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 North 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 flavours 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, North 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.

Details
Hardcover / 912 pages
Published 28 October 2025