What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci{2025 Nonfiction Reading Challenge}

This book is filled with food (hence the title), love of family and travel stories.  I very much enjoyed this book. 

Straight off I wanted the salad of cannellini beans, canned tuna, red onion, tomatoes, basil and olive oil.  I wish I had added cucumbers but I will do that next time. (please excuse my poor photograhy skills)

His love of soups - "it's the greatest culinary invention which can be made with two ingredients or twenty ingredients.  It can be served hot or cold. It can be cooked fast or slow. It can be vegan, vegetarian, paleo, pescatarian or carnivorian.  Soup is life in a pot."

The entry for April 27 was poignant with the memories of his former home, the life he and his first wife Kate created with their children. Memories of raising their children there until her death in 2009.  "The house he watched his children leave for the first days of school, where they learned of their mother's illness, where Kate passed away and where the magnolia tree where some of her ashes are scattered."

The stories in the October entry about working with Ukrainian refugees was very moving to me.  Hearing the women talk about what was left behind and how they are managing with young children but wanting nothing more than to be home. 

So much food and so many ideas I am inspired to prepare from reading this.  It is after all called What I Ate in One Year.  I liked the diary like format and descriptions of life with his family and his working projects as well.

This book is shared with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2025 Nonfiction Reader Challenge. Category: Food

Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci

 As soon as I started reading this book I was hooked.  Tucci had a way of describing his childhood which evoked so many memories of my own.  The benefits of growing up in an Italian neighborhood were immense and I loved every bit of it.

This book is humorous, engaging and sad in parts. Some of my book friends listened to this on audiobook and I can imagine it was very good hearing some of his stories in his own voice.

There are recipes included in this book and i can say you will be hungry as you read about his foodie experiences as well the recipes.

I have enjoyed movies where Tucci had a starring role, particularly Big Night.  I just bought a copy of Big Night after reading this memoir because I wanted to see to again. 5 stars for this book.

Sharing with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2022 Nonfiction Reading Challenge. (Category: Celebrity)