Elza's Kitchen — Marc Fitten

For years, Elza has gotten by. A divorcee out of culinary school, she started her own little restaurant in the midsize Hungarian city of Delibab, and she's grown a decent business, cooking quality versions of Hungarian classics and serving them with a smile. But lately her smile has dimmed. Her loveless affair with her sous-chef has become an irritation. She's getting sick of the same old dishes and the same old customers, and she can't help but think that perhaps the right review, from the right critic, would change things ...

But in these nascent years of capitalism, it will take some competition--both personal and professional--to really make Elza see that her restaurant, and her happiness, are worth fighting for. Author Marc Fitten fell in love with Hungary after years spent living there. His buoyant second novel is a celebration of Hungarian culture and cuisine, as well as a portrait of a woman and her country in transition.