艾琳娜·庫絲蒂奧科維奇（Elena Kostioukovitch），散文傢和翻譯傢，1958年齣生於烏剋蘭基輔，1988年移居意大利米蘭，現為米蘭大學教授和文學經紀人。她1988年把埃科《玫瑰的名字》譯為俄文而名聲大噪。她獲得很多奬項，2004年獲得格林紮納卡佛莫斯科翻譯文學奬，2006年獲得俄羅斯國傢餐館協會歡迎奬，2007年獲得意大利庫希納奬和奇亞瓦利文學奬。

Italians love to talk about food. The aroma of a simmering ragú , the bouquet of a local wine, the remembrance of a past meal: Italians discuss these details as naturally as we talk about politics or sports, and often with the same flared tempers. In Why Italians Love to Talk About Food , Elena Kostioukovitch explores the phenomenon that first struck her as a newcomer to Italy: the Italian “culinary code,” or way of talking about food. Along the way, she captures the fierce local pride that gives Italian cuisine its remarkable diversity. To come to know Italian food is to discover the differences of taste, language, and attitude that separate a Sicilian from a Piedmontese or a Venetian from a Sardinian. Try tasting Piedmontese bagna cauda , then a Lombard cassoela , then lamb ala Romana : each is part of a unique culinary tradition.

In this learned, charming, and entertaining narrative, Kostioukovitch takes us on a journey through one of the world’s richest and most adored food cultures. Organized according to region and colorfully designed with illustrations, maps, menus, and glossaries, Why Italians Love to Talk About Food will allow any reader to become as versed in the ways of Italian cooking as the most seasoned of chefs. Food lovers, history buffs, and gourmands alike will savor this exceptional celebration of Italy’s culinary gifts.