The Talisman of Happiness: The Most Iconic Italian Cookbook Ever Written by Ada Boni

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER "An indispensable guide for Italian home cooks.” —Kim Severson, New York Times The most iconic and beloved Italian cookbook ever published—a treasury of over 1,600 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.” Read more

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