About the Author

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Felice Prudente Sta. Maria is a pioneer of Philippine culinary history. She uses a polychromic and multidisciplinary framework for establishing culinary history with a focus on the period of 1516 to 1949. The Governor-General's Kitchen: Philippine Culinary Vignettes and Recipes, 1521-1935 (Anvil Publishing, 2006) and What Kids Should Know About Philippine Food (Adarna Books, 2016) are among her popular works. Her writings about Philippine culture over four decades have been awarded both nationally and internationally. In the 1980's she received the first Kalakbay Award from the Philippine Department of Tourism in the Domestic Resident Travel Writer category. In 2001, she was added to the SEA Write Award roster, considered the highest accolade for ASEAN authors. Maria contines to speak on the value of culinary history for tourism to professional and academic audiences. Bryan Koh released his first book, Milk Pigs & Violet Gold: Philippine Cookery in 2014. It won the Best Food Book Award of the Philippine National Book Awards that year. His second book, 0451 Mornings are for Mont Hin Gar: Burmese Food Stories, won third place in the Best Asian Cookbook category at the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2016. Milk Pigs' second, enriched, edition entitled Milkier Pigs & Violet Gold was nominated for Best Travel Food Book at the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2017. He released his third book, Bekwoh, on the cuisine of Peninsular Malaysia's East Coast, in 2018. Bryan majored in Mathematics at the National University of Singapore and has a Masters in Management Hospitality from Cornell University. He lives in Singapore and is co-owner of cake companies Chalk Farm and Milk Moons. Mariel Ylagan Garcia is an illustrator/painter based in the Philippines who specializes in watercolor and oil painting. Realizing her artistic skills at 10, her love and passion for the creative medium became key drivers to pursuing that journey full time, beginning with finishing Multimedia arts at Malayan Colleges Laguna in 2015. Most of her works are inspired by botanical and female figures. Mariel is a member of the Kapisanan ng mga Pintor sa Philipinas at iba pang Sining, Inc. (KPP) and Space 4026 where she explores, shares and exhibits her art. In 2014, she started an internship at Ayala Museum wherein she designed event posters, organized exhibits and assisted art workshops. Mariel continues to paint and now exhibits around the Metro.