About

The Author

Hi there! I’m Jodi and it’s lovely to meet you! I am a native of Jamaica, born in Kingston, St. Andrew.  While I migrated to the United States at a very young age, there’s nothing to me like Jamaica – the landscape; the people; the culture and everything that it has to offer: food, music, our distinct vernacular, our unique style, and history.  I love to cook, especially the dishes I grew up on while living in a Jamaican household.  My mouth waters when I think of foods such as ackee and saltfish, roast breadfruit, fried plantain, escovitch fish, and fried dumpling, to name a few.

While the childhood version of myself imagined a successful career in culinary arts, the college bound version of myself led me in a different direction – business school.  During business school, I fell madly in love with Italy while studying abroad there for a semester.  Ever since studying abroad, I’ve always dreamt of moving to Italy. 

Although my path in life led me in another direction, I never lost my passion for cooking, intrigue by the culinary arts field, and dream of moving to Italy.  In 2018, I officially left my corporate career in pursuit of something more fulfilling. I eventually discovered what that was and have been pursuing it ever since.  This blog is a part of it and I am thrilled to have you here!

Piacere and thanks for stopping by!

The Blog

Welcome to From Irie To Italy – a blog that features places throughout Jamaica and Italy where I’ve traveled, shares my experiences while there, explores and creates culinary fusion inspired by the birthplace of reggae and opera, and discusses other topics I hope you will find useful as you prepare for your own adventures while visiting one or both countries.

From Irie to Italy began as a way for me to stay connected in the present with the experiences from my past that inspired my dream to create a unique bed and breakfast experience in Florence, Italy.

I hope that the fusion dishes you find here will pique your curiosity and inspire you to try one of ours or create your own, and that the stories and other content I share will help you prepare for your own adventures while visiting one or both countries.