Moore Wilsons | The Talisman of Happiness

The Talisman of Happiness

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 soufflé 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.

Shipping & Delivery

In order to make things simple and convenient, we have set our delivery pricing with our couriers based on a standard delivery box, with dimensions of 330mm L x 250mm W x 310mm H, and a maximum weight of 18kg.

To get an idea of how much that is, the delivery box fits up to 12 bottles of wine, one kitchen mixer, or a feather and down duvet inner. Your total delivery charge is automatically calculated in the checkout – simply enter your delivery region and let our system do the rest.

Your order is then sent out by our couriers and delivered right to your door. When orders contain alcohol, someone over the age of 18 must be present to sign for it – if you can’t be home at the time, we recommend that the order is sent to a workplace.

If no one aged 18 or over is present when delivery is attempted, a contact card will be left by the courier, and redelivery can be arranged with them.

Once payment is received, your orders will usually be with you in up to 5 working. You can track your order once it has been collected by Courier Post – an email with the tracking reference will be sent to you automatically. Please note that Courier Post do not collect from us on Saturday or Sunday, any orders placed during the weekend will be dispatched the following Monday.

Please note: We cannot accommodate requests for a specific delivery time; actual delivery times will be dependent on the courier's schedule.

While we do everything we can to get your order to you as quickly as possible, there may be occasions where orders may take longer to arrive – you can follow your order’s progress using the courier tracking reference.

Moore Wilson’s is a Cash and Carry business, but we’ve negotiated some fantastic rates with our couriers:

$6.95 per standard delivery box for Wellington region (upto Levin and Wairarapa)
$10.95 per standard delivery box for Rest of North Island
$13.95 per standard delivery box for South Island
Rural delivery - extra $4.95 (Delivery to your local rural delivery driver. Your normal rural delivery times then apply.) You can click here to check if your address is rural.
Waiheke Island delivery - North Island Rural charges apply

Additional information:

All goods are insured up until the point of delivery - until a signature is obtained. Shortages or Breakages must be reported to us within 24 hours of delivery, preferably by email, with your order number as reference.

We do not ship outside New Zealand.

Q: I’ve seen a product in store but can’t find it on your website. How can I order it?

If there's something you are after that isn't yet available here on our website, contact us and we'll see what we can do. If it’s something we have in stock and can send by courier, we will do our very best to make it available on our website.

Q: Why is there a minimum order quantity for some products?

Some of our products – such as beer and grocery items – can be bought individually in store, but we can only courier them in set quantities (such as boxes, cases or cartons). It is often quite a lot cheaper to buy in these quantities, which is why we show both the individual and bulk prices on the product pages. It’s always nice to know what you’re saving!