Abstract
This chapter discusses Stanley Tucci’s CNN show Searching for Italy as a culinary travelogue exploring Italy’s diverse and rich food culture. This show, which ran for two seasons (2021–2022), features the celebrated actor and food enthusiast traveling across the country to discover each region’s culturally unique flavors, ingredients, and takes on recipes, and brings viewers on a culinary journey. The author summarizes the various episodes, highlighting how Tucci provides appropriate commentary on the cultural significance of each dish, and how he contemplates the historical and current political issues facing Italians today, presenting them to the viewer in a thought-provoking manner. According to the author, Tucci brings a personal touch to each episode, sharing memories of his own experiences in Italy and reflecting on how the country’s food culture has influenced his life. With stunning scenery and enchanting food, “Searching for Italy” offers a vibrant and engaging exploration of Italy’s culinary traditions, making it a must-watch for food lovers and travel enthusiasts alike.
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Notes
- 1.
Monique Jessen and Julie Mazziotta write that Tucci “grew up in Westchester County, NY, the oldest of three children in a family with roots in Calabria, Italy” (Jessen and Mazziotta, 41). They report that he “was diagnosed with cancer at the base of his tongue in 2017 and underwent intensive 35-day radiation treatment and seven sessions of chemotherapy that ravaged his senses and left him unable to eat and dependent on a feeding tube …. He lost more than 30 lbs.” (ibid., 40).
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Films and TV Shows Cited
Big Night (Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci, 1996).
Billy Bathgate (Robert Benton, 1991).
The Devil Wears Prada (David Frankel, 2006).
It Could Happen to You (Andrew Bergman, 1994).
Kiss of Death (Barbet Schroeder, 1995).
Prizzi’s Honor (John Huston, 1985).
Searching for Italy (TV Show, 2021–2022).
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Gravano, A.J. (2024). CNN’s Searching for Italy: Stanley Tucci as Foodways Icon. In: Fioretti, D., Orsitto, F. (eds) Italian Americans in Film and Other Media. Italian and Italian American Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47211-4_15
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