Ingredients: ground lamb; onions; tomatoes; ground cinnamon; long grain rice; grape leaves; lemons; Greek yogurt I have tried only one and was thoroughly disappointed. The "Blondie" recipe is more like a brown butter cake than a blonde brownie. Based on that I have chosen not to try any of the other recipes.

Actor Stanley Tucci was born on November 11, 1960, in Peekskill, New York. He is the son of Joan (Tropiano), a writer, and Stanley Tucci, an art teacher. His family is Italian-American, with origins in Calabria.Stanley Tucci is an EMMY and GOLDEN GLOBE-winning actor. Since his career began nearly 30 years ago he has appeared in more than 50 films including THE LOVELY BONES, THE HUNGER GAMES and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and has been a regular fixture on Broadway. He has directed and produced films, most notably BIG NIGHT in 1996. He currently presents US TV programme VINE TALK where he invites celebrities to engage in compelling conversations about wine. Find out more about VINE TALK at: http://www.vinetalk.com 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. This was really, really good. The cup of wine and the anchovies gave the dish a huge taste boost! Note that you don't need to chop the veggies in a food processor after sauteeing them - they'll be just fine as they are.

The book is heavy on Italian food, naturally, and I am tempted to try his Polenta Fries, which Tucci calls a great alternative to French fries. They look delicious. Stanley Tucci’s association with wonderful foods began for fans with the movie Big Night and resonated in his role as Julia Child’s husband in Julie & Julia . But well before these films, he was enjoying innovative homemade Italian meals throughout his childhood, when family and food were nearly inseparable and cooking was always a familial venture. Featuring 100 luscious new full-color photographs, The Tucci Table captures the true joys of family cooking. Buon appetito!Tucci formatted the book so that the directions come first, then the ingredients, which may confuse some people. This is a book for confident cooks, more casual cooks who like to go more by instinct than exact measurements. (See glug of olive oil, above) I haven't enjoyed reading a cookbook like this in such a long time. Thank you Stanley and Felicity. I would highly recommend this cookbook to everyone!