By Stanley Tucci
Gallery Books 2021. 320 pages. Biography/Memoir
The food-obsessed, award-winning actor reflects on the intersection of food, life, and loved ones and presents a heartfelt and delicious memoir of life in and out of the kitchen that takes readers on a gastronomic journey through the good times and bad.
Tucci's delightful personality shines in this memoir lovingly recounting the significant food experiences of his life. From a childhood in a food-loving family with a talented cook for a mother, to adventures as an adult exploring new regions and the tastes they have to offer, Tucci's stories are as charmed as they are charming. Recipes are included with almost every story, described not in dry instructions but with all the flavor of sitting around a table with the author as he conversationally describes the process to you ("Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. Put a lid on the pan and shake the hell out of it..."). The book also offers more depth than expected when he describes a recent brush with cancer that left him unable to eat anything for several months, and the importance and centrality of food in his life became more meaningful to him than ever. Told with charm, heart, humor, and chatty familiarity, this book will appeal to fans of food and memoirs, and those who don't mind a few swear words here and there. The audiobook, read by the author, is particularly recommended as his personality shines more than ever through his delivery.
If you liked Taste: My Life Through Food, then you may also like:
By David Chang
Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2020. 288 pgs. Biography
David Chang is best known as the chef and owner of Momofuku Noodle Bar in Manhattan's East Village, although he has by now opened several more restaurants in addition to Momofuku. Chang is surprisingly open about challenges he has faced, including serious struggles with mental health that nearly cost him his life. Chang isn't afraid to admit when he was wrong or made mistakes, and what it cost him to learn those lessons. What he has learned along the way is relatable and even inspiring, and his journey as a chef becomes almost secondary to the description of his growth as a person.
By Julia Child
Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. 317 pages. Biography/Memoir
A memoir begun just months before Child's death describes the legendary food expert's years in Paris, Marseille, and Provence and her journey from a young woman from Pasadena who cannot cook or speak any French to the publication of her legendary Mastering cookbooks and her winning the hearts of America as "The French Chef."
BHG
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