Marja Samsom arrived in York City s East Village in the 1980s. She combines an artist s passion and dedication with a pragmatic approach to create seamless events for discerning customers. She transformed weekly underground dinners for friends into a thriving restaurant: The Kitchen Club, an iconic destination for European Japanese cuisine in downtown Manhattan. Marja then expanded with Chibi s Sake Bar, named after her darling French bulldog, Chibi. Currently, she has also been making a name as the Dumpling Diva through her catering business, television appearances, and cooking classes.

Lidia MaMatticchio Bastianich is the hostess of the national public television series "Lidia's Italian Table." She is also co-owner of three New York City restaurants: Felidia, Becco, and Frico Bar. Ms. Bastianich is the author of "La Cucina di Lidia" and gives lectures on Italian cuisine throughout the country. For the past few years, she has been the editor for a "New York Times" special insert, "The Celebration of Life, " dedicated to culinary life in Italy. Ms. Bastianich lives in Douglaston, New York.