GIADA DE LAURENTIIS is the Emmy-winning star of Food Network’s Everyday Italian, Giada's Weekend Getaways, and Giada at Home; a contributing correspondent for NBC’s Today; and the author of four New York Times bestselling cookbooks.

She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris and worked at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant in Los Angeles before starting her own catering company, GDL Foods. Born in Rome, she grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives with her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Jade

Brandi Dougherty was born and raised in Kalispell, Montana. After earning an English degree at Linfield College, she spent eight years working in children's publishing at Scholastic before moving to California, where she pursued writing and freelance editing full-time. Brandi now calls sunny Los Angeles her home, where she wrangles two adorable kids and one crazy dog with her husband, Joe.

Francesca Gambatesa is a children's book illustrator and animation designer who was born in Beirut. She has lived in Rome, Istanbul and London.

She has worked with many publishers including Egmont, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House Young Readers, Usborne and also companies such as the BBC and Greenpeace.