Festivus Gastronomicus
General: Il Talismano Della Felicità
I am very grateful to have received an amazing gift from my friend Olivia Stapp last month when I was working with her at Opera San Jose. It is a cookbook she bought years ago in Italy which she has treasured and which I will certainly treasure as well.
Il Talismano Della Felicità is translated literally as The Talisman of Joy. How cool is that! The first edition of The Talisman was written in 1929 and it caused quite a stir (you bet your ass that pun is intended).
Along with Pelligrino Artusi’s famous La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene (The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well), Ada Boni’s book was instrumental in codifying the cuisine of newly unified Italy.
Besides having recipes from all the various regions of Italy, it has recipes that were very daring for the times. However daring they were in 1929, some have become so commonplace they are considered “comfort food,” e.g. macaroni alla quattro formaggio.
The Talisman is also famous for being the first cookbook written for the audience of Italian housewives.
Insert joke here.
What I love about this cookbook is that it assumes you know how to cook and how things should taste. Signora Boni was not writing for cooks raised on TV dinners. She uses expressions like cook over a “lively” fire or use quanto basta - enough - of something.
This is one of the great cookbooks and will sit on my bookshelf with my Larousse Gastronomique and keep it company. It’s the only other great volume of cooking I own right now, but I’m working on it.
However, no new cookbooks until I try some recipes from the Talismano. I’m especially eager to try the recipes for more exotic stuff like pigeon and game you don’t often see in your average supermarket. Thank god the North End is so close by.
And thanks to Olivia for this very special gift.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
I should like to know if the real italian risotto is the one with the ingredients you mentioned in your interesting article about Aida Boni and the ” Talisman of the felicity”.My father was an italian of Milan and we always have the risotto with azafranno…I can not believe a risotto without it. Will appreciate yor answer.