Book tip of the week: Taste. My Life for Cooking and Filming

When food becomes biography
© Arche Literatur Verlag
© Arche Literatur Verlag
31. August 2025

 | Editorial team

With Taste: My Life in the Kitchen and on Camera, Stanley Tucci delivers much more than a culinary autobiography. This book is a subtle, intelligent reflection on life, told through the prism of food. Between film sets and family kitchens, between Meryl Streep and Nonna Tucci, a mosaic of anecdotes, memories, dishes, and deep insights emerges – sometimes humorous, sometimes touching, always with genuine flavor.

We didn’t just read Taste – we lived it. Tucci succeeds in presenting cuisine as the language of life: how much it shapes us, connects us, comforts us – and even brings us back to life when we lose our taste for it, as in his own battle with cancer.

In addition to lovingly told family stories, he makes us smile with anecdotes about cooking with celebrities or his ironic take on his own Italian cliché. The recipes scattered throughout – some traditional, some surprisingly modern – make the book not a classic cookbook, but a very personal culinary reader.

INFO:

Stanley Tucci: TASTE. My Life Through Food and Film
First German edition (original title: Taste. My Life Through Food)
Translation: Steffen Jacobs
Publisher: Arche Literatur Verlag
320 pages
ISBN: 978-3-7160-2813-1
Price: €25.00 [D] | €25.70 [A] | also available as an
e-book
Publication date: February 2023

Stanley Tucci serves up memories, emotions, and recipes with depth

Our conclusion: For anyone who sees food as culture, communication, and a compass, this book is a gift. A book for connoisseurs, film fans, lovers of Italy, and anyone who believes that a good pasta dish says more than a thousand words.

A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît! A la table, s'il vous plaît!
Copyright for the featured images used:
© Arche Literatur Verlag

Taste of Tomorrow 2025 – powered by Chefs Culinar

New competition, strong talents – the finalists have been chosen

For the kitchens. For the future. For the industry. Taste of Tomorrow is the new competition for young talent that will bring young culinary talents from several countries to the big stage in 2025. After a multi-stage selection process, the eight finalists have been chosen.

Book tip of the week: Gastro Management

This practical guide belongs on the desk of every catering professional

We have read many specialist books on restaurant management, but rarely one that is as compact and practical as “Gastro Management: A Practical Guide for Ambitious Hosts.” We were particularly impressed by the clear structure in eight thematic “courses”—this makes the book not only readable but also logically comprehensible.

What makes this book really strong is that it speaks the language of practice. Whether it’s costing, personnel management, or process design, there’s no beating around the bush here; instead, you’re given tools that you can apply directly in your business. And the QR codes with additional videos? A real added value for anyone who thinks visually and likes to delve deeper into content.

Info:
Gastro-Management. A practical guide for ambitious hosts
Authors: Prof. Dr. Torsten Olderog, Paul Olderog, Julia-Marie Welker
Publisher: Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH
170 pages
ISBN: 978-3-86641-362-7
Price: €38
Publication date: March 2025

Book tip of the week: Recipes you'll love

Kitchen trend 2025: Simply good instead of complicatedly brilliant

The new currency in cuisine is called trust. Guests no longer want theater—they want substance. Straker delivers exactly that. This attitude also sends a strong signal to restaurateurs in Austria and Germany: back to basics does not mean back to the past, but forward with authenticity.

A cookbook for everyone who wants to stage less and achieve more – at the stove and in their hearts. Perfect for professionals who are looking for honest inspiration and want to motivate their team to break new ground – with butter, gut feeling, and enthusiasm.

INFO
Recipes you’ll love
Author: Thomas Straker
Publisher: Callwey
240 pages
ISBN: 978-3-7667-2760-2

quick & dirty
Taste by Tucci © Arche Literatur Verlag
Book tip of the week: Taste. My Life for Cooking and Filming

With Taste: My Life in the Kitchen and on Camera, Stanley Tucci delivers much more than a culinary autobiography. This book is a subtle, intelligent reflection on life, told through the prism of food. Between film sets and family kitchens, between Meryl Streep and Nonna Tucci, a mosaic of anecdotes, memories, dishes, and deep insights emerges – sometimes humorous, sometimes touching, always with genuine flavor.

We didn’t just read Taste – we lived it. Tucci succeeds in presenting cuisine as the language of life: how much it shapes us, connects us, comforts us – and even brings us back to life when we lose our taste for it, as in his own battle with cancer.

In addition to lovingly told family stories, he makes us smile with anecdotes about cooking with celebrities or his ironic take on his own Italian cliché. The recipes scattered throughout – some traditional, some surprisingly modern – make the book not a classic cookbook, but a very personal culinary reader.

INFO:

Stanley Tucci: TASTE. My Life Through Food and Film
First German edition (original title: Taste. My Life Through Food)
Translation: Steffen Jacobs
Publisher: Arche Literatur Verlag
320 pages
ISBN: 978-3-7160-2813-1
Price: €25.00 [D] | €25.70 [A] | also available as an
e-book
Publication date: February 2023