I’m Pina, a Canadian / naturalised Brit living in the UK who is passionate about food and travel. I was born and raised in Montreal 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 decided to work as a freelance translator specialising in gastronomy, tourism and oenology. My book translations have won some Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

I now live in a lovely village just outside Cambridge with my husband Paulo, who was born and raised in London and is of Portuguese ancestry. We work side by side running our own business, which takes us to various parts of the UK. Our company is not food or travel related but fortunately we share the same passion. We love cooking together and most of the food photos in “Our Kitchen” are his own culinary creations. He grew up in the restaurant business too as his father spent 35 years as manager of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Mayfair.

As we both frequently travel for business and pleasure, my reviews in the “Restaurants” section come from a variety of eating establishments in the UK and worldwide. However, Cambridgeshire is our home so you will definitely find me sharing my experiences of all the good food and drink right here at our doorstep!

I started “One Two Culinary Stew” because I wanted to combine my love of food 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 experiences!

All views are my own.

Unless otherwise noted, I am the legal copyright holder of the content and images on this blog. Please contact me for permission if you wish to use, reprint or publish any material.