Growing up, I remember watching movies with the bald guy with the glasses who looked super smart. As I started to select genres that I liked and prefered as one does with age, I was still able to find him in even the strangest of movie selections- of the top of my head, He was reassuring as the doctor in a movie I found utterly boring: The First Avenger, Captain America. He was the reassuring Head designer in that cult classic The Devil Wears Prada. He was frightening in a quiet and menacing way in The lovely Bones and for a while I was hesitant to watch anything else he was in - the mark of a great actor.

Who knew Stanley Tucci was a culinary adventurer and alchemist. I started out with his show, Searching for Italy and his narration, the cinematography, his ancestral journey and the people he chose to interview reignited a love for romanticism of Italy and the Roman expeditions into flavor and experimentation.

And then, I discovered his books and as an amateur cook (doing well I might say) and an amateur baker (doing rather poorly I'll admit) I was eager to dive right into whatever he had writing. Happy to report that not only was I not disappointed - I am famished and headed to the kitchen to make a wholesome mess, drink wine and chuck some of it into the pot while simmering something delicious.

Bon Appetito!