Ruth Edenbaum was born in New York City and raised on Long Island. She has been eating for nearly 65 years and enjoying eating for over 40 which time span coincides roughly with the point at which she stopped studying such subjects as Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and Political Science, got married to Martin and started cooking. For several years she wrote a food column called Eats of Eden. She has also taught cooking in the West Windsor Plainsboro Community Education programs to pupils who ranged in age from 5 to 85.

She started traveling to Italy in the middle 1970s. Ever since her first trip, she has dedicated a portion of her energies to finding ways of returning there as often as possible. She and her husband raised three sons and a daughter to be delightful adults as well as dedicated foodies. She divides her time between central New Jersey and Venice which she considers a second home.

Shannon Essa was born in Southern California and raised in Half Moon Bay, California. She spent her formative years studying Renaissance Art History, and longed to move to Florence, but ended up in the wine business instead. Florence was forgotten as she plugged along at her work as well as a part-time catering operation and forays into theater productions.

For her ten-year anniversary with her company, she was taken to Italy by her employers. Upon departing, her boss said "I am going to lose you to Italy," and he did. As soon as Shannon stepped off the boat in Venice she knew she was home. In the four years that have followed she has traveled to Venice on many occasions, and lived there for one year. Now she is back in the wine business and resides in San Diego, California. She is an accomplished chef who spends much of her time eating, drinking, and thinking about food and wine.