BOOK REVIEW: WHAT I ATE IN ONE YEAR (and related thoughts) by Stanley Tucci

Shane | 26 June 2025 | Reply

BOOK REVIEW: WHAT I ATE IN ONE YEAR (and related thoughts) by Stanley Tucci
Penguin Random House Australia, October 2024
Hard cover, rrp AUD$45
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
80%

Part diary, part exultation of the role food plays in one’s life, What I Ate In One Year isn’t a recipe book – though it does contain some recipes. It’s not an exhaustive list of everything the actor, presenter, bon vivant and foodie ate in 2023 – though it does discuss a fair amount of those meals.

It also talks about his work – the ongoing machinations to get his hit series Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy green lit for a third season after it was cancelled by CNN; filming Conclave with Ralph Fiennes; releasing a cookware range; and more.

His family make star appearances – second wife Felicity Blunt and their two children; sister-in-law Emily Blunt and husband John Krasinski; and late first wife Kathryn and their children together – as do friends and colleagues such as Woody Harrelson.

Through it all runs a passion for life and for food – which as we all know go hand in hand. How can you love life without loving that which nourishes and energises and (when done well) gives us so much joy? How can you be passionate about food without a fervent interest in where that food comes from, the history of the recipes you enjoy, the mastery of those who grow and cook that food?

As a chef, and a lover of film and music, possibly the most incredible section of the book details a weekend spent with Krasinski at British director Guy Ritchie’s estate. If you ever wondered what you’d do after a lottery win, how you would entertain your friends and indulge your passions… let’s just say that Ritchie seems to be doing it the right way. If only I could score an invitation to such an event, even just once.

If there is a down side it’s ignoring the obvious privilege with which Tucci travels through life. Not for him grubbing in shitty jobs and worrying how to pay the next bill. He has family holidays and work sojourns in far flung and exotic locations, fancy restaurants and high profile friends to entertain endlessly. He doesn’t seem to be rubbing this in anyone’s face – it’s just where he is in life, of course, but for those doing it rough it may be a little triggering.

His love of food and its provenance is why we’re here, though, and it is wonderfully passionate, passionately insightful, and offers an intriguing sneaky peek into the personal life of a high-profile star who seems pretty down to earth, considering his obvious success and wealth.