SUNDAYS
9
A CNN ORIGINAL SERIES
STANLEY TUCCI: SEARCHING FOR ITALY
There’s nowhere on earth like Italy. And there’s no food on earth like Italian food. Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award-winning actor Stanley Tucci indulges his passion for Italian cooking as he explores the stories and people behind the world’s most popular cuisine in the second season of the critically acclaimed Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Tucci, who is Italian on both sides, brings us on his journey to the bustling food markets and hidden trattorias of the Italian peninsula. Across four visually stunning episodes, CNN audiences have a front row seat to experience the rich pesto alla Genovese in Liguria, the airy focaccia Barese in Puglia, and sharp pecorino shepherd’s cheese in Sardinia. In this deeply personal, witty, and warm odyssey of gastronomic delights, Tucci makes a special visit to Calabria, the region where his grandparents were born, to learn what has changed since he last visited as a twelve-year-old boy. Searching for Italy airs Sundays at 9p.
Calabria
Calabria is a region of rugged landscapes, dramatic mountain ranges, and some 500 miles of incredible coastline. Connected to Basilicata in the north and separated from Sicily in the south by the narrow Strait of Messina, Calabria is also the homeland of the Tucci family’s ancestors.
In this episode, Stanley Tucci travels through the region, discovering the history of this beautiful and troubled place, as well as the history of his own family. Joined by his parents and reunited with Italian relatives, he reflects on the inspiration people draw from Calabria, and why those who leave this region feel compelled to return.
Sardinia
In this episode, Stanley Tucci visits the Italian island of Sardinia. Famous for its harsh, rugged landscape, crystal blue ocean, and passionately preserved traditions, Tucci will learn how Sardinian food culture varies wildly throughout the island. He experiences the culinary delights of its coastal cities influenced by previous civilizations, and ventures inland to discover the rural heart of Sardinia, which remains untouched from outsider influence. This mysterious and mystical island is full of treasures and Sardinians are proud of their heritage and culinary diversity. One thing is certain: whoever steps foot on this island, will never want to leave.
Puglia
In this episode, Stanley Tucci visits Puglia, a region famous for its fragrant olive oil, beautiful vegetables, cheeses, and durum wheat. Despite being such a fertile region, Puglia is also one of Italy’s poorest and Tucci discovers how today’s spirit of innovation was forged out of hard times. From Bari’s raw seafood to Cisternino’s Fornelli and Foggia’s burnt grain to cheesemaker Vito’s Apulian blue cheeses, it is clear that by reclaiming their past, the Pugliese are taking ownership of their past and embracing the future on their own terms.
Liguria
In this episode, Stanley Tucci visits one of the most famous and frequented regions of Italy – the Italian Riviera – which is famous for the glitz and glamour of Portofino and stunning picture-perfect fishing villages of the Cinque Terre. Liguria is a thin strip of mountainous land, sandwiched between the Alps and Apennines, and lined with rugged scenery and stunning coastal views. The capital of Genoa, once a wealthy merchant empire, offers a richness of cuisine fit for a prince from personalized stamped pasta to its most internationally acclaimed export, Genoese pesto. Tucci will discover how Ligurians have learned to adapt to life in this difficult landscape and how they have found ingenious solutions to survive frugally yet thrive.
