Hi, I’m Marinka and I am so glad you found me smiling while I cook for A Gourmet Food Blog. My mantra is “those who cook happy and eat together, will stay together”. I am a strong believer in experimenting with food in the kitchen. I am a strong believer in creating, cooking and eating food, rather than seeing it as a chore. I know that this is not meant for everybody, but we all gotta eat, so even if you’re not good at it, try some variety – who knows, you may start liking it.

Allow your creativity to flow and you may just find a hidden talent, and making a delicious meal will not be an accident, but a deliberate choice. Food is a pleasurable necessity and when you give yourself the chance to try to cook, you’ll live better.

How did I get so happy in my kitchen?

Studying nutrition and dietetics is where my interest in food began, well actually earlier; helping my mom in the kitchen. During my university time, I played with ideas of starting my own restaurant, opening a specialty food store, starting a catering business. I chose to study Nutrition and Dietetics instead; I wanted to help people to lead a healthier life, without giving up their love for food.

When I graduated, I proudly started to work as a Registered Dietitian in a small city hospital. A year later, I found a job with a manufacturer of specialized hospital nutrition as a nutritional trainer. My work brought me to many corners of the world, and I met some incredible people. During those trips I was introduced to many cuisines. Tasting ‘foreign food’ was usually one of the highlights of the day. It made me even more curious about food, and I learned to never say ‘no’ to food I never had before. Gosh, did I eat some weird stuff, guess what, I would do it again, if or when I have the chance.

All the influences of the different cultures that I encountered on these international trips changed me and made me into the person I am today. I met my husband William, on a trip to the Caribbean and we started talking over dinner. We are still talking and have been together ever since. Together we cooked up the idea to start our own business and in 2005 we started an online gourmet food store. A couple of years later, in 2008, we moved the business from The Netherlands (yes, I am Dutch) to the US and here I am. We sold our business in 2020.

Why this Blog?

Did I tell you already that I love food?  This blog started as an add-on to a gourmet food website I owned (and sold it in 2020), sharing recipes with the products we sold, but I wanted it to grow into more than that.

I hope to inspire you to create wonderful meals, that you can share with friends and family. I don’t think we all have to make our own pasta, bake our daily bread nor do we have to grow our own fruit and vegetables. You’re not going to be a lesser cook if you buy all your ingredients; there are enough alternatives you can by in your local grocery store, that won’t compromise your cooking endeavors.

What is A Gourmet Food Blog about?

It is about creative cooking, eating and living well.

The recipe section is the core of the blog. All the recipes I share are my creations, unless otherwise indicated. Most of the recipes are designed for two, making use of everyday ingredients. They are designed for two, because it is just my husband and I who eat these creations. Yes, we eat all the food I prepare, even if it doesn’t come out the way I want – I have a hard time throwing food away. When a recipe is not sharable, I try again and again, until it is the way I want it. A limited number of recipes are for 4 or more, because they are easy to freeze.

Kitchen-Talk will cover ingredients, How To’s, and more. Still a work in progress.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or inquiries or just want to say hi. You can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can also reach me directly at [email protected]. If you’d like to keep in touch, you can also subscribe to my weekly A Gourmet Food Blog e-newsletter to receive the latest recipes.

P.S. Please don’t be surprised when you stumble upon one of my Denglish sentence constructions.