Taste: My Life Through Food

Overall Ranking 4) Totally Optional

Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci, Gallery Books, 2021

What is the book about?

Stanley Tucci, the charming and well-spoken actor who has worked with Hollywood's finest, could undoubtedly write a book about any topic. Yet, he chooses to share his most personal passion: his relationship with food. More than just a collection of recipes, Taste: My Life Through Food is a unique hybrid of autobiography, essay, and cookbook, all bound together by the central theme of how food has shaped his world.

Tucci takes us on a journey through his past, reflecting on the wonderful cooking of his mother and praising the memorable meals he’s had at countless restaurants, many now gone. He doesn't shy away from sharing his personal struggles and successes; rather, he frames them all through the lens of a meal. His descriptions of his childhood home, New York City, Italy, London, and all points in between make this as much a travel book as it is a memoir. His signature humor creates a delightful and engaging narrative.

This is not a typical celebrity memoir filled with gossip, drama, and a "woe is me" attitude. Instead, Taste offers an honest and topical look at Tucci’s life, demonstrating how the food on his table made every event more deeply ingrained in his mind. The book is precisely what its title promises: a sincere exploration of "taste" in all its forms, nothing more and nothing less.

Would I recommend reading it?

If there is one thing you need to know about Taste: My Life Through Food, it’s that you have to push through the first half. It's an odd way to begin a review, I know, but those initial chapters feel surprisingly disconnected from Stanley Tucci himself. The spotlight is squarely on his parents and their traditions, and while it’s a loving tribute, it’s a bit like a child pointing to their dad and saying "my dad can skip rocks" when you’re there to see the child do it. It’s a shame, because a big part of the book’s appeal is Stanley’s personality, and it just doesn't shine through at first.

Thankfully, a clear shift happens about halfway through, and this is where the book truly works. Whether he gained confidence in his writing or simply found his groove, Tucci’s personality begins to come through, and he’s exactly as you’d hope him to be: funny, charming, well-spoken, and kind. He never hesitates to drop a name (I mean, come on, you know that’s the main reason for picking up any celebrity memoir), but he genuinely has a good word to say about everyone, with the notable exception of Los Angeles, a city he makes his feelings about very clear.

My favorite chapters were the ones where he talked about his experiences on film sets in different countries and the food that came with them. Surprisingly, he says one of the best food experiences he has ever had was while in Iceland. Another standout is the chapter about his family’s quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two young children, four adults, all cooped up together—I was exhausted just from reading about it, but it's a testament to his ability to find humor and heart in any situation. 

The recipes included are fairly straightforward Italian classics, which makes perfect sense given his upbringing, but they feel like genuine additions to the narrative rather than afterthoughts. It thrilled me to read about his real-life friendship with Meryl Streep and how much he enjoyed working on The Devil Wears Prada. If Tom Hanks is "America's Dad," then Tucci is most certainly our favorite uncle.

So, with all that in mind, my final recommendation is that you can probably skip this one unless you are a huge fan of Stanley Tucci. It’s a lovely read once it gets going, but that initial climb is tough to get through.

BONUS SECTION

If this format is intriguing to you or you read and enjoyed it then I would highly recommend you read Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food by Ann Hood. Stanly Tucci's book talks you through his life, but Ann Hood somehow transports you into hers. It's the same idea but one is written by an award-winning actor while the other is written by an award-winning writer.   

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