Robin Asbell is the former head chef of the Wedge Deli in Minneapolis as well as an accomplished food writer.

Bret Bannon is a longtime chef/teacher at Cooks of Crocus Hill. He has apprenticed with B.T. McElrath Chocolatier and staged at the Park Avenue Cafe in New York, The Local and Un Deux Trois. www.bretstable.com

Amy Broderick is pastry chef at the Bayport Cookery and the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant, as well as director of the baking program at Le Cordon Bleu in Mendota Heights.

Antonio Cecconi is a native of Italy and the author of many cookbooks including Betty Crocker’s Italian Cooking.

Amalia Damgaard is a native of Guatemala and a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu. Amalia is a TV personality, food and culture writer, and owns a private chef business specializing in Latin & Spanish gourmet cuisine and culture. www.cookparty.com

Mary Evans is founder of The Write Cook and has been involved in the culinary field for the past 26 years.

Beth Fisher has been turning heads for many years with her one-of-a-kind approach to food and entertaining. A gregarious host and teacher, Chef Beth will show you a new world of cuisine: healthful, haute and exhilarating.

Zoë François is the author of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has worked as a pastry chef for several of the Twin Cities top restaurants. Visit her website www.zoebakes.com.

Mary Lou Frank has worked at Cooks since 2001 as the creative force behind food products and equipment demonstrations.

Carrie Franzen is the former pastry chef for jP American Bistro and currently teaches baking at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.

Marty Hegna is owner of the custom catering business, The Catering Company, and a former sous chef at Calhoun Beach Club.

Carmela Tursi Hobbins, a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, owns Carmela's Cucina and leads frequent culinary tours to Tuscany.

Van Keszler is a chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu and previously worked for Embassy Suites.

Ken Liss owns and operates the Premier Cheese Market in Edina. He attended Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis and completed a three-month cheese internship at the Artisanal Cheese Center in Manhattan.

Steve Michalski is sommelier at Lord Fletcher’s as well as wine writer for Minnesota Monthly.

Leslee Miller is a Level III Sommelier and an engaging and entertaining wine educator. She comes to Minnesota from several years working in Oregon's world-class wine regions.

Paulette Mitchell, the award-winning author of 13 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. Her most recently published book is The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Fast and Fresh. Paulette also is a spokesperson and freelance writer. She especially enjoys international travel, which she says is her best source of inspiration.

Kathleen O'Hehir-Johnson, a self-taught chocolatier, started Just Truffles, Inc. 20 years ago in a rented kitchen in West Saint Paul.  Her first shop was located in the Saint Paul Hotel where she became known as "Candy Maker to the Stars". Her client list reads like a Who's Who of the entertainment and political world.  Yoyo Ma, Lionel Ritchie, Marie Osmond, George Shearing, Luciano Pavarotti, several US presidents and Margaret thatcher to name a few.  Her truffles have won awards nation wide and has been  numerous times on the  Food Network, HG TV, all the local televison stations and also featured on the Oprah show.  The business now resides in a lovely "Victorian Painted Lady" duplex on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul.

Josh Pepper is a longtime home brewer and a licensed beer judge. He currently lives in Minneapolis where he judges local brewing competitions and spreads his zymurgic passion.

Kevin Ryan holds a graduate degree in gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu and is the author of Betty Crocker Why It Works: Insider Secrets to Great Food. In addition, Kevin is currently a food scientist at General Mills.

Rachael Rydbeck is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and has spent time in the kitchen at Levain, as an intern at Cook’s Illustrated in Boston and in the cooking school, as school coordinator, at the one and only Cooks of Crocus Hill. She currently publishes a food blog at: rachaelrydbeck.com

Mary Scheu is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and is currently school coordinator at Cooks of Crocus Hill. She comes to us from New York where she spent time working in a variety of restaurants and cafes.

John Seal has managed restaurants such as the St. Paul Grill and Pazzaluna. He now works at Napa Valley Grille.

April Torzewski began her career in restaurants, and shortly after discovered a great love of both food and wine.  She has since gone on to work with wine in various settings, including managing a boutique wine shop, working at a family-owned winery and she currently works for a local wholesaler/distributor.  She leads introductory wine appreciation classes around the metro area, and is known for her dynamic and fun approach to wine.

Van Sengmavong emigrated from Laos when she was four, and she and her family have been in the restaurant business for 20 years. She owns and operates Lemon Grass in Brooklyn Park.

Tony Shipshock is executive chef of the Lakeshore Grill at Macy’s Southdale. He has worked at many restaurants around the twin cities including Murray’s Steakhouse, NorthCoast, and the Downtowner.

Kevin Wencel is executive chef at Highland Grill, Edina Grill and Longfellow Grill. He was previously cooking school director here at Cooks.

Eberhard Werthmann headed the culinary program at St. Paul Technical College for more than 20 years.

Koshiki Yonemura is a chef and owner of Tanpopo Noodle Shop, a Japanese restaurant in Lowertown St. Paul that specializes in Japanese homestyle dishes using traditional and locally grown organic ingredients.

Joe Zahner is the executive chef at the Hazelden Foundation. He has also worked at Palomino, Ciao Bella, and Zelo.

Terry John Zila teaches cooking classes throughout the Twin Cities, and operates johnjeanjuan, a special-occasion cake business. He is a member of the IACP, and a master gardener for The Home Depot.