sure to visit again and check out others. So many wonderful comments to read here………..All the best! Tonia
Just found your blog and everything looks delicious! Look forward to cooking some of them 🙂
Already written something but it’s probably’ gone lost.
I have 2 Italian restaurants in Koh Phangan, Thailand and being low season right now, I have time to surf the web and I’ve found your beautiful and interesting blog.
I found the recipes well developed and “real Italian” and very good quality pictures.
Good luck and well done!
Antonio
Hi Antonio
Welcome and thanks for your nice words:)
How right you are in your opinion/rant about the help given by the local authorities towards startups and s/m businesses. You are not alone in your thinking and we do get to the “fxxxxk em all” stage, sometimes, while trying to keep our business and passions alive. Good night
Thanks Zack! I hope things change, they have to!
Lloraine,read your rant about small business,which I enjoyed,i think things are a little better in Uk
althoug after 40 yrs running my own business,every day is a challenge.
Always enjoyed my time in Ireland & wish you and your family a very happy Xmas and good luck in 2011
Like yer style on the tweet dept. !!
Thanks Zack, nice to know someone is listening to my ramblings:)
Thanks Alastair, I think no matter what country or business it is difficult running your own place! What type of business do you have?
I’ve been to Italy this summer on holidays and was blown away by the food ,the simplicity of it was so great no messing around with it. I haven’t found any were like it in Kildare yet!!
Where were you Mick? It’s fabulous there isn’t it! I love how simple the food is, it’s all about the quality of ingredients and making the most of them! It’s hard to do that here as the quality of our veg etc just isn’t the same, we don’t have the climate! The Irish market tends to prefer heavier, richer food again as a result of our climate I think? What type of food do you do yourself?
Ahhhh I was reading your story above and noticed a couple things that brought back some memories… A number of years ago I went to Ireland for a visit. We were there for a month, my uncle is originally from Ireland and he took us around touring the country side, stopping in to see his friends and family. The trip was incredible and kind of made me feel we stepped back into time a little the way the country people lived their lives in a simple style.
Then you talking about Italy made me think that a trip to Italy should be in the plans over the next couple years so that is something I will be planning for.
Great Blog!
You have a great site with wonderful recipes that I am enjoying. Your blog is one I come back to to try new recipes that I have not done so yet. I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to share these recipes. My goal one day it to travel to Italy and spend time there admiring the landscape, buildings and food. This way I can really see what Italian cooking is all about and where it comes from first hand.
Hi Lloraine,i mentioned in an earlier reply,my experience as a type 2 diabetic and you seem on the same food path.I try to get a walk in as often as possible after my main meal.Enjoyed a small dry cider with ice instead of the red stuff,seems a good substitute.Watch rice pushes sugar up.Check sugar level with finger prick meter,you will see which foods push the sugar up.Love all your recipes,just try small portions!
You asked last year what my business was,sorry I did not reply,I am an insurance broker.Hope the nice weather has boosted trade for you.Alastair
Hi! My name is Ryan and I’m the editor of howtocookfantasticfood.com. I think you have an awesome food site so I posted a link to it in our blog directory. I wasn’t able to find your email address on your site but I’d like to invite you to be a part of our Featured Website program. I would love to send you more details about the program, so if you are interested, please email me at ryan [at] howtocookfantasticfood [dot] com.