The Talisman of Happiness - by Ada Boni (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The most iconic and beloved Italian cookbook ever published--a treasury of over 1,500 definitive regional recipes that inspired the worldwide bestseller The Silver Spoon--translated for the first time in full for the American kitchen.

In 1929, two years before The Joy of Cooking was published in America, and two decades before The Silver Spoon in Italy, Ada Boni wrote The Talisman of Happiness--the original must-have culinary bible for Italians. Generations of cooks have turned to "Il Talismano" as the definitive source for classic dishes that bring comfort, nostalgia, and deep pleasure--including the iconic Marcella Hazan, who used the book to teach herself how to cook. Cataloging all the flavors and traditions that define Italian cuisine, it quickly became a quintessential wedding gift: a talisman of luck for newlyweds beginning a new life. "There can be no true happiness," Boni wrote, "if such an essential part of our daily lives as eating is neglected."

Talisman became a national treasure, growing in length every time a new edition was published. In this landmark first English edition of the complete work, featuring nearly 1,700 recipes, American cooks can finally appreciate Talisman in full. Carefully translated to preserve the spirit and warmth of the original, this new edition makes the richness of Italy's regional cooking accessible to all--and includes American measurements, delightful illustrations, and forewords by Lidia Bastianich and Katie Parla.

Boni wrote Talisman for anyone longing for a taste of the traditional, and included notes offering kitchen insights with the occasional bit of stern guidance. Whether you are a seasoned cook or are just beginning your culinary journey, Talisman offers the gift of good luck alongside timeless recipes that embrace the true spirit of Italian cuisine: cooking to feed the body and nourish the soul.

From the Back Cover

Two years before Irma Rombauer published The Joy of Cooking in the United States, and two decades before The Silver Spoon was published in Italy, Ada Boni turned more than a decade of experience as a popular food columnist for a women's magazine into this book, an exhaustive compendium of the recipes defining Italian cooking. It was the first such comprehensive Italian cookbook, and the mother of pretty much all other Italian cookbooks to come.

Since its first publication in 1929, this book has gone through many Italian editions--the most recent in 1999--and remains an essential Italian culinary bible. It describes the pleasures of the Italian meal in luscious detail--from antipasti and condimenti to soups, pasta, polenta, and risotto, along with savory tarts (and the tart's cousin, the calzone), egg dishes sweet and savory, salads, seafood, and meat. Along with being an record of the rich and varied regional culinary traditions of Italy, The Talisman of Happiness passionately states a core Italian belief about food: that we cook and eat not only to sustain the body but to nourish our souls.

The book has been a perennial gift for newlyweds, for young people discovering their love of food, and those establishing their first homes. Its recipes are an essential part of the national culinary heritage and an invaluable source for professional chefs and food writers. You can find a copy of Il Talismano in many Italian home kitchens--often one passed from generation to generation--and in the kitchens of Lidia Bastianich, the late Marcella Hazan, and numerous other cooks who cite it for inspiration and reference.

Review Quotes

"Il Talismano della Felicità is an essential resource for anyone interested in Italian cooking. A timeless classic, filled with deep culinary wisdom and definitive recipes to turn to time and again."--Rita Sodi and Jody Williams

"The Talisman is an absolute treasure that sits at the very foundation of the modern understanding of regional Italian cooking. Ada Boni, through her words and the extraordinary recipes, has been a conduit for Italian food and its anthropology."
--Evan Funke

"Considered by many to be the ultimate work on the Italian kitchen."
--Craig Claiborne, The New York Times

"I grew up with Il Talismano della Felicità in my family's kitchen. To me, it is the Italian version of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. If you want to learn how to cook dishes the traditional Italian way, this is the book for you!"--Giada De Laurentiis, chef and New York Times bestselling author

"In the same way I feel that every American kitchen should have a copy of The Joy of Cooking I now believe any lover of Italian food should get this brilliant translation of The Talisman of Happiness, Ada Boni's nearly 100-year-old masterpiece finally available in English. Just as the title proclaims, The Talisman will bring magical powers to your kitchen, from 12 versions of minestrone soup to 19 spaghetti recipes and enough desserts to satisfy every child on your block, The Talisman of Happiness is all encompassing in a very delectable way."
--Nancy Silverton

"The old cookbooks that I bought when I lived in Italy are where I get most of my inspiration. But when you translate the recipes there was always some tweaks I had to make. Thanks to this translation of Ada Boni's work, there are no tweaks or translations necessary--the recipes are perfectly written so there's nothing to fix. I couldn't be more excited to get these pages stained and dirty and get inspired by beautiful Italian cooking."
--Marc Vetri

"When my mother, Marcella Hazan, first moved to America as a newlywed, it was Il Talismano della Felicità that she turned to for inspiration. My father still has her original copy, now lovingly bound in leather. My own copy, printed in 1968, continues to be a valuable resource. Food is undeniably a source of happiness, and this book will certainly provide you with countless happy meals."
--Giuliano Hazan, award-winning author of "The Classic Pasta Cookbook"

About the Author

Ada Boni (1891-1973) was one of Italy's first food writers. In 1915, she and her husband (a close friend of chef Augustus Escoffier) founded Preziosa, a food magazine and a few years later, Boni opened a cooking school for aristocratic Roman women. In 1925 she crowdsourced her readers and students and if 500 committed to buying a cookbook, she said she'd create it--and that's how The Talisman of Happiness was born. It has since sold more than 1,000,000 copies and has never gone out of print in Italy