Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci

In 2020  I was pleasantly surprised to watch the documentary series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.  I have visited many regions within Italy and have fallen in love with its food, culture and picturesque scenery.  This series not only provided me with the chance to escape the pandemic for an hour each week but reminded me of all the lovely places we have explored around the world.  When I learned that the author was publishing Taste: My Life Through Food I knew this was something I wanted to read.  I chose the audiobook format so that I could listen to the author’s narrating his own words.  I absolutely loved it.

From The Publisher:

Before Stanley Tucci became a household name with The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, and the perfect Negroni, he grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the table. He shared the magic of those meals with us in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now he takes us beyond the recipes and into the stories behind them.
Taste is a reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about growing up in Westchester, New York, preparing for and filming the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia, falling in love over dinner, and teaming up with his wife to create conversation-starting meals for their children. Each morsel of this gastronomic journey through good times and bad, five-star meals and burnt dishes, is as heartfelt and delicious as the last.

Book Review:

This is such a lovely read.  The book presents like a diary of sorts from the time Stanley was a young boy to 2021.  The book begins with the author discussing his life as an Italian American boy in New York 1960s. The family was large and the food budget was stretched but the way the food was cooked, full of flavour and unrushed, more than satisfied the family.  The importance of the social aspect of the family meal is highlighted.

The author also takes us on a journey of his career with a spotlight on standout meals he’s had while filming.  Presented as someone with a key interest in what he is tasting (rather than just filling a void) his memories of meals shared with celebrities and friends are vivid, and mouth-watering.

In more recent years, the author was diagnosed with cancer at the base of his tongue for which he underwent intensive radiation and chemotherapy. He discusses this through the lens of how it impacted his life and relationship to food.  Thankfully, he is now cancer-free and has an even greater appreciation for the joy of eating and cooking.

The author discusses his relationships with his late wife Kate and his current wife Felicity and what each has taught him about food. One of my favourite parts of the book is his discussion on the impact of Tucci and his family during the early months of the pandemic living in London.

The book is written with the same charismatic, easygoing style that I experienced watching the documentary series.  There are moments of humour, reflection and gratitude. Simply said, this is a beautiful book that is perfect for the foodie in your life.

Audiobook Review:

Only Stanley Tucci could record this book and give it the passion and humour it so deserves.  I would highly recommend this version of the book to those of you who enjoy this format.

What I Liked:

• The thorough discussion of Tucci’s relationship with food
• The sharing of recipes and memorable meals in his life
• The frank discussion of his battle with cancer and what he learned from it.

I Recommend This Book To:

Those readers who enjoy memoirs especially surrounding family and food.

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Add Taste: My Life Through Food to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to my local library for purchasing this audiobook.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

Beautiful Country: A Memoir by Qian Julie Wang

Notes on a Silencing: A Memoir by Lacy Crawford

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke