Tucci & Me

Hello!! Welcome to Tucci and Me!! A naughties rom-com chick-flick inspired, cooking-crazed project in which I have decided to Julie and Julia my way through Stanley Tucci’s biography slash cookbook: Taste. 

If you haven’t seen the movie, run back in time and beg your mum to bring you to blockbusters, and watch it. It’s funny it’s emotional, and it’s even got makeovers (Amy’s inner makeover from attention seeking egotist to humbled writer, and Meryl’s makeover from an unknown fabulous amateur to a celebrity still-fabulous chef). I will admit its flaws: it’s incredibly … straight-white-couple-is-being-whiny-and-complaining-about-their-jobs, but trust me on this, I suggest you suspend disbelief in order to enjoy a delicious performance by some stellar actors, Stanley included. And this all happens in one of my favourite settings: the food movie. A food movie is always indulgent, and that makes for wonderful storytelling. 

 

But back to MY genius idea. In the film, Julie (Amy Adams WHO I HAVE SEEN LIVE IN THE FLESH!! WHICH MAKES ME ONE STEP CLOSER TO MEETING STANLEY HIMSELF), bored by her job and desperate to return to her creative roots, decides to cook her way through the entirety of Julia Child’s cookbook in under a year. In the film, Stanely plays Paul Child, Julia Child’s husband who’s journey the film follows in parallel to Julie’s. Julie makes 300 recipes in 365 days. I will be making a humble 25 recipes in 3 months. Around two a week? I used to be good at maths. As I cook I shall read and review Stanley’s biography: Taste. 

 This project has been in the works ever since Ambre came over to my house and asked whether I’ve made any of Stanley’s recipes. And it came to me. For whoever does not know, I have a deep, soul-crushing admiration for Mr Tucci. Not only for his impeccable acting roster, his instructional cocktail videos and his closeness to my other idol: Emily Blunt, but also for his Italian cooking roots. He may or may not be as shiny and perfect in real life, but a girl likes to dream. As soon as the idea came to me, it was pretty much all I could think about. Below are some of the wonderful reactions I received when I announced my idea to friends:

 

  • My mum “s’en fout royalement” which loosely translates to doesn’t royally give a shit. I’m putting her through my 46th viewing of DWP tonight to rectify her lack of knowledge about Stanley Tucci.
  • My sisters gave me bare minimum “haha” text in our group chat. Approval and disapproval all at once.
  • The few people who are adequately elated: Ambre, Azia. That’s it.
  • Fake enthusiasts: Kosi – pretended to care. Sweet sweet man.
  • People I think might Love my concept: Stanley himself FINGERS CROSSED because I have every intention of bugging his PR team about it regularly, Bruno Barbieri, I hope Eve Babitz, Raini Rodriguez, Meg Ryan, Lorde, Jennifer Stone, Amanda Seyfried.
  • People I think would ignore or laugh at my idea: Gordon Ramsey, Julia Child herself, Martha Stewart, Madonna, Clairo, Selma Blair, Julia Fox (sadly), Ru Paul. By no means an exhaustive list.

 

Note: The project will start tomorrow (watch out for an email!) and will hopefully end by the 31st of December. If you don’t want your email spammed i’m terribly sorry but you’re all my friends and you signed up so really it’s not my fault i’m just delivering on my promise to bug you.

 

Anyways, welcome to Tucci and Me. Wish me luck!!!!!

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