¶   "The young publishing house 'Il Vespro' of Palermo, attentive to the voices of minority cultures and popular additions, should be noted for the creation of a singular and original series of essays on regional gastronomy, Italia in Bocca.   Made of straw or rag paper with a color cover, in corrugated cardboard, which have allowed a silk-screened policy of price containment without giving up a pleasant, friendly and tasty editorial appearance, the volumes establish a perfect balance between graphic innovation and content. The texts are enriched by drawings and illustrations of various artistic orientations, by reproductions of authentic costumes, songs, nursery rhymes, popular proverbs, by a glossary.  

The Publishing House has two essential cultural and educational purposes: that of defending gastronomic traditions with respect for the genuine recipes that are best preserved and still operate in the strata of popular culture; the other, of re-educating people not to a dream cuisine that rests on a completely mythical economy, as attested by the many volumes that have appeared in recent years, accompanied by sumptuous illustrations that capture the dish only 'from above', an object that is at once close and elusive, but a cuisine made of real dishes that can be packaged.  Praise and credit to to the special authors and the staff of Il Vespro who have been able to remember, present and transmit to the reader the rich and genuine heritage of the foods and wines of every single Italian region, among the few elementary, irreplaceable, radically human values that sustain us.²

Belying its humble appearance, (the paper used is that which is used to wrap fresh pasta) the In Bocca series of twenty regional Italian cookery books is a treasure trove of half-forgotten, regional and traditional recipes, mixed with regional and folk history, poetry and vignettes, richly illustrated and enhanced by small essays on various aspects of regional traditional Italian gastronomy. Highly sought after for its evocative rustic design and the rich and unusual historical gastronomic content.  Much contained here is not to be found in other books on Italian regional food or gastronomy.  Liguria in Bocca is a rich collection of traditional Ligurian recipes, seasoned with Ligurian history, folklore and poetry.

Grimaldi was a Sicilian screenwriter, journalist and film director active between 1952 and 1980, best known for comedies and 'spaghetti' westerns.  Bruno Lauzi (1937 - 2006) was an Italian singer, songwriter, poet and composer who lived most of his life in Genoa.  Other contributing illustrators were Andrea Sciortino, Fabrizio Monteverde, Paola Campanale, Murizio Bonesoli, Vittorio Alunni, Paola Lazzaroni, Marina Botta, Emilia Vozzi Guazzoni and Gisella Acerbo.

Scarce. An excellent copy.

§  OCLC records only seven holdings, six in the USA and the BL.

¹   'in bocca' means 'in the mouth'
²   Sada, L. "Note de Bibliografie" Lares, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Luglio-Settembre 1980), pp. 401-2.