Pamela Strobel was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she learned to cook from her mother, Beauty. Orphaned at age 13, Strobel came to New York, finding work in restaurants while nurturing her love of jazz by catching performances of Louis Armstrong and Sarah Vaughan. In 1965, Strobel opened her own restaurant in the East Village neighborhood, serving the soul food of her childhood while entertaining guests alongside a band that once included Lewis Nash, John Hicks, and Roy Eldridge.
Matt Lee and Ted Lee are siblings who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and after moving to New York City founded The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, a mail-order service for southern pantry staples. The brothers have gone on to become some of the most respected food journalists in the country, authoring three books including most recently The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen. They are contributing editors at Travel and Leisure and frequently write stories for Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Fine Cooking, and Food and Wine.
