Chef, sommelier, restaurateur: Each of these titles applies to Stephen Asprinio. In addition to his culinary training under highly acclaimed chefs such as Morimoto Masaharu at Nobu, Asprinio dedicated himself to his pursuit of wine, and at 19, became the youngest person to pass the United States Sommelier Association’s Certificate Examination. After graduating from the CIA and Cornell University, he became one of the youngest sommeliers in the country as the wine director for Michael Mina’s Nob Hill at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And at the age of 26, Asprinio opened his first and namesake restaurant, Forté di Asprinio in South Florida, which was named "One of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants in the United States" by the Gayot Restaurant Guide. In 2010, Asprinio was named a “Top Chef All-Star,” competing in the eighth season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning competitive reality series by Bravo! Network, alongside the best of the best from seasons past. In February 2012, Asprinio will be launching a wine-centric restaurant concept named PizzaVinoTeca (PVT) in New York City. He is also currently writing his first book titled, Eat & Drink Until You Die, which focuses on enjoying the everyday food and wine experience.

John Barricelli is a third-generation baker who began his cooking career more than 25 years ago at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He has worked in New York City restaurants such as River Cafe and the Four Seasons Restaurant. John owned Cousin John's Cafe and Bakery in New York City for 10 years. Currently the host of "Everyday Baking from Everyday Food" on PBS, John is well-known as an "Everyday Food" cohost and a frequent contributor to "The Martha Stewart Show." John is also the owner of SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in South Norwalk, Connecticut, and the author of the "SoNo Baking Company Cookbook."

Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN is America’s favorite nutritionist. She is the nutrition and diet expert for NBC’s Today show, a monthly columnist for Woman's Day magazine, and the exclusive nutritionist for the New York City Ballet. Bauer is the author of several New York Times best selling books, including Joy Bauer's Food Cures, Slim & Scrumptious, and Your Inner Skinny, and the creator of JoyBauer.com. Bauer’s mission is to improve the health of our nation and believes it’s never too late or too early to reap the benefits of healthy living. She lives in New York with her husband and three children.

In a very short time, 33-year-old chef Graham Elliot has accrued accolades, including Best New Chef in 2004 from Food & Wine magazine and three James Beard Nominations. At age 27, Elliot was the youngest four-star chef in America. In May 2008, he opened the aptly named Graham Elliot, a restaurant that would not only bear his name, but become an extension of his passionate personality and is Chicago’s first “bistronomic” restaurant, tempering four-star cuisine with humor and accessibility. Since opening its doors, Graham Elliot has beguiled the city garnering two stars from the Chicago Tribune, two and a half stars from the Chicago Sun-Times and one star from the 2011 MICHELIN Guide. In addition to appearing on both seasons of the popular show “Top Chef Masters,” Graham has co-starred alongside Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianich on both seasons of the FOX series MASTERCHEF. Elliot lives in Chicago with his wife and two sons.

Ray Lampe grew up in Chicago, Ill., and after high school spent 25 years in the family trucking business. In 2000 the trucking business had run its course, and it was time for Lampe to try something new. He has been participating in BBQ cook-offs as a hobby since 1982, so he decided to take a leap and turn his hobby into a career. In 2000 Lampe moved to Florida and began his career as an outdoors cooking expert. Since then, he has won more than 300 awards, written 5 cookbooks, and working on his 6th as well as been an expert judge on many shows including, “Ultimate BBQ Showdown” and “ Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri.”

One of the hardest-working women in the food biz, Sara Moulton has been juggling multiple jobs and a full family life for her entire career. Admired by millions as the host of Cooking Live, Cooking Live Primetime, and Sara's Secrets, Moulton was one of the Food Network’s defining personalities during the outlet's first decade. In addition to her work on the Food Network, Moulton was the executive chef of Gourmet magazine for 23 years until its closing in October 2009. Moulton is the author of Sara Moulton Cooks at Home (Broadway Books, 2002) and Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals (Broadway Books, 2005), which served as the basis for Sara Weeknight Meals, a series on public television that launched in 2008. Her fourth cookbook Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners (Simon & Schuster) debuted in April featuring 200 new recipes for over scheduled home cooks. She is also the Food Editor of ABC’s Good Morning America. Ask Moulton how it all began and she will tell you, "I've always liked to eat." Sara lives in New York City with her husband and two children. The second season of Sara’s Weeknight Meals begins October on Public Television. Please check your local listings or visit Sara’s website (www.saramoulton.com) for more information.

As the son of displaced farmers, Michel Nischan, CEO, Founder and President of Wholesome Wave, grew up with a great appreciation for local agriculture and those who work the land. He translated these childhood values into a career as a James Beard Award-winning chef, author and restaurateur, becoming a catalyst for change in the sustainable food movement. An Ashoka Fellow, Nischan serves on the Board of Trustees for the James Beard Foundation, The Rodale Institute and The Center for Health and the Global Environment of Harvard Medical School.

Having cooked alongside her famous father, Jacques Pépin, for many years, Claudine Pépin is perhaps most recognized for her appearances on Jacques Pépin’s Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine and Jacques Pépin’s Kitchen: Encore with Claudine. Their television collaborations each received notable recognition and accolades from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. In addition to her onscreen presence, Pépin is well-acquainted with the world of wine and spirits. She spent two years as a brand ambassador for Moet & Chandon and Dom Perignon and taught food and wine pairing at both the French Culinary Institute and the Sommelier Society in New York City. Pépin has also built online following through her involvement in Food University, a web-based culinary education program. In 2002, she was named “Woman of the Year” by the Academie Culinaire de France – Filiale des Etas Unis.

A best-known chef, cookbook author, and cooking teacher, Jacques Pépin has published 26 books and hosted 11 acclaimed public television cooking series, the most recent of which was a companion to his book Jacques Pépin: More Fast Food My Way (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). A new book and PBS-TV series, both titled Essential Pépin, is releasing in October 2011. The book encompasses more than 700 recipes from Pépin’s long career, some of which he will demonstrate on the accompanying television series. Born in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, Pépin’s first exposure to cooking was as a child in his parents’ restaurant, Le Pelican. At age 13 he apprenticed at the Grand Hotel de L’Europe in his hometown. He subsequently worked in Paris, training under Lucien Diat at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée. From 1956 to 1958, Pépin was the personal chef to three French heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle. A former columnist for the New York Times, Pépin is a contributing editor to Food & Wine magazine. He also regularly participates in culinary festivals and fund-raising events worldwide and has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Pépin is a founder of the American Institute of Wine and Food and a member of the International Association of Cooking Professionals. He and his wife, Gloria, live in Madison, CT.

Justin Warner started washing dishes in a pub at age 14 and continues to scrub plates as co-chef/owner of Do or Dine, an “American Izakaya” in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. In addition to his “haute-munchie” cuisine, Warnerio has gained national recognition for his “oeno-rap” seminars in NYC, LA, and Aspen. He is excited to bring a new level of steez to the foodies of Greenwich.

Jon Brennan spent many years in the culinary field working in all aspects of industry food service: prep cook, bartender, waiter, restaurant manager, pastry chef and eventually executive chef. Brennan’s knowledge and pride comes from always being part of and leading a great team. After completing his studies at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a major in aeronautical engineering, Brennan decided to take a different path (although he remains a licensed pilot) and follow his passion: food. He and his wife started their own food service and catering business, Plum Pure Foods after moving from New York City to Connecticut. In the past 15 years, Brennan has worked and led the way on many successful events including some of the areas top fundraising galas, weddings, bar and bat mitvahs, movie premieres and store openings.

Laura Brennan started her culinary career in 1998 with one of the area’s largest, high-end full-service catering companies. She quickly worked her way up to food and beverage director. For six years she continued to thrive, learn and build relationships within the industry. In 2004, Brennan left the big city with her husband to move to the suburbs and raise her family in Connecticut. Her love and appreciation of good food and a great event was never far from her heart or mind, so she re-entered the work force to manage Plum with her husband Jon Brennan and to strike it out on their own, paving the way to what they believe to be the future of food service and catering. Brennan holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from New York University and a Grand Diplome from the French Culinary Institute.

Upon completion of his culinary training, Chef Rui Correia went on to some of the best kitchens in New York City. Which brought him to the fall of 2009, when Chef Rui Correia began to showcase his native Portuguese cuisine with the opening of DOURO Restaurant in Greenwich, CT. DOURO is named after the region Chef Rui was born, and features his new world menu of an old world cuisine. Due to his representation of such an unfamiliar cuisine, he has been recognized in multiple publications and Chef Rui demonstrates his Portuguese food regularly on the TODAY Show. His Portuguese background and cuisine is applied to everything he does in his kitchens and lifestyle. In the summer of 2010, Chef Rui opened a second restaurant with a Portuguese concept, Piri-Q, a churrascaria (barbeque) restaurant in Mamaroneck, NY.

At age 16, Bryan Gilmour knew he wanted to be a chef when he began an after-school job working for Wolfgang Puck in Irvine, CA. After finishing high school, Gilmour studied at The Culinary Institute of America where he met his wife-to-be, Kara Foster. While in the New York area, Gilmour held positions at Picholine in New York City, RK American Brasserie in Rye, NY, and 121 Restaurant and Bar in North Salem, NY. Realizing that he and his fiancé shared a passion for travel, Gilmour spent the next four years traveling and cooking. He held positions at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point, CA, Soupcon in Crested Butte, CO, and Savannah Red in Charlotte, NC, before returning to 121 as head chef. Gilmour describes his style of cooking as American favorites with an emphasis on classic technique and seasonal local ingredients.

Fritz Knipschildt had just turned 13 when he filled in for his sister one day for her job as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. He fell in love with the activity and excitement of the small, steamy kitchen. From there he worked his way up through the ranks and was put in charge of a new bistro restaurant by the French owner in Copenhagen. When he finally returned to his hometown of Denmark to attend hotel and restaurant school he was selected after one month of training to represent his town in the Danish championship for young chefs. After finishing school, he worked in Mont Blanc, France, and in southern Spain. The chocolate industry was radically transforming and began experimenting with chocolate, mixing sweet and savory flavors. After moving to the United States as a private chef he was offered a sponsorship by a French restaurant in New York City. In 2005, he opened Café Chocopologie in South Norwalk, CT, offering café dishes and a chocolate retail shop with all the classics and his unique creations.

Rafael Palomino’s professional life began at age 16. He started working after school at Larry Forgione’s River Café in Brooklyn, NY. Then at age 19 he traveled to France where he spent a year working and studying under the guidance of celebrated chef Michel Guerard. In 1983, he returned to work for Forgione, this time at An American Place. He moved on to become sous chef to Jonathan Waxman at Jams. The restaurant is credited with introducing New Yorkers to California cuisine. From 1987 to 1995, Palomino was executive chef of Metropolis Café, where his cuisine began to reflect his own heritage and education. Today, he is the energetic chef, restaurateur, teacher and cookbook author behind the success of Pacifico (New Haven, CT, and Lehigh, PA), Black Rock Tavern (Fairfield, CT), Greenwich Tavern (Old Greenwich, CT) and Sonora restaurants (Port Chester, NY). Throughout his career he has also published five cookbooks including Bistro Latino, Viva la Vida, Nueva Salsa, Fiesta Latina and Latin Grill.

Debra Ponzek graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1984. After cooking in top New Jersey restaurants, she was hired by Drew Nieporent as sous chef at the then fledgling Montrachet. Ten months later, Ponzek was promoted to chef, a position she held for seven years and where she earned three consecutive three-star reviews from the New York Times. At age 28, she was selected one of the “Ten Best New American Chefs” by Food & Wine magazine and in 1990 was named “Chef of the Year” by the Chefs of America Association. A year later she received the “Rising Chef of the Year” award by the James Beard Foundation. In 1994 Ponzek left Montrachet and moved to Connecticut with her husband to open Aux Délices, a gourmet prepared food shop, café and catering business in Greenwich, CT. Ponzek has also written three cooks books French Food American Accent, The Summer House Cookbook, The Family Kitchen. She is currently working on her fourth and co-hosts a weekly radio show on Greenwich radio station 1490 WGCH called Two Hungry Women.

Scott Quis was born in Patterson, NY. He started working at age 14 under George Seitzs at the Arch Restaurant where he worked for six years while attending The Culinary Institute of America. Quis graduated in 2000 and went on to work under Andrew Carmellini at Café Boulud, then Bertrand Chemel. During that time, he studied with other chefs in France at Regis Macron, Le Pyramid, Michel Bras, and Michel Gherard. Quis also spent time in Madrid, Spain for the Madrid Fusion Conference. He returned to the states to be sous chef and executive sous chef at Café Boulud. For one month he traveled through Rome, Madova, Padova, Parma and Bologna visiting vineyards and restaurants to learn new techniques. In 2007, Quis took over as chef at Picholine in New York City and then took time off to study techniques at Trattoria Ezelino in Mondovi. He now works as executive chef at Barcelona in Stamford, CT.

Chef Lynn Saathoff is the Culinary Director for cb5 Restaurant Group, a seasoned high-concept restaurant firm, responsible for more than 130 restaurant and bar developments around the globe. Saathoff’s vast knowledge of international cuisines began at such popular food destinations as Stephan Pyles’ Star Canyon, Aquaknox in Dallas, TX. Her passion and knowledge of Mexican fare was honed while working along side such aficionados as Bobby Flay, Rick Bayless, Diana Kennedy and Patricia Quintana, and can now be experienced at Lolita Cocina and Tequila Bar in Greenwich, CT, and Red Lulu in South Norwalk, CT.