Aki Berry grew up in Texas with a Japanese mom and Colorado-cowboy dad. This instilled in her a unique perspective on cross-cultures and identity and it exposed her to a variety of vastly different foods. After graduating from the University of California Santa Cruz with a degree in the History of Art and Visual Cultures, Aki embarked on several trips -- to India, Japan, Czechia, Poland and Central America -- exploring how culture affects art and art affects culture, and creating itineraries which revolve around local food.  She now lives in Northern California with her husband and three boys, juggling children, cooking, writing, and chaos. Aki loves being a soccer mom, but her oldest son has insisted that she's a futbol mom! She has 18 chickens, two cats, an alligator lizard, and her goldendoodle named Roo. She prefers her marshmallows burnt and her bananas green.

Meg Chano is a cookbook author and photographer with a passion for diverse cuisines and a knack for engineering. Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, she learned the secrets of cooking from her mom, grandmother and aunt, the latter two being licensed chefs in Japan. Meg embarked on a solo journey to the United States after high school and pursued a degree in electrical engineering and mathematics at the University of Arizona. She has had a diverse career, with experience in engineering, marketing, video and photography, and graphic design. Meg lives in the Greater Sacramento area with her husband and kids, balancing work and hobbies. She is always eager to try new dishes and learn about the different cultures that inspired them.