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Look at me — over here just reading and relaxing this year 🙂 I’m trying to, anyway.
I’m going to jump right into the book, “Taste: My Life Through Food” by Stanley Tucci, because I was SO excited to read it.
When this book came out last year, it wasn’t long after I’d watched Tucci’s series on CNN, “Searching for Italy.”
Each episode focuses on a different region of Italy and what it’s known for. In Campania, Tucci makes mozzarella; in Bologna, he enjoys ricotta and mortadella; in Tuscany, he embarks on a wine tour capped off with almond biscotti… I mean… it’s such a great show!
And, if you didn’t want to go to Italy before you started watching, you’ll want to go after.
So, then I saw his book release and knew I had to read it. But, I was waiting for it to become available at the library (trying to limit purchasing STUFF this year) and finally, it arrived!
I actually listened to the audio version, which I’d heard was very good, since it’s read by him (I love it when this happens).
The book is, just as the title suggests, entirely about food. Tucci talks about the food he ate growing up in New Jersey, the food he ate as an actor in New York City, all the way to now, living in the UK.
I particularly enjoyed the stories from his childhood — nothing pretentious — as there were even stories about sodas and sandwiches on summer days. Tucci’s family has Italian roots, so there were also food traditions and lots of homemade wine, which I loved hearing about.
He also touched on a few of his career highlights: his time on Broadway, his role in “The Devil Wears Prada” (“Gird your loins!”), and his role in (“Julie and Julia”).
At the end of the book, Tucci shares that he battles cancer via a tumor at the base of his tongue, which greatly affected his taste and smell. His first wife passed from cancer, so he talks about his fear of fighting it, which I completely relate to.
I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to any foodie out there!
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The Bitter Lemon 