Giuliano Bugialli, one of the great champions of Italian cooking, has died at the age of 88. The writer and culinary historian wrote numerous cookbooks on Italian cuisine.

Dedicated to food history, Florence-born Bugialli helped popularize traditional Italian dishes in the United States through his writing, TV appearances and cooking classes.

He published his first book, The Fine Art of Italian Cooking, in 1977 and went on to write 11 more books, and win three James Beard Awards.

He began his working life in Italy as an Italian language teacher for visiting American students.

In 1972, he founded a cooking school in Florence and then moved to New York.

His cookbooks include Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking, Foods of Italy, Bugialli on Pasta, Taste of Italy and Foods of Sicily & Sardinia and the Smaller Islands.