This was a very special find, sent over to us by our friend Joseph Sciorra Ph.D at the Calandra Italian American Institute (where Peter and I were honored to show our film). He was scanning old copies of Attenzione Magazine for research and came across this beautiful, original advertisement for Italia in Bocca from August 1979.

The text reads:

“Everything you always wanted to know about regional Italian cooking- But never knew who to ask. Until ITALIA IN BOCCA arrived from Italy. What is ITALIA IN BOCCA, you ask? An exciting series of individual volumes on the cooking of each of Italy's regions or major cities. From north to south, every gastronomical center is included. And each volume's recipes are written three ways-in English, Italian, and the regional dialect. The same dialect you remember hearing as a child, or may even speak now. There's more. A delightful sampling of proverbs on eating. drinking. living and loving. There are colorful illustrations and fine historical prints of marketplaces, vendors, regional costumes and antique kitchen utensils. The books are printed on carta paglia, the rough brown paper used throughout Italy to wrap everything from meat to vegetables. The following volumes comprise the complete ITALIA IN BOCCA series. Each title may be purchased individually. Alow 4ot 6 weeks for delivery

SICILIA • PUGLIA • CALABRIA E LUCANIA • ABRUZZI E MOLISE • SARDEGNA • NAPOLI • ROMA • MARCHE • UMBRIA • TOSCANA • ROMAGNA • EMILIA • VENETO • LIGURIA • MILANO • BOLZANO • PIEMONTE •TRENTO • FRIULI E TRIESTE • VALLE D'AOSTA

Each volume contains between 50 and 80 recipes. To order indicate regional cookbook(s) vou wish to receive and send $14.95 per volume, plus $1.00 for handling to:

Italia in Bocca
BOX 913 Forest Hills, NY, 11375”

I mean what a treasure, literary archeology in the flesh (or page). I love to get an insight on why these books were created, obviously to connect Italian immigrants to their home country as noted by the “the same dialect you remember hearing as a child, or may even speak now” - I think of my own parents, one speaking Roman dialect, the other, Nnapulitano, seeing this and connecting with the books similarly how I do. This falls in line from interviews I’ve had with Rodo who mentioned wanting to offer something to those that left Italy in the 60’s for America, and connect with these ex-pats through dialect and the use of “carta paglia”.

Most interesting is perhaps the cost. 16 USD for one book translates to about 70 USD today, not cheap by any means, but they were coming from Italy I suppose. I find this also interesting because you used to be able to find these for anywhere between 5 and 20 USD on Ebay … now, good luck. Our little documentary definitely brought awareness to these amazing books, with first editions costing 300 USD and upward … if you can find them;)