TASTE

The actor explores his “love of food and all that it encompasses,” a passion that “only continues to grow every year.”

According to Tucci, cutting spaghetti is sacrilege, and don’t get him started on the terms red sauceand gravy. In this witty and heartfelt memoir, the author doesn’t hesitate to offer candid opinions (or the occasional expletive) about all culinary matters. Born to Italian American parents and raised in New York, he was surrounded by incredible culinary experiences from a young age. In addition to cooking at home with his family, Tucci has written cookbooks and hosted a culinary documentary series. He eagerly shares the Tucci family recipe for ragù, among many other irresistible delights, and he discusses the importance of films and TV in his development and eventual career path as an actor. Following a successful career in the film industry, Tucci has begun to shift his focus to his first passion. “I am hardly saying anything new by stating that our links to what we eat have practically disappeared beneath sheets of plastic wrap,” he writes. “But what are also disappearing are the wonderful, vital human connections we’re able to make when we buy something we love to eatfrom someone who loves to sell it, who bought it from someone who loves to grow, catch, or raise it.” Tucci also relates the experiences in his life that led to this transition, including the loss of his first wife and his personal battle with cancer. His illness made him realize the outsized importance of food in his life, and cooking allows him to express his love to those he cares about. In addition to stories about his childhood, the year his family spent in Italy, and his current adventures at home in London, Tucci shares culinary experiences from his acting days, including a humorous and unsettling meal he shared with Meryl Streep in France.

The warmth and sincerity with which Tucci tells his stories will make you feel like part of the family.