Who we are

Sheela Prakash is cookbook author, recipe developer, and food and wine writer. She’s currently working on her third cookbook focused on Italian pantry cooking, and is the author of Salad Seasons and Mediterranean Every Day. She’s a contributor to New York Times Cooking, Bon Appétit, Simply Recipes, Food & Wine, and more, and was previously on staff at Kitchn, Epicurious, and Food52. She also works extensively behind the scenes of cookbooks, including collaborating with Tuscany-based Giulia Scarpaleggia and New York City’s popular Italian cocktail bar, Dante. Sheela received her master’s degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, holds Level 2 and Level 3 Awards in Wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and is also a Registered Dietitian. She was an intern in the orto (vegetable garden) at Spannocchia in 2010 and joined the Friends of Spannocchia board in 2025.

Lila Wilmerding’s deep interest in food and sustainable agriculture was rooted during her farm internship at Spannocchia on a gap year between high school and college. During undergrad, she spent two semesters in France, deepening her appreciation for the role of food systems in community and culture. Since those formative experiences, Lila has worked for food businesses of all sizes – from leading product development for Maine-based Gelato Fiasco to developing environmental and social impact strategy at The Hershey Company. While getting her MBA at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, Lila designed an independent study to support the launch of global nonprofit Women in Olive Oil. Lila lives in Portland, Maine, and works as an independent consultant with a focus on food and sustainability. She joined the Friends of Spannocchia board in 2023.

Lydia O’Brien is a cookbook editor, writer, and recipe tester based in Italy. She has lived in Rome, Siena, and Florence and works primarily with cookbook authors on books about Italian regional cuisines and wine. Lydia also contributes to Italy-based magazines and online travel sites such as Italy Segreta and Untold Italy. Previously, as an editor at Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House in New York, Lydia worked with authors and brands such as Melissa Clark, Alison Roman, Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, Yotam Ottolenghi, Toni Tipton-Martin, Yasmin Fahr, and more. Originally from Washington, DC, her first time living in Italy was during a university semester in Rome, where she studied art history and the history of Italian gastronomic culture, followed by a summer working as the culinary apprentice at Spannocchia.