Ann Bauer is a novelist, journalist, essayist, and food critic. This means she gets to read and write all day, every day, except when she's matching wits with her wry, sarcastic teenage daughter or cooking dinner for her darling and (she thanks God) gainfully employed husband, John. She lives most of the year surrounded by rainforest on Bainbridge Island, a strange little spot of land 30 minutes from downtown Seattle. She travels back and forth to the city by ferry. Ann is admittedly no great chef, but she and John love the Pacific Northwest's bountiful produce and local wine.

When not in Washington, Ann can usually be found in Minneapolis – one of the world's greatest but least-celebrated cities – home to her two adult sons, a fabulous writing community, and Hell's Kitchen restaurant, the place where Damn Good Food began.