About the Author

Bulgarian-born Silvena Johan Lauta is an expert in the cuisines of Eastern and Central Europe. Her passion for food stems from her early experience running a family restaurant in Bulgaria, as well as working in a restaurant in the old USSR. She is the culinary brains behind The Baltic restaurant in London. She has worked as a recipe consultant for Marks & Spencer and was recently the food consultant on David Cronenberg's feature film, Eastern Promises. She appears regularly on television and has written for many newspapers and magazines.