I’m Pina, a Canadian / naturalised Brit / naturalised Portuguese food and wine writer who recently moved from the UK to Portugal. I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada but I’m from Italian Roman Catholic parents. I grew up speaking English, French and Italian and my father owned a Jewish deli in Côte-St-Luc for over 45 years. I lived in a multicultural neighbourhood and went to French and English schools. My culinary experiences were varied from an early age… from my mom’s homemade lasagne to the potato knishes at my dad’s deli, and all kinds of international cuisine in between. This culturally diverse upbringing contributed to the ‘mosaic’ I am today.

(Photo by Stella Pereira)

I studied Spanish and Portuguese in college/university. I worked for international organisations in Montreal and Toronto then worked as a freelance translator specialising in gastronomy, tourism and oenology. My book translations have won some Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. I have completed the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines. I have appeared on live radio programmes, written for local magazines and newspapers, translated two cookbooks, and have been featured in articles and podcasts. I wrote the bi-monthly column “Five Global Flavours” for Velvet magazine.

I lived in the UK for over 20 years – 16 of those in Cambridgeshire. In 2025 I moved to Portugal with my husband Paulo, who was born and raised in London and is of Portuguese ancestry. We live in a village in the Vinho Verde wine region, between Porto and the Douro Valley. We love cooking together and he is a whizz on the barbecue. He grew up in the restaurant business too (his father spent 35 years as manager of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Mayfair, London).

I started “One Two Culinary Stew” in 2014 because I wanted to combine my love of food and wine with my desire to keep writing creatively. I’m also a strong believer in supporting independent producers and businesses. So with spoon firmly in hand, you’ll find me stirring my big bubbling cauldron of food (and wine) experiences!

For more frequent content, please follow me on Instagram at one2culinarystew.

All views are my own.

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