The gems of What I Ate in One Year are, as promised in the title, the food-related moments Stanley Tucci delves into over the course of a year--cooking, eating, appreciating, entertaining, and bringing together the people he loves around a table.
Cooking, eating, and appreciating delicious food is an essential part of Stanley Tucci's satisfaction, and in the nonfiction book What I Ate in One Year, he allows the food and wine that he prepares, eats, or enjoys (and, occasionally, pans) over the course of a year to add structure to the passage of 365 days, while interspersing some personal moments and brief mentions of professional pursuits.
The book is not particularly full of substance, but the moments that Tucci includes from his personal life help showcase the many atmospheric, cooking- and eating-focused entries, which are delightful.
Tucci is irresistibly playful, confident yet humble; mesmerized by excellent food prepared simply and served with style; and he is also occasionally curmudgeonly. He loves what he loves, and he especially loves his people and his Italian food.
I listened to What I Ate in One Year as an audiobook. It's a joy to listen to Stanley Tucci read his books in his wonderful voice. The only downside to taking in the book in this format was not being able to jot down the few recipes he mentions.
I'd love to hear your Bossy thoughts about this book!
Stanley Tucci is also the author of the cookbooks The Tucci Table and The Tucci Cookbook, as well as the memoir Taste: My Life Through Food.