Marcella Hazan was born in 1924 in the village of Cesenatico in Italy. She earned a doctorate in natural sciences and biology from the University of Ferrara. In 1956 she married Victor Hazan, an Italian-American who subsequently gained fame as a wine writer, and the couple moved to New York City a few months later. She now lives in Longboat Key, Florida. She is widely considered by chefs and fellow food writers to be one of the foremost authorities on Italian cuisine.