They have been named some of the most prized and rare cookbooks in the world, a secret favorite of some of the most heralded chefs. If you can find even one of the twenty that make up the set, you would consider yourself extremely lucky. That’s why when a complete Italy In Bocca cookbook set became available, I was immediately interested in knowing more.
I haven’t seen a complete set come up for sale in nearly 10 years. It is, well, unheard of. The rarity and specialness of these books have caused their prices to skyrocket, where individual volumes easily fetch between 200 and 400 USD. A complete set of 20 books in this fine condition would easily attract any serious collector, and be a very worthy investment.
The set is being auctioned off for a non-profit named Kitchens for Good which is dedicated to transforming lives through culinary arts. All the books are in good condition with some in great condition. Most are first edition prints, with one being an extremely rare 1974 edition which was the first book to set the series off from Sicily which personally I have never seen in the wild. You can check them all out here in this Flickr album.
Kitchens for Good is a San Diego nonprofit organization that serves low-income individuals who face complex barriers to employment and histories of trauma by offering a variety of culinary-focused programs to help those with passion re-enter the workforce. They offer tuition-free culinary apprenticeships in culinary and baking arts, microenterprise programs that support early-stage food entrepreneurs, and social enterprises which include SHOP, which is a kitchen and dining-ware resale store, where the In Bocca books were originally donated.
They assist in employment staffing services for local restaurants and hospitality organizations, and a meal production contract to deliver high-quality, nutritious food to juvenile detention centers in San Diego. All of their social enterprises aim to foster employment for their apprentices, community engagement, and sustainable funding for their programs.
There really isn’t a better union than that between Kitchens for Good and Italy In Bocca, and it’s a real honor to help them find a new home for this extremely rare and valuable set that has seen massive increases in value over the last few years with no signs of stopping. While you may find one or two of these volumes floating around out there, finding a complete set like this is unheard of, making it truly a magical moment for a fantastic cause.
