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Stanley Tucci is making a resurgence of late with both the successful launch of his CNN travelogue “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” and his recent book “TASTE: My Life Through Food.” The actor who played Julia Child’s husband Paul opposite Meryl Streep has taken his love of food from the silver screen to our living rooms and in the process has found himself unintentionally filling some enormous shoes as he invites us to share the human experience as only a great storyteller can.
The New “Most Interesting Man?”
One of the most successful advertising campaigns in recent memory is Dos Equis and Jonathan Goldsmith’s romanticized Hemmingway-esque depiction of what the “most interesting man in the world” would look like, what he would do, who he would be seen with, and most importantly, what he would drink.
While I enjoy the commercials immensely, and fully subscribe to the 1920’s Paris style renaissance man, some might have a different depiction of what a modern day “most interesting man in the world” would look like. For many of us, nobody on planet Earth personified that more than the late Anthony Bourdain.
Tony was for many, the depiction of the lifestyle that was so appealing. Traveling to the most remote corners of the world, tasting the flavors of modern and ancient cuisine, and connecting with the people who couldn’t help but open up to his relaxed interview style and larger than life personality.
When we suddenly lost that with Tony’s passing in 2018, a void was created that was and continues to be impossible to fill. It wasn’t for lack of want however. Shortly after his death, people came out of the woodwork trying to be the “next Anthony Bourdain”. The only problem with that is there is no next Anthony Bourdain. He was and continues to be one of a kind, one that cannot be replaced.
After CNN successfully moved into the human interest travel documentary space that Tony helped bring to the network, there was rightfully a pause in this style of programming after Tony’s death. There were a few exceptions that were already in progress such as W. Kamau Bell’s “United Shades of America”, but they needed to find that spark that was going to appeal to a wide audience and hold their interest through the most basic of means of personal connection. The dinner table.
Enter Stanly Tucci.
Searching for Italy
On February 14th, 2021, in the middle of a pandemic that almost broke the back of the fundamental idea of sharing an evening with one another around the dinner table, Stanley Tucci sent us a love letter from Italy through our TV sets that helped us to realize that those foundational building blocks to developing and maintaining strong human relationships were not dead at all, they were alive and well and right in front of us.
As I watched the show for the first time I couldn’t help the senses taking over. Having been to Italy before, my mouth started to salivate at the sight of a perfectly al dente pasta smothered in egg yolk, covered in parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino romano cheeses dotted with perfectly rendered chunks of guanciale. If you know, you know.
It isn’t just the food, or the cobblestone streets that keep you coming back for more, though. It is the way the Tucci makes you feel like you are walking along side of him. Yes, he’s an extremely accomplished actor who has resources at his disposal that most of us could only dream of, but at the very infinitesimal level, he gives you access to his world as he sees it and shows you that all of the things that he is exploring are available to you, if you put in the effort.
You can go to your local farmers market, hunt for the best produce, bring it home, cook an amazing meal while dining with your family and you don’t have to be a Hollywood actor to do it. This simple act opens the door to spend time with and more importantly than ever, re-connect with those in your family and your community.
Finally there is the one thing that I think puts Stanley Tucci at least in the neighborhood of Anthony Bourdain and that is his narration style. The man can flat out tell a story and I could listen to him all day. It draws you in, it’s captivating and it works.
If you haven’t seen the show, I suggest watching an episode or two before getting into the book if only so that you can read it with his intonation and voice in your head. And yes, the audiobook is in fact narrated by Tucci himself so you can go that route if you want. I mean really, who could they get to narrate for Stanley Tucci anyway?
TASTE: My Life Through Food
What I didn’t expect from this book right away was that despite the fortune and fame, Tucci had in his life, many of our experiences, at least early in life were pretty similar. From growing up in upstate New York to spending a considerable amount of time in an Italian American household (ok I married into an Italian American family, but once you’re in you’re in, right?).
Many cultures around the world share this in one way or another but if you are in an Italian family, whether or not you have a lot of money, the preparation of food and having conversation around the table are the cornerstone of life. Tucci’s family was no different.
When it came time for the holidays it was tradition that reigned supreme, whether it was the feast of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve, or an indulgent family recipe on Christmas Day. Its these traditions that ground us and remind us of who we are and where we came from.
Travel as a Teacher
If you are looking to open the mind, and broaden your horizons, there is no tool more powerful than travelling the globe. In the book, Tucci outlines the very beginnings of his travel experience during some time spent moving temporarily to Italy as a child.
The memories that can stick with you from travel, even at an early age, are the experiences that stay with you over time. When we think about day to day life, you don’t tend to remember the commute to work, time spent at the desk, or material things that we “need to buy.” What we do remember though are those experiences, no matter how simple, from a very short time that we spent in a land far away.
When it came time to leave the nest, Tucci outlines his struggles starting out as a thespian and an actor and how food connected him to certain Chinese and Cuban cuisines and culture. Later, when travelling for filming, Tucci brings in his experience working in culinary giants like France, but also outliers like Iceland. Despite the differences, the underlying themes of humanity persist, woven through each of these experiences like a fine cloth.
Related post: Thoughts from the Window Seat
Hardships and New Beginnings
Despite the filtered lives we all get to see through the likes of social media, everyone is going through something and nobody has the perfect life. Bourdain was a prime example of that and Tucci is no different.
Having lost his first wife to cancer and being diagnosed with throat cancer himself, brought Tucci down to a point of not even being able to taste or tolerate his food, days spent in bed not being able to care for his wife or children, and being unsure if he would ever return to even a shadow of his former self.
As we all must at times, Tucci tells the story of leaning on others in his time of need and the gratefulness he felt from those interactions. Luckily for him, and for all of us, his ability to eat normally again has allowed him to bring his stories of food and film to the forefront.
“TASTE: My Life Through Food” is an entertaining page turner that for the only time in my life had me laughing out loud while reading a simple recipe. Grab this one. It’s worth your time.
