Review of 'Taste: My Life Through Food'

Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci

I am a big fan of Stanley Tucci. I am not sure what it is about him, perhaps it is his wonderful voice, his easy-going personality or what. Here in his memoir “Taste” he talks about his life through the lens of food from his early days in an Italian American family that spent eery night around the table but whose food was simple but often succumbed to childish yearnings for garbage food such as “Twinkies” and “Fluff” (spread) which was a part of American life. Even living for a year in various locations around Italy the family changed their diet very little. Only when Tucci went off on his own was he able to explore food as he travelled the world and became involved in culinary cinema excursions such as “Big Night” and “Julie & Julia” - where he played the husband of television cook pioneer Julia Child. Here he touches as well on more recent experiences including making of his recent “Searching for Italy” travelogue show and Conclave where he plays a cardinal in line to become the pope.

The chapters are fairly short and easy to read with with simple food recipes along with the occasional cocktail recipe scattered amongst the pages. He has a passion for cocktails after having worked once as a bartender but the food recipes come from his childhood as well as those he has picked up on his journeys. The recipes are very straightforward and often focus on few ingredients but of very good quality that very much echoes his Italian heritage. Despite this, he unashamedly is a fan of simpler food such as hamburgers, expressing a passion here the equals what he feels for a fancy meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Later in the book Tucci talks of a health scare that could have significantly impacted his appreciation of food which had always been such a huge part of his life. His relief after the tumour is removed and his taste returns is a joy to read. Indeed, much of the book is about passion and joy with not only food but with life as a whole. Reading the book I could imagine him saying the words on the page, this is very much his personality put to paper.

Though dropping a few names, this is not a “lovie” book by any stretch. This is simply a collection of stories from his life and how they revolve around his passion for food. A wonderful book about a passion for life and, of course, food.

Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”

Review Date: 2025-06-01

Genre: Autobiography

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 2021

ISBN: 9780241501009