The Tucci Cookbook by Stanley Tucci

The Tucci Cookbook Reviews

• 
  Kay ❦

  Great recipes , wish can try the bread and pizza recipes and many others.
• 
  Lori

  The perfect companion to the current TV series "Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy". Filled with lots of family stories and delicious food!
• 
  Shannon

  I'm sure I sound like a broken record at this point but cookbooks with very few pictures are useless to me.
• 
  Suzanne

  I made the best risotto of my life while reading this book. The pumpkin risotto. Do it.
  
  If you are just sitting down to read it, it gets repetitive, and one more round of editing wouldn't hurt. In a way, though, this makes it function better as a cookbook. You can flip to the middle of it, see something you like, and it wouldn't matter if you hadn't read the 200 pages before - you have before you all the information you need to make a wonderful meal.
  
  I was somewhat disappointed with the dessert section. I was forced to drown my sorrows in that glorious risotto.
• 
  Leslie

  Everyone loves Stanley Tucci. Who doesn't love Stanley Tucci? His love of Italy and Italian food is so evident here. It was fun to revisit recipes for Italian standards and compare them to my family's version of them. And it was fun to read about new dishes and think about how I might tweak them. And, it was fun to daydream about a return trip to Italy! Mangia! Mangia!
• 
  Darren

  A behemoth of a book, delivering to lovers of Italian food over 200 recipes, details of dozens of wine pairings and a lot of commentary to boot by Italian-American author and actor Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Terminal, etc).
  
  This book is described as a love letter to his parents, to his Italian roots and to the entire Italian-American "experience", a combination of recipe book, history book and social commentary all wrapped up in a parcel like a piece of perfect pasta. Many books tend to feature some form of tribute or history, ascribed to the author's love and enthusiasm to their roots and being, yet not so many manage to make a lengthy, comprehensive section really readable and engaging. Even though you don't know the family and possibly don't know the background, you can begin to feel that you are a lot closer after reading this.
  
  Wine is an often misunderstood, under-utilised and wrongly-applied addition to a mealtime and here an engaging, informative section provides a clear, common-sense overview that might help you broaden your horizons and select wines to really enhance and highlight your meal. Of course, should you not imbibe, you can still enjoy the knowledge and understand the symmetrical relationship between wine and food. Should you imbibe, you can only benefit.
  
  Then it is on to the food, with the chapters split into appetisers and salads; soups; eggs; bread and pizza; pasta; rice and risotto; vegetables and side dishes; meat; poultry; fish and shellfish and finally deserts. Whilst there may be many familiar recipes within this book, there might be a different twist, a particular variation or some unknown nugget of knowledge waiting to be consumed. Many of the recipes show that simplicity can be often the best judge, with things like grilled mozzarella cheese coming to the fore as a prime example of a simple, yet addictive dish. Many top-flight colour photographs additionally make for mouth-watering encounters as you browse your way about.
  
  Fried pasta? Yes, fried pasta too. This name jumped out and this reviewer did a cartoon "double take" when he read that and had to be sure he wasn't daydreaming. Fortunately the recipes feature much commentary and background material to help reassure the reader, in this case, that it wasn't a terrible misprint. But once you start to think it through, it can make sense and, yummmmm!
  
  Each recipe is well-written and presented and contains nearly all the key information you might require (prep and cook time notwithstanding). Fortunately, for those of us who could lose a little weight, there are no pesky boxes with nutritional information to make you feel guilty. Perhaps this should have appeared as a discreet section at the back, so you could ignore it "by accident" but maybe at times you should and must treat yourself and just go forth, eyes closed. To further bolster the wine education given at the start of the book, wine pairings are also given as a suggestion.
  
  This book ends with a series of acknowledgements and an index but this review version was missing the latter pages, but one can imagine and expect the index to be fairly comprehensive it is following the general pattern shown within this book. The Italian food sub genre is an incredibly congested section in your typical bookstore, yet here the author has managed to carve out a credible, interesting corner for themselves that is clearly worthy of serious further consideration. The price tag might feel a bit too high, but you are getting potentially a lot for your money in return.
  
  The Tucci Cookbook, written by Stanley Tucci and published by Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781451661255, 400 pages. Typical price: USD35. YYYYY.
  
  
  
  // This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
• 
  Noelle

  
  
  This is an amazing & authentic Italian cookbook. I was so excited when I heard it was being released - and - by Stanley Tucci!! He's a favorite actor of mine. The book is packed with wonderful main courses, side dishes, appetizers, and we can't forget, desserts. It's nice when you see a cookbook that has "new" recipes, not just recycled ones or the usual, run-of-the-mill Italian dishes. The photos are gorgeous and Stanley Tucci has a little section in the beginning about his love for food & a few photos from his childhood & family. All in all, it's one of the best Italian cookbooks I have - and I have many. Plus I have a little thing for Italians ...( :
  Enjoy! It's not to be missed ~~
• 
  Linda

  Hubby and I are loving Stanley's new TV series about dining at various locals in Italy. It reminds us of all the wonderful meals we had there and the glorious sights we saw. There are a lot of good recipes and his family history in this book; however, I was struck by the fact that as an American many of my own family recipes come from places all over the world and aren't confined to just one country. America truly offers one gigantic culinary melting pot. Although I've always felt that if I had to choose only one type of food to eat for the rest of my life, I'd choose Italian (in spite of my heritage being Scottish, English, Irish, and Swedish.)
• 
  Driver

  Enjoyable introduction and detailed instructions on how to prepare the recipes. More pictures would have been nice though, it got a little dull for me personally after a while, because I prefer seeing beforehand what I'm trying to recreate in order to find out if I'm "doing it right".
• 
  Aidan

  Most of the recipes do not have pictures of what it is you're actually supposed to be making. This is very disappointing. I rarely want to bother with the recipes that do not have accompanying images.
• 
  Amanda Cordner

  Beautiful book and I adore Stanley Tucci, but the recipes are too easy. Bruschetta, really? I feel bad but nothing in the book was a revelation. Proceeds go to charity, though, so hard to complain.
• 
  Leigh Kramer

  Loved getting a glimpse of Tucci and his family. There are some great recipes here but very few that demanded to be cooked by me.
• 
  Deborah Martinez

  This is a cookbook I may consider purchasing! So many yummy Italian recipes including a lot of bread recipes! I enjoyed reading about the Tucci family, and once again, wished I was Italian, 😀
• 
  Nadine in NY Jones

  Who doesn't love Stanley Tucci, right? If you are a big fan, this book is a must read, because you get a 20 page introduction from Tucci and his wife about their families, plus family photos, plus little tidbits throughout the book. (Apparently the Tuccis would bring a literal cauldron to picnics and they would cook pasta right there on the fire in the cauldron.) And, yes, of course there are two recipes for a timpano: one is vegetarian, one with meat. (No I did not make either one.)
  
  I was excited to read and use this cookbook, but overall I was less than impressed. A few of the recipes we tried were winners, but most of them weren't very good, or were so basic that I question the need for a recipe at all.
  
  I know Goodreads says there is an introduction from Mario Batali, but my copy did not have this.
  
  
  things I liked
  * Stanley Tucci family trivia!
  * Quality Italian American recipes.
  
  
  things I didn't like
  * I could have used more photos of what the food was supposed to look like - some of these recipes were unfamiliar and I needed the visual aid.
  * Even the simple recipes seem to have too many fussy steps.
  * Recipes did not wow me.
  
  
  recipes I tried
  This is not a vegetarian cookbook, but we are a mostly vegetarian family, so I picked only recipes that either were vegetarian or could easily be modified to be vegetarian, which is why I tried a lot of pasta dishes. I entirely skipped the sections for MEAT and POULTRY.
  
  
  MEDITERRANEAN PASTA SALAD WITH ARUGULA AND TOMATOES - this was very simple, and the only cooking involved was the pasta, and the only thing I had to chop were the tomatoes and basil (I buy baby arugula so I just toss it in). I mean, how could it not be good? pasta, tomatoes, arugula, cheese! I'm glad there was a photo for this, because the amount of cheese and arugula was difficult to judge (I never know how to measure 4 c of leafy greens - do I ram it into the measuring cup until I can fit nothing else??) so I relied on the photo a lot. I'll probably make this again (the "probably" is because my younger daughter did not like it - but she doesn't like leafy greens in general). I can't believe I'm saying this, but it had too much salt - next time I'll use 2 t instead of 3 t. Verdict: one thumb tentatively up.
  
  ZITI WITH BROCCOLI - this recipe couldn't be simpler: you boil the broccoli, then you boil the pasta, then you toss it together with olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper. I don't understand why pasta recipes tell you to cook the vegetable in the boiling water, then remove and set aside, and then cook the pasta in the same water, and then toss it all together. That seems like extra work for no benefit. (I mean, I've tried it their way in the past, and I'm not getting it, it's not any better that way.) I cook them all together, staggering when I add them so the cook times are correct. There's no salt in the recipe except for "boil in salted water," which I never do, so I didn't add any. Even the garlic was optional. (I used garlic.) I'm not sure what this tastes like when the Tuccis make it, but for me it was incredibly bland. Maybe I didn't use enough broccoli, or my broccoli wasn't flavorful enough. I put a huge handful of parmesan on my bowl, and added plenty of salt and black pepper, and it was decent, and I'll eat the leftovers, but I don't know if I'll make this again. Verdict: one thumb down.
  
  TOMATO SAUCE WITH MUSHROOMS
  This was good, but I feel like it should have been better. Recipe called for 36oz can of tomatoes, but ours are only 28oz; recipe called for 10 oz mushrooms, but my store sells them in 8oz packages so we used 16 oz mushrooms (and it was NOT too many mushrooms). I did not make this one - Lily says it was pretty simple. I'll happily eat the leftovers, but I'm not sure if I'll make this recipe again. Verdict: meh.
  
  FUSILLI WITH RICOTTA, PROSCIUTTO, AND SPINACH
  We made this vegetarian by eliminated the prosciutto. You put the spinach and onions in the blender with the ricotta, and that is a VERY pretty green sauce, but it's a lot of fuss. Recipe said to bake the breadcrumbs with olive oil but I didn't want to turn the oven on so I cooked them in a skillet. Both kids loved this one, they said it was similar to mac-n-cheese. I thought it was so-so. (It may be much better when you add the prosciutto.) I added grape tomatoes to the leftovers and that was really good. I probably won't make this again, I've got another recipe with pasta, greens, and ricotta that I like better. Verdict: meh.
  
  ROASTED RED PEPPERS
  I'm giving this book serious side eye for including "recipes" like this, which basically says "broil the peppers, turning occasionally until charred on all sides." I mean, duh? It doesn't even give a suggested amount of time under the broiler. This recipe is useless and should have been condensed to a side bar somewhere.
  
  Same goes for other recipes such as "FRESH TOMATO SALAD," which is tomatoes with olive oil, basil, salt, or TWO recipes for "BROCCOLI RABE TUCCI STYLE" & BROCCOLI RABE TROPIANO STYLE" (both with olive oil and garlic, in one you parboil the rappi first), and "ROASTED VEGETABLES" which is exactly what you think: various vegetables roasted with a bit of olive oil and salt (in fairness, there is a bit of technique here, involving tossing some vegetables with marinara sauce).
  
  SUMMER PASTA SALAD
  There are A LOT of steps to this recipe! Roast the peppers. Cook the pasta and cool it. Sauté the cubed eggplant, set aside. Boil the carrot and zucchini whole, set aside in cold water to cool. Boil the peas. Chop up cooled carrot & zucchini. Chop up tomatoes and celery. ... I'd never boiled zucchini before, so I was a little nervous about how I would like. It sounded gross and I almost didn't cook it that way, but then it wouldn't be a valid test of the recipe! This turned out to be really good! It took over 3-1/2 hours to make, because everything involved "cook, then set aside and let cool" and that takes a while. I'm not sure if I'll make it again, but if I do, I'll boil the carrot & zucchini for less time - they were good, but I like them with more crispness. The crunch of the raw celery was welcome. This made a lot of leftovers and we didn't finish all of them. Verdict: one thumb up.
  
  FETTUCCINE WITH ASPARAGUS AND SHRIMP
  This one looks pretty simple: cook pasta, sauté asparagus and shrimp together, combine with extra olive oil, serve. I'm not fond of shallots so I threw some chopped onion in instead. This turned out to be pretty good! It's one of those pasta dishes that doesn't have much of a sauce, but doesn't seem dry or flavorless either. He includes variations such as canned tomato instead of fresh, julienned zucchini or peas instead of asparagus - I'd like to try them all. Verdict: Two thumbs up.
  
  FETTUCCINE WITH SHRIMP AND TOMATO
  This was super easy to make and very tasty! My shrimp-loving daughter was thrilled (other daughter said this was very fishy-tasting, but I disagree). I'll definitely make this again. Two thumbs up.
  
  LIVIA'S TIRAMISU
  This was fairly simple, and was lighter than most tiramisu's, thanks to beaten egg white and whipped cream folded into the mascarpone. I prefer the richer flavor that I'm used to, but Lily liked this one better.
• 
  R.J. Sorrento

  Some amazing recipes! I cooked one dish already, and it was an instant favorite that I’ll put in rotation for pasta night. I would have loved more photos, but overall there are some great Italian-American recipes in this collection.
• 
  Katie

  Stanley Tucci was so sexy in Big Night, that I bought both of his cookbooks, which I have enjoyed cooking from. I understand from another fan that he owned a restaurant in NJ before he became an actor.
• 
  shanghao

  Caesar is a chef!
• 
  Kathy

  Actor Stanley Tucci is the author of this wonderful Italian cookbook. The first recipe is one of my favorite dishes to eat: bruschetta with tomato. The accompanying photo looks amazing and the recipe sounds delightful!
  
  The book contains the following chapters:
  
  Appetizers and Salads
  Soups
  Eggs
  Bread and Pizza
  Pasta
  Rice and Risotto
  Vegetables and Side Dishes
  Meat
  Poultry
  Fish and Shellfish
  Desserts
  
  At the beginning you will also find an introduction by chef Mario Batali, a history of Tucci's family and their love of food as well as a section on wine.
  
  The photos are beautiful as they should be in a cookbook! I love the sauce recipes in the Pasta section. And the poultry recipes...chicken with rosemary, chicken cacciatore, simple chicken breast with sage, and roasted chicken with vegetables.
  
  A wonderful cookbook to add to your cookbook collection!
• 
  Michelle Nash

  I love cookbooks. I love Stanley Tucci. The only reason I gave this 4 out of 5 is I want more pictures. Part of the food experience is using one's eyes. While the pictures included are completely worthy of licking the page, I wanted to see more of the dishes. Otherwise, this would get a 5.
• 
  Lisa

  Nice Italian recipes. I doubt I would make most of it, and if I did, I couldn't help but think of Ceasar Flickerman's crazy blue hair making sauce.
• 
  Kara

  
  An OK Italian Cooking 101. A good basic to read – but, given the layout, not the best to work with while actually cooking.
• 
  Liz W

  Stanley Tucci (like my family) is from the Calabria region of Italy. He shows us how to produce those hearty pasta dishes, how to make beautiful seafood dishes, and how to enjoy the food you cook. There are family memories added to the family recipes, as well as wine pairings. I have especially enjoyed the different sauces his family contributed to the book, and the bruschetta is the tastiest I have ever made. This is just the best of Italian cookbooks. I do wish there was a photo to accompany each recipe so I can see what the dish is supposed to look like when I am finished. But, that did not stop me from trying several recipes already. If you want true Italian cooking... try the recipes in the book. It is almost like being back in Scigliano.
• 
  Connie Ciampanelli

  There are cookbooks that are beautiful to look at but virtually impossible for the average home cook to use in her/his kitchen. The Tucci Cookbook, published in 2012 (originally entitled Cucina & Familia, 1999) is not that.
  
  I was not born, but married into an Italian-American family, and with Italian cuisine my favorite, for me Tucci's book of recipes an anecdotes is a treasure trove. Along with his own stories of family, love, and food, obviously paramount in his life, are those of his mother and father, who cook alongside him. Replete with gorgeous photos, this is a must-have for anyone who loves to cook and to eat Italian food. I read through every recipe, many of which I plan to recreate and all of which stirred my appetite.
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  Dona

  I’ve always been a fan of Stanley Tucci and with his new CNN show, Searching for Italy, I had a great deal of interest in reading his first cookbook. I have to say I was impressed. The recipes are ones that anyone with basic kitchen knowledge should be able to prepare and the list of ingredients are not ridiculously lengthy or filled with obscure (and hard to find) ingredients as they can be in many high profile cookbook author's books. I especially found the chapter on wines interesting and down to earth. It explains the different varieties of wines and the recommended parings very thoroughly.
• 
  Mason Jones

  Rating before trying the recipes, but from reading through them it's clear that they're both traditional and not overly complicated: these are recipes that normal people can make. After thoroughly enjoying his wonderful show about Italy's cuisine (waiting for season 2 now...), this is the natural next step. After reading through it and marking some recipes to try, my main criticism is that it would be an improvement if all of the recipes had a photo, rather than just the occasional photo. Seeing a picture of what you're trying to make is always extremely helpful; plus it would, I'm sure, make them even more tempting.
• 
  Danielle Katz

  Like walking through my childhood memories. Food is pivotal to identity with culture and family and this book really brings me back. Wonderful descriptions and easy directions.
  Favorites include; roasted bell peppers, stuffed mushrooms, mussels, clams baked in a half shell, calamari, scungeli, artichokes, peppers and eggs, pastina, Easter bread, zeppole, lasagna, marinara sauce, lentils, gnocchi, cannelloni, broccoli rabe, braciole, meatballs, stuffed peppers, rosemary chicken, biscotti, cannoli, tiramisu, ricotta cake.
• 
  Julie

  Watching Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy was global pandemic nirvana for those of us who miss traveling to this beautiful country. It was logical to then seek out more ways to keep that feeling alive. Before happening upon this show I was unaware of the depth of his roots let alone his seemingly deeper connection to cooking. The stories provided further fed my own interests. I look forward to making the family and Chef Scappin’s recipes offered here.
• 
  Socrate

  Italienii americani, la fel ca multe populații de imigranți din America, și-au adus ideologia alimentară în Lumea Nouă și, în cele mai bune cazuri, s-a format un hibrid. Adevăratul secret este că noi italienii nu am mâncat niciodată, sau foarte rar, la un restaurant. Ne-a trecut rar prin minte că restaurantul local sau restaurantul informal ar putea servi ceva ce am vrut să mâncăm. Nu ne-a trecut prin cap că am putea ieși și să cheltuim bani pentru cină.
• 
  Leticia

  Authentic Italian food is kind of intimidating to me because I always sense that Italians are very serious about their food. Stanley made it seem a lot less scary and serious, a lot more laid-back and do-able. I just wish the book had a little more style to it, although maybe they were going for a simple elegance type of cookbook. It's a hefty book with a lot of recipes, though!