Port Washington resident and entrepreneur Giovannina Bellino is the owner of the Goddess Gourmet Co. and the creator of the delicious cooking base Flavor Bombs. Bellino’s business is a certified woman-owned business and the product is manufactured on Long Island. Flavor Bombs are natural, frozen fresh, gluten free, low sodium and low-cost cooking bases that can be used to enhance the flavor of any dish.
Bellino is a passionate cook and an avid gardener. “I’ve always grown my own herbs and made blended herb combinations to use in my cooking,” said Bellino. “I started freezing them in ice cube trays to use later as a base for different dishes. I began bagging them and selling them at local farmer’s markets.” She had such success that she decided to trademark the name and consult with a nutritionist to create the ingredient label. Bellino used Port Washington-based Pig Pen Studios to create the packaging. She found a manufacturer for the Flavor Bombs in Yapank, N.Y. That allows her to be hands on during the manufacturing process.
Flavor Bombs hit stores in January and sales have been great. Flavor Bombs come in five flavors: Basil, Sage, Rosemary, Mirepoix and Soffritto. They are precooked and can be used to start of finish a dish. Flavor Bombs eliminate the prep work for cooking your favorite dishes.
Bellino has lived in Sands Point for 26 years. She grew up in New Jersey. Her three children all went through the public school system in Port Washington and all graduated from Schreiber High School. When her children were in school, Bellino was very involved in volunteering in Port Washington. “I’ve always been a foodie so I was always involved in a food way,” said Bellino. “I was class mother. I ran teacher’s lunches at Schreiber and brought them from cold to hot meals. I did cooking for different classes. I even had a pasta stand at the carnival at Manorhaven School.” She was also involved in the community at her parish, Our Lady of Fatima in Manorhaven. “I cooked for the kids who were receiving sacraments at Our Lady of Fatima,” said Bellino. “I always felt Port Washington was a great town to get involved in the community. My volunteer work when I was a homemaker helped me hone my skills to now run my own business.”
If you want a sample of Bellino’s delicious dishes made with her Flavor Bombs, she is doing a demo at the Manhasset King Kullen on April 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. Turkey meatloaf, rosemary roasted potatoes and baked chicken will be available for sampling. She will give out recipe cards with her fabulous recipes. Flavor bombs are on sale at King Kullen for $3.99, regular price is $4.99. The product is also available at Holiday Farms in Roslyn and on Bellino’s website www.flavorbombs.com, where you will find her recipe video cookbook. You can check out her Facebook page and Twitter feed at @goddessgio.
