Mario Batali

Mario Batali counts 24 restaurants, nine cookbooks, numerous television shows and the 50,000-square-foot Eataly marketplace among his ever-expanding empire of deliciousness. This autumn, Mario and his business partner, Joe Bastianich, will open B&B Burger&Beer in the Venetian Hotel and Casino, their fourth restaurant in Las Vegas.

Mario is also the author of nine cookbooks including the James Beard Award Winning Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes; and Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals from my Home to Yours. Mario appears daily on ABC's 'The Chew' a daytime talk show that celebrates and explores life through food.

Jim Webster is a newspaper copy editor, writer, blogger, culinary tourist and amateur caterer. He works at The Washington Post and has worked at the Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times.