Marissa Guggiana is the president of Sonoma Direct, a family business providing sustainably raised meats, co-founder of The Butcher's Guild, a new organization to promote integrity, fraternity and community in the meat world, and a leader in Slow Food, for which she was the charcuterie curator at the inaugural Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco. A regular contributor to Saveur.com, since 2008 Marissa has been an editor and contributor to Meatpaper, a quarterly magazine exploring the fleischgeist. Marissa is committed to changing the food system to maintain the strength and independence of small farms and ranches. She is a fellow with Roots of Change, an organization to create a sustainable food system as the new mainstream. She also sits on the board of Ag Innovations Network, an NGO that facilitates communication for the stakeholders in regional food systems.

Andrew Zimmern (Introduction) is a James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, teacher, and is regarded as one of the most versatile and knowledgeable personalities in the food world. He is the co-creator, host, and consulting producer of Travel Channel's hit series, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World. From world-class restaurants to street carts to jungle markets, Andrew is all about discovering and sharing the authentic food experience.

Dario Cecchini (Foreword), the son of generations of butchers, continues the family tradition in his Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano, Chianti. He performs the artisan craft of butchery with both a respect to tradition yet with a creative spirit and always in search of quality. Dario is known throughout the world, and everyone becomes one of the family when they enter the workshop or his restaurants Solociccia, Officina della Bistecca and Mac Dario that he opened right next to the original butcher shop. Cited in many international publications, including Bill Buford's HEAT and Douglas Gayeton's Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town.