{HISTORY}

In the 1950s, Italy's best loved cook, Ada Boni (1881-1973) enchanted Americans with The Talisman Italian Cook Book - a cherished kitchen bible stuffed full of traditional recipes translated from her original early 20th century Italian behemoth Il Talismano. 

In 1969, Ada was back with a new book, Italian Regional Cooking and again dazzled all lovers of food and Italy. Unlike the American version of The Talisman, which  was a small, book of recipes with an unillustrated, no frills approach to preparing traditional food,  Italian Regional Cuisine was the complete opposite.  Large in size and peppered with full-color food photography throughout, I.R.C. reads as much like a travel guide through 14 different regions of Italy as it does a recipe book. Each region is broken down via chapter with an introduction by Ada discussing the food culture of that particular area and what factors and flavors makes each one unique.

Containing over 590 recipes, Ada explains how climate, topography, history, culture, and local ingredients define each area of Italy, producing signature recipes that are staple dishes different from any other area.  In words and photographs, ths cookbook captures the essence of what it means to enjoy pizza di Pasqua in Umbria, to savour olive oil in combination with rustic chestnut cakes in Tuscany, and to sample cheeses from the Lodi area of Lombardy. 

Cooks and readers will learn about the history of specific recipes, some which date back centuries, about customs surrounding mealtimes and how they've changed to suit the needs of a modern (1960s) society, and which wine varietals are consumed more often in specific areas of the country as opposed to others. 

Regions discussed here include Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria-The Marches, Rome-Lazio, Abruzzo-Molise, Naples Campagna, Calabria-Lucania, Apulia, Sicily and Sardinia. 

Published just four years before Ada passed away at the age of 92, this book was her swan song, the ultimate love letter to a country she wholeheartedly adored her entire life. And in writing so beautifully about the food and the culture of Bel Paese, readers in turn will fall in love not only with Italy but with Ada too. 

Interesting recipes include Egg and Cheese Soup, Spaghetti with Bacon, Baked Tortellini Noodles Bologna Style, Artichokes Venezia Giulia Style, Spiced Rum Fritters, Cabbage with Pork Sausages, Potato Gnocchi Roman Style, Sicilian Fried Pastries with Coffee Filling, Onion Pie as made in Lecce, Stuffed Sweet Peppers, Country Cheese Pie, Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese, Sardinian Ravioli with Spinach and Cheese Stuffing, Beef Pot Roast Veneto Style Pizza of the Four Seasons, Cherry Tart Roman Style, Risotto with Florence Fennel and so many more!

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1969 First Edition published by Bonanza Books
• 293 pages, not including index
• Contains 593 recipes
• Includes original dust jacket 
• Illustrated throughout with color photography 
• Translated by Maria Langdale and Ursula Whyte
• All recipes include both the traditional Italian recipe name and the English translation
• All recipes include both US and UK measurements

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition, this book is clean and bright throughout with no cooking spots, stains, or notations.  The dust jacket is entirely in one piece. There is one small tear on the back of the jacket along the top edge. There is a previous owner's name and address written in pen on the front endpaper. The spine is tight and all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 12" inches (length) x 9.5" inches (width) x 1.25" inches (thickness) and weighs 3.11 lbs.