Marie Simmons is a cooking teacher and author who has won both a James Beard Award and a Julia Child Award.  She is the culinary director of Copia, a food and wine cultural center in Napa, California. She is a frequent contributor to Cooking Light, Prevention, Cottage Living, and Eating Well. Her books include Fresh and Fast, The Light Touch Cookbook, Rice: The Amazing Grain, Lighter Quicker Better, 365 Ways to Cook Pasta and The Good Egg.