I am Gina (Martino) Zarcadoolas, the name behind the blog Foodiewinelover.com. I am of Italian and Middle Eastern descent but spent part of my early childhood in Haiti. It’s a small country nestled in the Caribbean known for its vibrant artworks, culture, and delicious food. I attended culinary school at the age of 14 and learned about French and global cuisines. My husband is Greek, and we currently live in South Florida, where there is a big Cuban influence. I come from a multi-cultural background, and I enjoy traditional and authentic dishes from various cuisines.
I am a passionate food writer, a culinary personality, and a world traveler. I am the proud cookbook author of: Cuisines, Corkscrews & Cultures. I hold a Level 2 sommelier certificate, and a level 2 certification in “WSET: Wine, Spirit, Education, Trust”. In June 2019, I was awarded first prize for the “Salice Salentino USA Bloggers Award” that was held in Lecce, Puglia. Read the blogpost here: discover-the-splendor-of-salento-and-its-signature-italian-wines/ In March 2023, I received the honorary title of “Italian Wine Scholar” from the Wine Scholar Guild. In between blogging, I sell and invest in Real Estate with my husband, Peter.
I have been inspired by many different cuisines during my travels, and I am fascinated the way food plays a major role in cultures all over the globe. I have had the pleasure to visit many countries and cities in my lifetime, savored many delicious ethnic cuisines, and sipped on delicious wines.
I am excited to discover WordPress and share with you my passion for food, wines, and travel lifestyles. I feel blessed to have visited many places and learned firsthand about various cultures. The following destinations are some of the highlights of my travels: Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico City, Taxco, Acapulco, and Cancun in Mexico; Nassau, Paradise Island, in the Bahamas; St. John, St. Thomas, The Cayman Islands, San Jose, Guanacaste in Costa Rica; Rome, Naples, Capri, Positano, Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Lake Como, Milan, in Italy; Lugano, Switzerland; Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, in Greece; Kusadasi and Ephesus in Turkey; Corsica, Monaco-Ville and Montecarlo in Monaco; Nice, Cannes in France; Barcelona in Spain and Palma De Majorca. Wine country in California and the Hamptons in New York.
In 2013, I visited wine country, Sonoma and Napa Valley, and had the time of my life. In 2017, I explored the world of Tuscan living and wines from that region. I also visited Positano, the Amalfi Coast and Naples, where I relished on some authentic Southern Italian cuisines.
In the summer of 2018, I visited Cartagena, Colombia where I attended my cousin’s wedding and did some sightseeing. In June 2019, I won a trip to Puglia where I received an award as mentioned above. I extended the trip to include the Piedmont region, where Nebbiolo is the main grape and Barolo is the king of Italian wines. I also visited a production company where they make Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in Parma, and a factory in Modena where they make balsamic vinegar. I proceeded to Bologna and savored the famous tagliatelle alla Bolognese. I ended up in Rome for the 5th time. As the famous saying goes: “All roads lead to Rome”.
In the summer of 2021, I revisited Sonoma & Napa, the Hamptons and Costa Rica.
In August of 2022, I revisited Rome, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, then visited Paris and the Champagne region for the first time! It was a dream come true!
I cook passionately, and I love to entertain family and friends, while sipping on some amazing wines. I will share with you some of my delicious culinary creations, and some beautiful pictures that I captured during my travels.
I hope you will sit back, relax and enjoy My Food, Wine & Travel Lifestyles.
Autographed copies of my cookbook are currently available on this website ONLY. The cookbook is also available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Cuisines-Corkscrews-Cultures-Treasury-Lifestyles/dp/1986846059
Thanks for the follow, fellow “Gina!”. My website “Gina’s Inspirations” had been divided into two separate sites, so you may want to follow me at one or both of those sites instead. Gorgeous photo, btw!
Thank you very much for stopping by Gina! (btw, nice name) Have a great day!
I now know what blogging is. Thanks Mom.
Hi There! I’ve nominated you for the very inspiring blogger award! Acceptance is optional, and so if you’re interested please check out this post: http://ineedafeed.wordpress.com/2014/12/23/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Wow, I am very flattered. Thank you for the nomination. I would love to participate but I am pressed for time as I am preparing for Christmas. Thank you again! Perhaps, after Christmas……Happy Holidays!
I’m stopping by to first say that I love your blog. Therefore, I have nominated you for The Liebster Blog Award. If Blog Awards are your thing, come on over and check out the rules:
https://winebyari.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/the-liebster-blog-award/
Hi, I’ve discovered your fab blog via http://kritsayvonne.com/2015/11/24/guest-interview-krystina-kalapothakos/
I’ll be back! X
Hello Yvonne! Thank you so much! I just dropped a comment on your wonderful post featuring Krystina from Kouzounas Kitchen. Glad you stopped in, and nice to meet you! Looking forward to your future posts. Sorry for the delay in responding, because things have been hectic here with the holidays.
Hello, you have a wonderful blog! I am really looking forward to trying some of them! Thank you for stopping by my blog and following 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipes and knowledge. You’re sure to open a lot of people up to new food adventures. With this blog, you have really created a treasure chest and wealthy resource bank. I like that you are so open about your background and how it is an obvious influence on how you see food. I look forward to delving into some of your recipes and trying out some new dishes. Or just learning how to make some of those dishes on my own as opposed to going out…
What a nice thing to say! Thank you kindly! I am proud of my heritage, and enjoy cuisines from all corners of the world.
Thank you for following my humble blog. You have got some tasty posts here 🙂 Look forward to more of them.
Thank you kindly!!!
Congratulations Gina, I’m so excited and happy for you! Can’t wait to receive the book and try ALL your recipes!
Thank you so much for your loyal support Mary Ann. Your cookbook will be on its way to you today. With much affection and appreciation. Gina X
It is great to read about your wine-food adventures. A lot of interesting topic you share here and I am sure I will lear a lot from you.
Thank you very much. Glad to see you on here. Welcome to my blog! I will check out yours, a little later. Buon Anno!!