bistecca alla fiorentina!!
Ok, I know it’s been pretty quiet around here but I do have an excuse, well I have 2 really!! The first being the new house and the kitchen, it’s really nice but of course nothing ever goes smoothly, the oven and freezer are wrong so they’re gone back to Italy to return in 2 weeks so there will be lots of cleaning and packing over the next couple of weeks!!
My second excuse is that we are opening a second business, it’s all happened really quickly, we went to see it on Tuesday and shook hands on it on Friday. The contracts haven’t been signed yet so I won’t give the details yet but will let you know as I soon as I can! It is a restaurant, a rather large one at that, I won’t sleep for the next year, that’s if I have a bed to sleep in after all the money it’s going to cost;) It’s really exciting even though not the best timing as we are under pressure to open by Sept 1st so we have to start on it straight away so once we’ve moved house I can focus on it!!
I know this is a food blog but I just wanted to know if you would want me to blog about the new place, a behind the scenes look at our “stressful” journey of opening a food business or do you prefer to come here for the recipes??? I will still post recipes but just wondered if this is something people are interested in because I know I love behind the scene “stuff”:) and we will be taking a couple of trips to Italy to buy all of our equipment and source some wine of course. I await your comments or emails!!
What recipes I do post in the coming future will be of the simple kind because time is going to be an issue in the coming months so fast, tasty and simple food is on the menu!! This is really a non recipe as there is really nothing to it but sometimes those are the best!! The key to this is to buy the best meat you can, I got my t-bones from my local butcher Jim Flavin, he cut them fresh for me and they were huge, we could only cook 1 at a time.
what you need:
- 2 t-bone steaks
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- sea salt and black pepper
- olive oil
what to do
- season your steaks, mix your garlic, rosemary and olive oil in a bowl and pour over your steaks and leave to marinate for an hour or more if you can. If you can leave overnight you will have even more flavour but I’m never that organised so mine only got about 40 mins but schhhhh don’t tell anyone:), they still tasted good!! This recipe is all about the flavour of the meat!!
- heat your grill pan until really hot and cook your steaks for 5-10 mins until golden brown and char-grilled on both sides!! We eat our t-bones medium rare and other steaks rare so cook according to personal taste!!
- I know you are supposed to let meat rest for about 10 mins before eating but that never happens in our house as we are always too hungry but if you are not of the savage variety - leave meat to rest!!
- we served ours with a simple tomato and red onion salad!!
buon appetito!!
p.s. As time goes on it is getting harder to maintain this blog with the princess, she’s even interfering with my photos now:
I eventually had to sit her up on the counter and play with the kitchen roll holder while I held her with one hand and took the photo with the other!! Oh the glamorous life of a food blogger:)
Best wishes from Sligo on the new venture. Hope to visit Limerick one of these days.
That’s great news, Lorraine! Best of luck with the new venture. I wouldn’t think that I’m the only one who would be interested in hearing about how it all goes for you. Working in Urru has definitely given me more insight into the service end of the food industry and I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I would love to read about the adventures of opening your new location!
Insider stuff for definite, it will save me texting you going “any updates” every few days!! Also, I think that it could be a great feature for anyone who might be thinking of setting up a business of any kind.
Congrats on getting stuff rolling with the new business, can’t wait to hear more details when you can disclose them
I’d love to get the “work in progress” updates. Behind the scenes stuff is fun! I love the blog — thanks for sharing food and family!
Jennifer
ooooo Lorraine congrats on both girl!! am sure the restaurant will be fantastic and I’d love to hear everything about the restaurant aswell as the foodie stuff.
and this steak looks amazing, am DYING for steak so on Friday night I am getting 2 of the biggest striploins I can to have with chips and onions and a cold glass of white wine, presuming I manage to get better by then of course!!!!!
I’d love to hear all the insider stuff about setting up!! Think it’d be great!! Best of luck with the new venture too!!
So Exciting about the new place! I’m planning my outfit for the opening party already!
Insider notes would be great. Best of luck with it. Hopefully some of the munster team will be there for the opening, with the European Cup!!
Can’t wait to hear all about this venture - can’t wait to eat there!
Yep would definitely be interested in details of the new business. Best of luck with it.
Ronan
Please, Please write about your new venture… would love to follow your adventure on the new business. Good Luck Lorraine! ahhh Fiorentina… seems as I get older, I like my meat rarer and rarer… strange?
Very exciting to read about your new place and experiences. Hope you get that oven situation squared away soon (if you haven’t already!) you sound like a great cook with lots to share, thanks!
Thanks everyone - blogging about the new business it is then!!! Will report as soon as the contracts are signed - don’t want to jinx it, it’s taken long enough to find a place!!
Anon from Sligo - my sister lives in sligo and is always at me to open up there and she run it, maybe some day:)
sweet mommy I’m doing that tomorrow! Oh God yes!
Oh Yes! Please write all about it. Blogging isn’t all about recipes and pictures. It’s the inside personal stuff that allows you to be known somewhat.It’s endearing..so please do.
I’m craving steak
First off congrats on the new home and your new venture! I’m sure it will be a great success. I’m all for hearing about the trials and tribulations of starting a new resturant. Looking forward to it all!!
Fantastic news about the new venture and def want more info on it!!! (especially as I’ll be eating there so much)
Also willing to volunteer myself for any menu tasting or experimenting with food and wine that might need to take place.
I’m a martyr, I know
OK, here we go - yes, to the bistecca, please!
Second, I don’t envy you the disruption to your kitchen. I know all too well what it’s like!
Third - congratulations on the new business! Wow! I’ll be following developments with keen interest… Good luck with it all, and remember to hang on to your sanity!
I want to hear (& see!) it all!!! Congratulations! What an exciting time in your family’s life. I know that if Alfredo & I were going through the same things as you & Bruno, then I would have to keep a divorce attorney on retainer.
Best of luck - keep the vino within arm’s reach!
By the way, your princess has an adorably sweet little hand. I miss seeing those dimples on my children’s hands. My princess made it into my margarita photo….
Thanks again everyone, great to see there is as much interest in this as I would have liked!!
Do you guys own a cast iron skillet? If you do, give this recipe a try on a burn-your-hand-hot skillet and you’ll get that ’seared’ crust quickly while being able to keep the middle nice and red (if that’s how you like it, of course!).
this look fabulous. i’m hungry.
amy @ http://www.weareneverfull.com
Amy - hi and welcome, may have to invest in one of these!! Yep love my steak nice and red in the middle:)