Travels with Gusto

I want my life to flare with color, to be fierce, fragrant, full.

Joan

About Me

I am a writer with a big appetite, for food, for travel, for life.

For more than two decades, I have been writing travel and food pieces for international and regional publications, including Travel + Leisure US, T+L Southeast Asia and Conde Nast Traveller UK.

I have a few books to my name, both as writer and editor. These include two coffee table books, Sonya’s Garden and the DOT-funded Best of the Best Philippines. I also wrote for Insight Publishing's guidebook, Asia's Best Hotels and Resorts.

Several years ago, I was the executive editor of Mabuhay, the in-flight magazine of Philippine Airlines.

In 2002, I was awarded Best Travel Writer in the ASEAN Travel Awards.

In parallel to my writing career, I also work as a digital media executive.

About This Blog

I was raised on good food, courtesy of a maternal grandmother who was relentless in the kitchen.

Lola Illang, a retired Home Economics teacher, could make anything by hand and was ardent about growing her own ingredients. By her example, and from the beaming faces of friends and family who came to share our table, I learned that food was love made manifest.

It is little wonder then that I became an advocate of slow food (or, as I like to call it, soul food), in restaurants and in my own kitchen. I look forward to the thrill of tracking down the finest ingredients, whether fresh produce that are tended with care and plucked at their peak, or artisanal elements that can be savored with very little embellishment. I find joy in watching my food putter quietly in the stove for hours until its flavors mellow and deepen. Good food takes time. I suppose the same can be said about love, and everything else that matters.

My appetite only grew bigger when I started a career in travel writing. My best adventures are those that begin and end at the table, with frequent grazing along the way. I never go anywhere without visiting the local market or signing up for a cooking class. For me, the kitchen offers the best view of the world.

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Thursday, February 3, 2011

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