I suppose each person's conception of a subject or place is unique, though many may agree on most things about it. My Italy, that is, Bugialli's Italy, is made up of its great regional traditions, its long history, its remarkable landscape and architecture, the color of its seas and skies, its mountains and hills, flora and fauna. And I admit that it is also the sum of my personal tastes and my love for my country and its food. For me, the center, of course, must be gastronomy. And all of the above enter into it -- all the culture, the art and history, and the visual setting from which the ingredients arise contribute to the aesthetics of the dishes and their presentation.
The only way to show how one sees and experiences one's native country is to travel through its regions, great and small cities, and share with the people their gastronomic loves and experiences. Though I include recipes from many different regions to show a panorama, three very picturesque ones are highlighted: Lazio and Rome, Veneto, and Friuli in the far north. Other regions are not negleded -- certainly not my native Tuscany, or Piedmont, Abruzzi, Puglia, and others. I really don't prefer any regions above the others -- I do love all of Italy -- but I had to choose several that present the most contrasting extremes of the country.
"My" Italy is the traditional one, and the main criterion for the dishes is authenticity. I take pains to verify the recipes by finding multiple sources from the place itself and tasting the dish in its native habitat. There are some recepes here that are hard to find, or even unpublished in Italy, because they are so local. Some people do not agree with my passion for authenticity. They ask, if the recipe tastes all right, what difference does tradition make? My prejudice is that recipes that have been tasted over a long period have stood "the test of time" and survived many changes in taste. And undoubtedly these traditional dishes tell you much about the values of a region. I have no interest in pedantic scholarship for its own sake, only in revealing as much as I can about a colorful, fun-loving people through the food they have long preserved.

Giuliano Bugialli, 1998