Darra Goldstein is Professor of Russian at Williams College. She earned her Ph.D. at Standford University and has written extensively on Russian literature, culture, art and cuisine. Her previous cookbooks are A Taste of Russiaand The Georgian Feast, which was voted Best Cookbook of 1993 by the International Association of Culinary Proffessionals/Julia Child Cookbook Awards. She lives with her husband and daughter in Williamstown, Massachusetts.