Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France's Cote d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

David Shalleck (Author), Erol Munuz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2007

“Saturday was dawning warm, with only a gentle wind under a light blue sky as we got under way. . . . With the motor cut out, I could hear the whispered splash of the sea against the hull as we knifed through the Mediterranean. The calming noise, along with the gentle rocking, lulled me into a Zen calm as I went about preparing the crew’s lunch. . . . By keeping just a couple of miles offshore, we had some beautiful sights to our starboard side: the harbor towns of La Napoule and quaint Théoule-sur-Mer, . . . the sensational coastline of the Corniche de l’Estérel. . . . All of this I could see through the porthole in the galley. . . . Italy was only a week away.”
La Dolce Vita at sea. . .

An alluring, evocative summer voyage on the Mediterranean and into the enchanting seaside towns of France’s Cote d’Azur and Italy’s Costa Bella by a young American chef aboard an Italian billionaire couple’s spectacular yacht.

Having begun his cooking career in some of New York’s and San Francisco’s best restaurants, David Shalleck undertakes a European culinary adventure, a quest to discover what it really means to be a chef through a series of demanding internships in Provence and throughout Italy. After four years, as he debates whether it is finally time to return stateside and pursue something more permanent, he stumbles on a rare opportunity: to become the chef on board Serenity, the classic sailing yacht owned by one of Italy’s most prominent couples. They present Shalleck with the ultimate challenge: to prepare all the meals for them and their guests for the summer, with no repeats, comprised exclusively of local ingredients that reflect the flavors of each port, presented flawlessly to the couple’s uncompromising taste— all from the confines of the yacht’s galley while at sea.

Serenity’s five-month journey starts on the French Riviera, continues along Italy’s western coast to Amalfi, crosses the Tyrrhenian Sea to Sardinia, up to Corsica, and back to St. Tropez for the season-ending regatta. Shalleck captures the glittery Riviera social scene, the distinctive sights and sounds of the unique ports along the way, the work hard/play hard life of being a crew member, and the challenges of producing world-class cuisine for the stylish and demanding owners and their guests. An intimate view of the most exclusive of worlds, Mediterranean Summer offers readers a new perspective on breathtaking places, a memorable portrait of old world elegance and life at sea, as well recipes and tips to recreate the delectable food.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After commencing a successful career running kitchens in great New York and San Francisco restaurants, Chef Shalleck takes on a summertime challenge: cooking for a superrich Italian couple aboard their yacht, Serenity. Once aboard the elegant boat, Shalleck must lend a hand wherever needed, taking his turn on the watch and becoming as skilled at furling sails as at slicing foie gras. This luxurious yacht starts the season in Antibes and calls at ports up and down the French and Italian coasts. Shalleck puts every bit of his culinary skills to the test, preparing everything from midnight snacks to dinner parties for 100 or more, all from the yacht's tiny galley. He has to satisfy the owners' uncompromising demands for elegance as well as feed the crew and cater huge shipboard parties. Shalleck's tales of cooking in heavy seas provide both high drama and low humor. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Praise for Mediterranean Summer

“Sailing the Mediterranean in summer is the stuff of dreams. And in the company of a chef who plies the bounteous markets and creates food for the gods, this is indeed a heady journey. For the reader, the luscious meals and the ports of call are seductive; for the chef, the summer aboard the luxurious yacht is also a coming-of-age experience, when hard-won accolades and daunting challenges change him into the person he wants to be. A perfect book for the vacation flight to some paradise.” —Frances Mayes

“David has captured the life of a chef in an adventurous way….You will fall in love with the exotic places, fascinating people, and old-world cuisine that is true magic.” —Cat Cora, executive chef, Bon Appétit

“Although David did not choose the typical path to becoming a chef, he gives a very honest account of the thoughts and emotions—elation, happiness, dejection, passion, and moments of inspiration—that all cooks go through. It was completely absorbing.” —Thomas Keller, The French Laundry

“Fast-paced, fascinating, and well-written, this wonderful adventure at sea captures David's quest for the ultimate ingredients along the Mediterranean coast, the total immersion of this young American cook in the French, and particularly, the Italian cultures and, finally, the birth of a talented chef. Bravo!” —Jacques Pépin

“Just put a chef on a yacht on the Riviera and you have a 327-page book-sized vacation….Whether he is out buying vegetables at dawn, worrying about why the fish on ice have cloudy eyes or catering to the wishes of his employers known as La Signora and Il Dottore, Mr. Shalleck (with his co-writer, Erol Munuz) tells an escapist story that comes with recipes and practically generates it’s own breeze.” — New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 327 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (May 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767920481
• ISBN-13: 978-0767920483
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #391,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chef David Shalleck is the founder of VOLOCHEF® Culinary Solutions, offering specialized services to the hospitality and media industries as well as private dining for special occasions and hosted events. He is the author of acclaimed culinary travel memoir, Mediterranean Summer published by Broadway Books, and has cooked for over two decades in noted restaurants, wineries, and yachts in New York, San Francisco, the Napa Valley, London, Provence, on the Mediterranean, and throughout many of Italy's famous regions. As a television culinary producer, he has worked on over 250 shows alongside some of America's most celebrated chefs. His recipe, food styling, menu, and food product development clients include production companies, publishers, restaurant operators, and many national brands.

www.volochef.com
www.mediterraneansummer.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully appetizing, May 22, 2007

By 

Mark Bonchek (Concord, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France's Cote d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella (Hardcover)

Great books are like great meals. Each page, like each bite, is an opportunity to savor the moment and anticipate the next. I never would have thought that a book about food could be such a page turner, but thanks to a talented chef and a talented writer, I found myself drawn into the drama unfolding above and below the deck of an Italian billionaire's yacht. The dishes described in such mouth-watering detail are both amusing ("Halibut in Crazy Water") and alluring ("Chocolate Capri Cake"). If you want to awaken your senses on an escapist adventure, treat yourself to Mediterranean Summer.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Summer Read, May 25, 2007

By 

Mary Wright (Alexandria, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France's Cote d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella (Hardcover)

The authors (David Shalleck and Erol Munuz) do a terrific job of telling a page-turning, beautifully written story. I really felt I was right next to David on every step of his adventure. For those who appreciate travel, fine food, and compelling story, Mediterranean Summer offers the perfect summer read. For me, the combination of travel to some of my favorite destinations and some of my favorite cuisines is irresistible. It is a wonderful chronicle of a chef's coming of age aboard a beautiful yacht run by exacting owners. The book moves quickly and I found myself completely immersed as David moves from one challenging moment to the next. Sit back and enjoy with a strong coffee or glass of prosecco! Cheers! Mary Wright

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delight of summer, sun, Euro-scenery, and shipboard cuisine, May 29, 2007

By 

John Butman (Bailey Island, Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France's Cote d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella (Hardcover)

This book brings you into the life of a young American, David Shalleck, who spends an idyllic (if often exasperating) summer as the chef of a sailing yacht owned by a wealthy Italian couple. The owners helicopter in, often with family and many friends in tow, and David prepares extraordinary meals for them, concocted with ingredients bought fresh from the local markets. David and his co-author Erol Munuz surround us with the appealing sights, sounds, and aromas of sailing, cooking, and the fabulous ports of the European coast. An enjoyable and memorable read.