About

The Real Tangled Noodle. Kind of.

Contrary to what my longstanding online avatar might indicate, I am not an adorable Boxer with incredible biscuit balancing skills. I am also not a cartoon figure sans nose and forearms, as depicted above. However, it is a close approximation of the Real Me, from the glasses I've worn since the second grade to the hairstyle that hasn't changed since my early twenties.

So, who is the noodle behind the Noodle?

I Am...

...A lapsed knitter, lazy gym rat, shameless bargain shopper, all-day snacker, avid reader, stern dog-mom, respectable cook and reasonably capable writer living in Metro Manila, Philippines. I am currently a regular contributor to several lifestyle publications in the Philippines, as well as to Minnesota-based local and sustainable foods website Simple, Good and Tasty.

Having no choice but to live in my world are my infinitely patient husband Mr. Noodle and our good-natured Boxer, the Pupster of Disaster, who'll put up with having various objects balanced on his face in exchange for cookies. I like to think he gets this anything-for-food mentality from me.

I Have...

...Food on the brain: If I'm not eating or cooking it, I'm reading, blogging or simply thinking about it. I want to know not only what a particular food is, but also why, where and when it came to be, who makes it and how it plays a role in our present lives, past histories and future well-being. These are the details often overlooked in cookbooks and magazines, but are key to understanding and appreciating the multilayered role of food in human society.

I started Tangled Noodle in late 2008 as a corollary to my studies in a self-designed undergraduate curriculum exploring food in anthropology, sociology and history. Thanks to this blog, I have become a (slightly) better cook, learned to take (reasonably) good photographs, and polished my writing skills well enough to be paid for it.

I Will...

...Write posts that are occasionally sentimental and often verbose. However, I hope that in exchange for slogging through them, you will feel just a bit more enlightened about a particular food or foodway.

My Tangled Philosophy

There's no such thing as bad food.

No matter how strange or peculiar the dish, if someone finds any value in it, then it's all good.

The Pupster of Disaster