The Talisman of Happiness

The most iconic and beloved Italian cookbook ever published

By: Ada Boni

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Hardcover | 4 November 2025

At a Glance

Format
Hardcover

Dimensions(cm)
25.7 x 18.5 x 5.2

Hardcover

RRP $110.00

$76.99

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In 1929, a trail-blazing gastronome named Ada Boni wrote The Talisman of Happiness - the most iconic and beloved Italian cookbook ever published.

Known in Italy as Il Talismano della felicita, this compendium of definitive regional recipes quickly became the perfect wedding gift: a talisman of luck for newlyweds beginning their life together and passed down for generations as the definitive source for classic dishes. It is considered a national treasure in Italy and has sold more than one million copies over the last century.

This landmark first ever English edition of the complete work has been carefully translated to preserve the spirit and warmth of the original and includes over 1700 recipes that catalogue all the flavours and traditions that define Italian cuisine. The recipes cover every style of Italian cuisine, from much-loved favourites to lesser-known specialties. Every region of Italy is covered, every classic dish from the definitive spaghetti Bolognese to osso buco. It includes no less than 17 variations on minestrone. And many lesser known delights like artichoke souffle or a simple spaghetti with herbs.

Now, finally this beloved book is available for new families to enjoy and pass down to their children, offering the gift of good luck, good food and a life well lived.

About the Author

Ada Boni (1891-1973) was an Italian gastronome and food writer. Born into an aristocratic Roman family, she was the grandaughter of Adolfo Giaquinto, a notable Italian chef and founder himself of the gastronomic periodical Il Messagero dela Cucina. She considered cookery an integral part of Italian national culture, and an art form in its own right. She founded Preziosa, one of the first and most widely read Italian women's magazines, in 1915 and was its chief editor until she retired in 1959.

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