Monica Sartoni Cesari has had a long career in the world of Italian gastronomy. She was the educational director of the prestigious school of La Cucina Italiana and was awarded the distinguished Commandeur de la Commanderie des Cordons Bleus de France. She is the author of several books, including La Cucina Bolognese. Along with organizing numerous food exhibitions and shows, she has contributed to many well-known Italian food magazines, including Sale e Pepe, Cucina Moderna and A Tavola. She is currently the senior editor ofCucina No Problem.
Susan Simon is the author of six cookbooks, including Visual Vegetables, The Nantucket Table,The Nantucket Holiday Table, Contorni: Authentic Italian Side Dishes for All Seasons, Insalate: Authentic Italian Salads for All Seasons, and most recently as the writer for Pasta Sfoglia, which won a James Beard award.. She writes a bimonthly food column for The Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror and contributes toNantucket Today. She lived in Italy for eight years and currently lives in New York City. Her book,Shopping in Marrakech, is published by The Little Bookroom.