Latest news with #StanleyTucci
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
‘Stanley Tucci put my local Florentine trattoria on TV – now I can't get a table'
'It's amazing: you've sustained this culture for thousands of years,' gushes Stanley Tucci in his new National Geographic travelogue, Tucci in Italy. It is the third such venture for the Academy Award nominee, joining a long tradition of celebrity-fronted travel shows that find 'hidden corners' of the globe. This time, however, the stakes are different. Overcrowding at renowned beauty spots has been particularly marked in recent years, so much so that waves of protests have taken place across southern Europe. Generally, the sense has been that this was the fault of social media-obsessed influencers, snapping shots of Instagram-friendly scenes without much care for local people. Could it be, however, that travelogues are the original reason places feel overwhelmed? Take Padstow as an example. The Cornish fishing village, once charming, is now a prime example of the hype created by television programmes. The harbour-front teems with visitors; available restaurant tables are rarer than sustainably caught salmon. It's a phenomenon that has long been attributed to TV chef and seafood connoisseur Rick Stein, to the extent that it is often dubbed 'Padstein'. Stein first showed the town in Taste of the Sea, broadcast in 1995. The harbour town has featured, repeatedly, in his programmes since; elevated for its camera-ready coves and, above all, 'authenticity'. In the first instance, Stein probably did alight on something remarkable: this was the home of a declining industry, pulling in exquisitely fresh fish, in an extraordinarily quaint setting. But the ensuing mania has long since eroded that initial charm. His investment in the area – some four restaurants, alongside accommodation, has presumably entrenched his interest in the place. With that comes greater promotion (and more tourists). In the intervening years, this phenomenon has been repeated. Rick Steves took on Cinque Terre. Comedians – Jack Whitehall, Dara O'Brien, Sue Perkins – have explored Romania, the US and Vietnam. An inordinate number of city breaks were taken by Richard Ayoade and latterly Joe Lycett in Travel Man, with each element eminently replicable, down to pricing per activity. Its YouTube channel garners some two million views a month. This is broad-strokes stuff, aimed at the general holidaymaker. Anthony Bourdain's oft-repeated line about being a traveller, not a tourist, possibly inspired a different kind of holiday than Stein et al. The American chef's effect, though, might well be the same, especially for once under-the-radar spots. The travel magazine Skift cited an 88.8 per cent increase in internet searches for Sicily after an episode of Parts Unknown was filmed there. And many of the restaurants featured in his programme are far from unhappy. Bún chả Hương Liên, the restaurant in Hanoi where Bourdain ate with Barack Obama, has encased their table in perspex. It now advertises itself as 'Bun Cha Obama'. Travelogues do not solely send people in pursuit of restaurants. Take Joanna Lumley's series, exploring, earnestly, places such as the Silk Road, the Danube, the 'Spice Trail'. Her entreaties to visit these (often post-colonial) destinations are of a different style – and price point – to the exploits of Bourdain. Her programmes cater to those who remember her as a model in the Sixties, or her work as an actor in the intervening decades. And this is a demographic with money to spend. A recent report by consultancy firm McKinsey found that baby boomers – those born between 1946-1964 – spent three times more than Gen Z on travel in 2023. Here is, possibly, the difference. While influencers might display the delights of a stylish, design-focussed hotel, many followers will not have the income to take the same trip themselves. The Lumley brand is different: a leisurely Nile cruise is within reach for a large proportion of her viewers. This, too, is the appeal of Tucci. Here is Hollywood royalty, walking the streets of Florence – as the viewer can. He is just like us, the programme posits, making simple pasta dishes and drinking crisp apéritifs. He is stylish, undeniably, but he does all this with humour, and so can you. And here he is in a tiny, Florentine trattoria – tucked away from the main tourist areas, but accessible enough that, some locals fear, it will soon be heaving with visitors. 'It was a very, very, very local bar, totally neighbourhood,' says local resident Lucy Millar*, who has lived in Florence since the early 1980s. The owner has promised to reserve tables for her regular customers, regardless of the expected post-Tucci rush. 'I don't know if this will be possible, though, because I think she will be swamped. This is a whole different level,' she says. Such a situation has form. Tucci's first series highlighted the centuries-old Tuscan practice of serving drinks out of tiny hatches. Now, says Millar, the once-quaint cobblestones are besieged. 'The street is crammed with people every day waiting for a drink out of the wine window,' she complains. 'I have a friend who lives near the window that Tucci originally featured and there are people sitting on the doorstep 24 hours a day.' She does not, however, blame Tucci himself: 'It lies with the fixers who are doing the groundwork for him. They know exactly what they are doing. They have a responsibility.' For residents of a city, a travelogue might seem to diminish its essential character; the streets thronging with visitors all yearning for the same experience. As Millar puts it, though, that same sentiment might not be felt by business owners. In cities such as Venice and Florence, the tourism industry accounts for such a large proportion of the local economy that it is unlikely they will turn away promotion. 'It's a dilemma,' she says. 'You can't bite the hand that feeds you.' One thing is for certain, though: after somewhere features in a travelogue, 'it will never be the same.' *not her real name
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Doctor Who star and Dame Judi Dench join calls to end arms sales to Israel
Some 400 people have now signed the letter, with the new signatories including actors Stanley Tucci and Florence Pugh, former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and musicians Paul Weller and Self Esteem. As well as suspending UK arms sales to Israel, the letter calls on Sir Keir Starmer to 'use all available means' to ensure humanitarian aid gets in to the territory. Dame Judi Dench has signed the letter (Jordan Pettitt/PA) It also urges the Prime Minister to 'make a commitment to the children of Gaza' that he would broker an 'immediate and permanent ceasefire'. Josie Naughton, CEO of Choose Love, said: 'Since we urged the Government to end its complicity in the horrors of Gaza, more people have added their voice to our call. 'We cannot be silent while children are being killed and families are being starved.' Following publication of the initial letter in May, Choose Love staged a vigil outside Parliament in which a number of signatories read out the names of 15,613 children killed in Gaza. Ministers have already suspended licences for some arms sales to Israel but activists have demanded that the Government goes further, imposing a total ban including on parts for the F-35 jet. But the Government has said halting the export of spare F-35 parts is not possible as the UK is part of a global supply network and cannot control where those parts end up. Last week, the Government also sanctioned two Israeli ministers it accused of 'inciting violence against Palestinian people' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. Ms Naughton added: 'The situation is changing by the second, but until the UK Government has halted all arms sales and licences to Israel, ensured that humanitarian aid can reach people starving inside Gaza and stopped the killing, they will not have done enough.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli Government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid.' 'The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law.' 'Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict.' 'We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.'
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Toxic truth? The cookware craze redefining ‘ceramic' and ‘nontoxic'
The cookware industry has entered a golden age, largely driven by the wild success of a new generation of 'nontoxic' and 'nonstick' designer ceramic pans backed by stars including Selena Gomez, Stanley Tucci and Oprah Winfrey. But the pans are likely not 'nontoxic' some independent testing and research suggests. Nor are they even 'ceramic' – at least not in the way the public broadly thinks of ceramics. Now, regulators are investigating some of the pan sellers' claims. On Instagram, TikTok and their marketing materials, the social media-savvy cookware brands promise 'enchantment', and 'non-toxic materials and thoughtful design' that 'prioritizes the health and safety of you and your family'. In fact, no legal definition for 'nontoxic' or 'ceramic' exists, and the marketing has drawn greenwashing accusations exacerbated by the companies concealing their pans' ingredients. And the blockbuster sellers like Our Place's Always Pan, Caraway and GreenPan are typically made with a material that thinly coats an aluminum substrate and is characterized in one study as 'quasi-ceramic'. Meanwhile, independent testing and research suggests quasi-ceramics may contain toxins like titanium dioxide, siloxanes, lead and mercury. Related: The best pans for every type of cooking – chosen by chefs The claims are eliciting regulatory scrutiny. The state of Washington recently ordered quasi-ceramic producers to submit their nonstick ingredients to the state's ecology department as it attempts to learn which chemicals cookware companies are using to replace Teflon or other toxic Pfas, or 'forever chemicals'. The order is about 'transparency', said Marissa Smith, a senior toxicologist with the Washington department of ecology. 'It's challenging for regulators to know when we're moving to safe alternatives, but it's also hard for families who want to buy safer products,' Smith said. 'There's this fundamental challenge of figuring out what's in our products and having the data to make those decisions.' The nonstick, quasi-ceramics have in part quickly blown up because, their producers claim, they cracked the 'nontoxic/nonstick' code. Prior to 2019, nonstick pans largely used toxic Pfas, a class of chemicals that are among the most toxic man-made substances, and linked to cancer and a range of other serious health problems. The quasi-ceramic, design-forward pans with color palettes like 'spice' and a millennial aesthetic burst onto a market ripe for an alternative. Their launches coincided with the rise of wellness culture and the pandemic's outset. With people forced to cook at home and on social media, the cookware became Instagram sensations – Caraway's monthly ecommerce sales jumped 390% between January and May 2020. Celebrity involvement also fueled the quick ascents: Selena Gomez, Tan France, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stanley Tucci and Drew Barrymore now have their own quasi-ceramic pan lines. Gigi Hadid and Kate Hudson promoted their Caraways in the media. Always Pan's order backlog hit 30,000 early on. GreenPan made Oprah's 2024 Favorite Things list, and Caraway's profits grew over 500% between 2020 and 2023. Throughout, the companies have relentlessly touted their products as 'nontoxic'. Ceramic cookware dates back at least 15,000 years. The concept evolved across cultures – the medieval British pipkin, the ancient Roman testum and the Wampanoag Native American decorated pots. Throughout the ages, the basic formula remained the same: some mix of clay, silica and minerals fired at a high heat to create a solid piece. The new quasi-ceramics are something else. The producers use some variation of a material called 'sol-gel' developed in the 1970s, a mix of silica, metals and chemicals. The material is sprayed onto an aluminum substrate – the pan is not quasi-ceramic all the way through. The companies won't tell the public what else is in the pans, and their formulas are shielded by confidential business information laws, making it very difficult to verify their claims. The uncertainty alone raises suspicions among some public health advocates, but sleuthing of peer-reviewed research, legal documents, patents and regulatory documents around the pans raises more questions than answers, and points toward the use of toxic chemicals. Still, Caraway states: 'We believe in full transparency with regard to our products, so we're happy to share testing reports with anyone via email to prove just how safe our products are.' In an email to the Guardian, it declined to share the formula: 'The formulation of Caraway's ceramic cooking surfaces is proprietary.' Responding in 2022 to I Read Labels For You, a consumer protection site that questioned the pan producers' non-toxicity claims, Always Pan maker Our Place conceded the products are not ceramic, but a 'ceramic precursor' with a different formula. 'We are heating it at a lower temperature, it never gets to that ceramic state,' Always Pan wrote. 'Ceramic is totally inorganic whereas our sol-gel has organic and inorganic substances. The inorganic material is glass/silica. The organic material is an organic polymer.' In an email to the Guardian, Our Place said its pans' materials are 'similar in feel to traditional ceramics', and are made with 'a sand-based material, which is why it's commonly referred to as 'ceramic''. It did not immediately respond to a question about why it's marketed as ceramic if it's admittedly not ceramic. The distinction is in part important because the surfaces can potentially melt at heat above 260C (500F), increasing the risk of chemicals leaching into food. The pans have also been reported to wear down and lose their nonstick coating sometimes within months of purchase. True ceramic can withstand much higher heat and is far more durable. Other quasi-ceramic producers use a similar material, all of which include polymers. Polymers may mean any of tens of thousands of chemicals, including Pfas, which the sol-gel patent even details. Applying nonstick organic polymers may also create toxic monomer byproducts, Smith noted, but it's impossible to know without having the pan makers' ingredients. Nonstick can linings can create toxic bisphenol-A, for example. A 2019 lawsuit alleged GreenPan's '0% toxins' claim represented false advertising. Citing GreenPan's patent, the suit alleged the pans contained silane, aluminum oxide, tetraethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, and potassium titanate. Regulators classify some of these as hazardous, but the suit was dismissed, though the settlement's terms are unclear. GreenPan has denied using aluminum oxide. It did not respond to a request for comment. Smith said the state of Washington is concerned companies may be using siloxane, a chemical family often used to replace Pfas in consumer goods, but which sometimes pose similar risks. One industry study compared the performance of nonstick properties of siloxanes to Pfas in quasi-ceramic pans, finding Pfas worked better. Independent testing by the consumer protection site Lead Safe Mama detected high levels of titanium in GreenPan, Always Pan and Caraway, pointing to the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. A 2016 study also identified titanium dioxide in quasi-ceramic pans, and showed how it can migrate into food. The toxic substance is banned in the European Union for use in food, but not cookware. It's a potential carcinogen that accumulates in organs and is linked to neurotoxicity, intestinal inflammation and other health impacts. Caraway in 2024 acknowledged using nanoparticles, though they didn't say which. But, it claimed without supporting evidence, that the levels it uses doesn't cause health risks. All told, there's evidence that the pans could contain such ingredients as titanium dioxide, lead, mercury, cadmium, siloxanes, potentially toxic monomer byproducts and other unknown substances. Even if the levels of individual toxins are low, there's no research into the health effects of all the toxins combined migrating into food, which raises a whole new set of questions. Caraway in a statement to the Guardian said the company could not 'speak to the conduct or quality of any testing that is not its own'. 'Caraway is proud of the products we have developed and the progress made towards a cleaner home for our customers, there is still much to be done,' the statement added. Public health advocates say the uncertainty is a red flag, and forcing consumers to 'go through tests and patents' to know what they're buying is 'absolutely ridiculous,' said Laurie Valeriano, executive director of the Toxic Free Future non-profit, which has raised concerns about quasi-ceramics. 'It shouldn't be up to consumers to sleuth and try to figure out the ingredients in pans so they can protect the health of themselves and their families,' Valeriano added. Maryland-based Xtrema is one of very few companies producing ceramic pans as they have been traditionally made. Production takes up to 25 days, said owner Rich Bergstrom and produces a solid ceramic piece that can withstand high levels of heat. Companies passing off a softer sol-gel coating as true ceramic 'irks me – it drives me crazy', Bergstrom said. He called it a 'false term', and said it's being 'manipulated from a marketing standpoint to give you the impression that it's ceramic'. Some of the pans also contain lead, testing Lead Safe Mama's Tamara Rubin found. The lids and cooking surfaces of the Always Pan and Caraway showed some of the toxin, which she said suggests aluminum substrates and pieces are to blame. Rubin also found mercury in the Caraway and antimony throughout GreenPan. Caraway still advertises 'metals free', and GreenPan states its products 'lack harmful chemicals and toxins'. Rubin is a polarizing figure for her generally absolutist positions on lead – if a product contains the substance, she recommends against it. This is the most protective approach, but companies and regulators point out that lead is naturally occurring and widespread in the environment, often found at low levels in ceramics' clay, as well as foods. They claim 'trace' levels of lead are OK, especially if it's not in a food contact surface. But there's no definition for 'trace'. No federal limits for lead in ceramic cookware exist. If lead in a ceramic piece isn't leaching at the time a consumer buys it, then there isn't a problem, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told the Guardian in 2022. However, there's no testing or oversight program, or assurance it doesn't leach once it's scratched, chipped or worn. The FDA has done little to scrutinize cookware materials throughout the decades because it's chronically underfunded and understaffed, said Tom Neltner, director of the Unleaded Kids no-nprofit, who has legally pressured the FDA to act on leaded food materials: 'With all the things coming into the agency, they have not looked at all these lead issues, and there's no public scrutiny of their priorities.' However, the state of Washington is implementing the nation's first limits directly addressing cookware – 90 parts per million (ppm) next year, and 10ppm by 2028. Rubin found levels as high as 70ppm in the Always Pan. Rubin in 2018 also found lead, cadmium and other metals like cobalt in Xtrema pieces, and advises against them for that reason. Bergstrom said he eliminated the highest sources of lead, like the logo on the pan's bottom. He also noted Rubin's testing looks for the presence of lead, but not whether it leaches into food. True ceramic pans are less of a leach risk because the material is more solid than quasi-ceramic, Bergstrom claims. His pans have passed California's Proposition 65 leach tests of new products, and he also pointed to testing that showed no lead leaching from an Xtrema pan that had been used for several years.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Kieran Culkin on his Hunger Games debut: ‘I have no idea what I'm gonna do'
The world of The Hunger Games is back — and this time, it's bringing a whole new ensemble of elite talent into Panem. While fans are hyped for Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest chapter in Suzanne Collins' dystopian saga, one name in the cast has caught everyone's attention: Kieran Culkin. The actor recently revealed his thoughts on his performance, and they're as hilariously modest as you'd expect. Recently confirmed to play Caesar Flickerman, the same larger-than-life Capitol host that Stanley Tucci so iconically embodied in the original films, Culkin had a surprising message for fans. While signing autographs, he reportedly told one excited onlooker: 'Lower those expectations, please. Please do. I have no idea what I'm gonna do with that.' Known for his Emmy-winning role as the deeply complicated Roman Roy in HBO's Succession and his recent Oscar win for A Real Pain, Culkin has earned a reputation for delivering powerhouse performances while never taking himself too seriously. And of course, following in Stanley Tucci's glitter-covered footsteps is no small task since Tucci's version of Caesar was theatrical, flamboyant, and oddly endearing Culkin is joining a powerhouse cast in Sunrise on the Reaping, which includes Ralph Fiennes as a younger Coriolanus Snow, Joseph Zada as a young Haymitch Abernathy, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, and Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird. The film will bring to life Collins' latest book of the same name, released on March 18. The novel revisits the 50th Hunger Games — also known as the Second Quarter Quell — and dives into the emotional and political complexities that shaped a young Haymitch, revealing the roots of the battle-hardened mentor we meet in Katniss Everdeen's story.
The National
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Stanley Tucci doesn't want to be globetrotting food expert like Anthony Bourdain
Stanley Tucci has a lot of time to think, and he hates it. The American actor, 64, has spent the majority of his life making movies – Conclave, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, to name a few – and as much as he loves acting, he laments the fact that he doesn't actually do all that much of it. 'Acting doesn't fulfil me as much as it used to,' Tucci tells The National. 'You're on these sets for 12 to 13 hours a day, and you may only act for 20 minutes of that time. I end up thinking, 'there's got to be a better way to do this!' I just want to keep going and going – I'm very impatient. 'I get paid to wait. It's the acting I do for free. That's the way I feel, at this point.' The problem is, when you're sitting around all day, you're rarely learning something – even about yourself. It's a problem we all have – but he has lost patience with that disconnect. Which is why, over the last decade, Tucci has gone out into the world to learn more about who he really is – through travel and especially through food. 'I think we've gotten out of touch with ourselves physically,' Tucci explains. 'One of the reasons is we're all sitting in front of computers, or on our phones all the time – or myself, waiting on a set – and desk work is far more prominent than doing any kind of labour.' In Tucci's mind, it's all connected. By focusing more on what he eats, he's thought more about where it comes from – the land, and the culture and traditions the land inspires. And by starting at the source, we see ourselves more clearly. 'Getting in touch with the land is so important. From the land comes our food, and then the food goes onto the table, and into us,' says Tucci. Growing up, Tucci was also quite disconnected from his roots. He didn't understand why all the other kids at his small-town school 75km outside of New York City were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he was having leftovers his mother had packed him of last night's eggplant parmigiana. But with each passing decade, he has increasingly immersed himself in his Italian heritage – and embracing even its flaws. And by focusing his journey on food, he has ended up learning more about the country's rich complexities than one might imagine. All of this is in service to understanding the country – and himself – better. 'I don't want to romanticise Italy. I think that's been done ad nauseam. I think it's not interesting and it's not truthful,' says Tucci. Tucci in Italy, his new National Geographic series broadcast weekly in the UAE and available to stream on Disney+, embraces what he feels is the true Italy. In the first episode, for example, he explores Tuscany, focusing specifically on dishes that were created by and for the working class. First he tries lampredotto, the Florentine street food sandwich made from the fourth stomach of a cow. It's named after the eels that once inhabited the Arno river, and only the rich could afford. The tripe dish, then, was invented to imitate its flavours. But the story doesn't stop here. Tucci then finds another old peasant dish made with imitation tripe by those that couldn't even afford cow stomach. That one might even be his favourite. Politically speaking, there's a reason that he focuses on the lower class – at a time when, once again, immigrants and the poor are being scapegoated, both in Italy and in the US. It's something his immigrant family likely went through once, too. 'I think particularly in today's climate, immigrants are vilified and wrongly so, because they have so much to bring to a culture. Millions of Italians once came over to America, and they were vilified to a certain extent. Also, I think that's something that Italian Americans have to remember, and Italians themselves should remember, too,' says Tucci. But as much as he's enjoyed diving into the unexplored corners of Italy for the series – with another season already shot and set to air next year – he's also adamant that his journey will stop there. While he wants to go deeper into his ancestral homeland, a project he started with the CNN series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy in 2021, he doesn't want to explore the rest of the world on camera. It's clear he doesn't want to be the next Anthony Bourdain – the late chef who grew internationally famous for his globetrotting food series Parts Unknown. 'I don't want to do different regions and different countries, because I don't think that would be appropriate. I don't have a connection to those countries,' Tucci explains. In fact, it sounds like Tucci doesn't think there should be another Anthony Bourdain at all. Instead, he wants the Tucci in Italy model to be repeated globally – starring figures who are looking to explore their roots, not modern-day adventurers looking to become the Indiana Jones of restaurants. 'I think it would be more interesting to have somebody like me explore those countries in the way that I've done it – and they need to have a connection to those countries. They need to speak the language, and they have to really, really appreciate the food – not just like to eat. 'They have to know food and be willing to explore and ask questions. It's not just about what's delicious – it's about understanding the passion of the people that make it.' The next season of Tucci in Italy may be the final food travel series for Tucci. 'I'm kind of tired,' he says. Tucci is grappling with the fact that, at 64, he's aging. And part of knowing himself now is about knowing how to navigate his limitations. He's doing that by focusing, once again, on food. 'As a person who's getting older, your body is changing all the time – meaning it's getting weaker all the time. You need to know what it is you need to strengthen yourself - to keep yourself strong. Otherwise I'll grow impatient with myself, too.'
