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Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France's Côte d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella
“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 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 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 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.
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 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 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.
327 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2007
About the author
David Shalleck
2 books12 followersI am a chef. I specialize in the western Mediterranean style of cooking. It is a very agreeable way to eat. However, I don’t have a restaurant. But I have worked and cooked in just about every part of the food business.
I have been around the arts and the culinary art for a long time. I have a degree in set and lighting design. My mother is a fine artist, my father was a television director, and my brother designs performance spaces. My “graduate” school-of-life was a five-year and very immersed food-driven work/live sojourn in France and Italy on land and at sea. That experience is featured in my book.
Working in food television was an easy blending of this background. A kitchen in a television or photography studio makes sense to me. You’d be amazed how much goes into cooking food no one will eat! Don’t worry, its taken care of and very little, if any, is wasted. And writing about food whether in prose or a recipe is ironic considering I didn’t do very well in freshman English!
Simplicity with food took a while for me to grasp. Part of the allure is that it’s been around for a very long time. And much of what’s crave-able is a timeless desire. It bodes favorably for well-being and is available to everyone.
For example, take a thick slice of a perfectly ripe red tomato, put a room temperature chunk of real “fior di latte” mozzarella cheese on top, drizzle some supple extra virgin olive oil over, add torn fresh basil, sprinkle some coarse sea salt, and finish with a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. I am sure you’ll agree, just like the perfect bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, this isn’t going out of favor any time soon.
It is very gratifying to choose ingredients-- then slice, dice, sear, sauté, simmer or roast toward the enjoyment of flavor to be shared with others.
The Italians have a famous proverb that says, “at the table, no one gets old.”
This makes me hungry.
I have been around the arts and the culinary art for a long time. I have a degree in set and lighting design. My mother is a fine artist, my father was a television director, and my brother designs performance spaces. My “graduate” school-of-life was a five-year and very immersed food-driven work/live sojourn in France and Italy on land and at sea. That experience is featured in my book.
Working in food television was an easy blending of this background. A kitchen in a television or photography studio makes sense to me. You’d be amazed how much goes into cooking food no one will eat! Don’t worry, its taken care of and very little, if any, is wasted. And writing about food whether in prose or a recipe is ironic considering I didn’t do very well in freshman English!
Simplicity with food took a while for me to grasp. Part of the allure is that it’s been around for a very long time. And much of what’s crave-able is a timeless desire. It bodes favorably for well-being and is available to everyone.
For example, take a thick slice of a perfectly ripe red tomato, put a room temperature chunk of real “fior di latte” mozzarella cheese on top, drizzle some supple extra virgin olive oil over, add torn fresh basil, sprinkle some coarse sea salt, and finish with a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. I am sure you’ll agree, just like the perfect bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, this isn’t going out of favor any time soon.
It is very gratifying to choose ingredients-- then slice, dice, sear, sauté, simmer or roast toward the enjoyment of flavor to be shared with others.
The Italians have a famous proverb that says, “at the table, no one gets old.”
This makes me hungry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
July 17, 2015
Quick review for a read I took my time with over the course of the past several weeks. This was a book recommended to me by my co-worker on a master chef's journey down France and Italy's coastlines while cooking for a well to do Italian couple. David Shalleck's journey started through eyes of a hopeful chef willing to learn all there was in a different country with some degrees of culture shock, but after a few opportunities fell through (not to mention some reality checks in the way of people saying he lacked passion/confidence for his trade), he found his second chance through working for the crew of the Serenity. I'll admit it was fun to watch David's interactions with his crewmates and meeting the challenges of Il Dottore and La Signora.
The attention to place skirted the surface of the crew's respective travels, and there was much in the way of food descriptions with some degree of intimacy and a great knowledge of preparation, though I did have moments where I had to adjust myself through moments because I wasn't familiar with all the cuisines and jargon - that slowed me down in places where it probably would've been a faster read if some moments were a little smoother with transition. The prose does a good job of defining terms as it's going along to make it easier for those unfamiliar with the language and formalities in Italian culture, as well as the expectations of David's respective trade and what challenges he had to meet.
In the end, it was worth the time reading, and I enjoyed it. Definitely a new experience for me as far as cooking literature is concerned. I've read narratives on food preparation and cultural interactions in that vein, but not quite like this one.
Overall score: 4/5 stars.
The attention to place skirted the surface of the crew's respective travels, and there was much in the way of food descriptions with some degree of intimacy and a great knowledge of preparation, though I did have moments where I had to adjust myself through moments because I wasn't familiar with all the cuisines and jargon - that slowed me down in places where it probably would've been a faster read if some moments were a little smoother with transition. The prose does a good job of defining terms as it's going along to make it easier for those unfamiliar with the language and formalities in Italian culture, as well as the expectations of David's respective trade and what challenges he had to meet.
In the end, it was worth the time reading, and I enjoyed it. Definitely a new experience for me as far as cooking literature is concerned. I've read narratives on food preparation and cultural interactions in that vein, but not quite like this one.
Overall score: 4/5 stars.
July 2, 2010
This book was amazing simply because I never expected such a good read.
I picked this book up at the beginning of summer. The cover blurb was something like it was a vacation without leaving home. I admit I was influenced by the front cover. Just looking at the gorgeous blue water and the home situated on a sheer plunge was a vacation in itself.
So it sat beside my bed. I would shuffle past it in my quest for another book to read. I was 'saving' it.
Well let me say that once I opened it I could not put it down. It went from my bedroom to my office, to the livingroom, in the car, in my purse. Every chance I had to read a few pages I was absorbed.
This is not a book about cooking. It is a story of a man's quest to find his place in the world of restaurants, personal cooks and food. In fact, I think it could be called a coming-of-age story about this period in his life. I appreciated his honesty in telling his own shortcomings. He was quite candid in reciting embarrassing moments when his culinary skill was found wanting. I'm sure it would be hard to admit that Alice Waters told you to basically get with the program or find another profession. That was not the only time.
It is a story of sailing, of food, of bonding on a small sailboat with a crew he never knew. It's also a chance to get another view of the super wealthy and the lives they lead. "Il dottore and la signora", whoever they are, fascinate. (It's a little like Mr. and Mrs. X in the Nanny Diaries) He's able to make them real without being mean. By the end of the story you have a grudging respect for them even if you can never justify their way of life.
The cover didn't lie. It is like taking a vacation on the Mediteranean. And if you're hungry after reading it he leaves us with some good recipes.
You won't be disappointed.
I picked this book up at the beginning of summer. The cover blurb was something like it was a vacation without leaving home. I admit I was influenced by the front cover. Just looking at the gorgeous blue water and the home situated on a sheer plunge was a vacation in itself.
So it sat beside my bed. I would shuffle past it in my quest for another book to read. I was 'saving' it.
Well let me say that once I opened it I could not put it down. It went from my bedroom to my office, to the livingroom, in the car, in my purse. Every chance I had to read a few pages I was absorbed.
This is not a book about cooking. It is a story of a man's quest to find his place in the world of restaurants, personal cooks and food. In fact, I think it could be called a coming-of-age story about this period in his life. I appreciated his honesty in telling his own shortcomings. He was quite candid in reciting embarrassing moments when his culinary skill was found wanting. I'm sure it would be hard to admit that Alice Waters told you to basically get with the program or find another profession. That was not the only time.
It is a story of sailing, of food, of bonding on a small sailboat with a crew he never knew. It's also a chance to get another view of the super wealthy and the lives they lead. "Il dottore and la signora", whoever they are, fascinate. (It's a little like Mr. and Mrs. X in the Nanny Diaries) He's able to make them real without being mean. By the end of the story you have a grudging respect for them even if you can never justify their way of life.
The cover didn't lie. It is like taking a vacation on the Mediteranean. And if you're hungry after reading it he leaves us with some good recipes.
You won't be disappointed.
May 2, 2017
I read this book during some chilly, rainy spring days and it provided an escape to a different world through the author's descriptions of his travels throughout Italy and his passion for good food. I don't expect this book to win any awards for superior writing but it was easy to read and gave me a glimpse into what life might be like for the extremely wealthy.
February 3, 2011
As a person who loves cooking and sailing, I was pretty sure this book would be a fun read. I was not disappointed. The story of a young man looking for his identity as a chef, as a human. After bouncing around in several parts of the states, then Europe (particularly Italy) he is hired by a wealth couple to cook on their 100+ foot sailing yacht. He is expected to function as both chef and crew-member. His working quarters are a cramped galley with a less-than-optimum galley stove. His female boss is adamant that the food be fresh, and local in both content and preparation.
It is a unique lens through which to view many things: the coastal areas of southern France and along the Italian coast during the "season", acquisition of local food and what the chef decides to do with it (and how he manages to cook for 100 people out of a tiny galley is pretty impressive!). It is also a story of a young man finding his confidence.
A quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm sure I would not want his summer job for any amount of money! Apparently one stint in the gallery of a luxury yacht was enough for him, too!
It is a unique lens through which to view many things: the coastal areas of southern France and along the Italian coast during the "season", acquisition of local food and what the chef decides to do with it (and how he manages to cook for 100 people out of a tiny galley is pretty impressive!). It is also a story of a young man finding his confidence.
A quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm sure I would not want his summer job for any amount of money! Apparently one stint in the gallery of a luxury yacht was enough for him, too!
March 15, 2020
przyjemne podróżnicze czytadło
fragmenty dot. gotowania i opisy odwiedzanych miejsc = warte uwagi
narzekanie autora plus czołobitność względem próżniaczych bogaczy= lekkie zażenowanie
fragmenty dot. gotowania i opisy odwiedzanych miejsc = warte uwagi
narzekanie autora plus czołobitność względem próżniaczych bogaczy= lekkie zażenowanie
March 28, 2022
Exquisite > Rejuvenating > Peaceful
September 26, 2009
Mediterranean Summer has everything I love in a book- travel, history, and food. Shalleck melds several years of adventures as a chef on a yacht into one summer. Much of his time is spent describing the challenges of cooking in a constantly moving kitchen under the difficult restrictions imposed by la signora, but every now & then you get a glimpse of glorious southern France in the summer.
I blew through the summer in a day due to his easy, approachable writing style and language. He also sets up little bits of suspense- will he be able to pull off a multi-course dinner for 60 with two days' notice? How will he put together another meal with no fresh seafood to be found? Most of his stories show a chef's improvisation that I can only envy.
I did find myself wanting more disasters. Maybe it's ego, but David presented much more triumphant "I can't believe I pulled it together" stories than the crash-and-burn mistakes that make for good food lit. He mentioned a handful of screw-ups, but I found it hard to believe that while cooking for the super-rich and super-demanding there wasn't more drama.
Don't miss the recipes at the end! These are a great addition to the book and saves readers time online trying to hunt them down.
I blew through the summer in a day due to his easy, approachable writing style and language. He also sets up little bits of suspense- will he be able to pull off a multi-course dinner for 60 with two days' notice? How will he put together another meal with no fresh seafood to be found? Most of his stories show a chef's improvisation that I can only envy.
I did find myself wanting more disasters. Maybe it's ego, but David presented much more triumphant "I can't believe I pulled it together" stories than the crash-and-burn mistakes that make for good food lit. He mentioned a handful of screw-ups, but I found it hard to believe that while cooking for the super-rich and super-demanding there wasn't more drama.
Don't miss the recipes at the end! These are a great addition to the book and saves readers time online trying to hunt them down.
March 8, 2023
I have read this book four times now. I’m not kidding.
And I loved it Every. Single. Time. I picked it up.
It’s entertaining, gripping, mouth-watering, drool-worthy; much like Kathleen Kelly is “always in agony over whether Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are going to get together”, I always wonder if David will be able to satisfy the demanding la Signora; if he’ll survive the summer onboard Serenity (and what will happen if he doesn't); and how long it will take before Captain Patrick and Mate Kevin will just come to blows in the tiny fo'c'sle (or maybe in the even smaller galley).
It’s a fantastic book to read in the midst of a Seattle winter, when it’s cold and rainy (or at least overcast) for six months straight and I forget what the sun looks like. It’s an inspiration for my next coastal Europe trip; it makes me want to take a year off and visit deep into Provence, or Florence, or someplace where they know how to really cook and I can sit at their feet, learn, and of course, taste-test.
Pick up a copy; escape for a while; and be challenged in your own cooking. You never know where it will take you.
(On a side note, check what David’s up to on his website: . He’s done all sorts of things since the epic summer on Serenity.)
And I loved it Every. Single. Time. I picked it up.
It’s entertaining, gripping, mouth-watering, drool-worthy; much like Kathleen Kelly is “always in agony over whether Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are going to get together”, I always wonder if David will be able to satisfy the demanding la Signora; if he’ll survive the summer onboard Serenity (and what will happen if he doesn't); and how long it will take before Captain Patrick and Mate Kevin will just come to blows in the tiny fo'c'sle (or maybe in the even smaller galley).
It’s a fantastic book to read in the midst of a Seattle winter, when it’s cold and rainy (or at least overcast) for six months straight and I forget what the sun looks like. It’s an inspiration for my next coastal Europe trip; it makes me want to take a year off and visit deep into Provence, or Florence, or someplace where they know how to really cook and I can sit at their feet, learn, and of course, taste-test.
Pick up a copy; escape for a while; and be challenged in your own cooking. You never know where it will take you.
(On a side note, check what David’s up to on his website: . He’s done all sorts of things since the epic summer on Serenity.)
July 1, 2009
by David Shalleck 2007 325 pages
Having started his cooking career in New York and San Francisco's restaurants, David goes to Europe cooking and interning throughout Provence and Italy. He lands a job on the private yacht of a billionaire Italian family. The Serenity is a $5 million ship with a full crew. He needs to cook a new meal each day using fish and no pasta or meat and local fresh produce. The owners fly in for weekends and the month of August. It was a very interesting read. Several recipes from his cooking experience.
a culinary travel memoir
Having started his cooking career in New York and San Francisco's restaurants, David goes to Europe cooking and interning throughout Provence and Italy. He lands a job on the private yacht of a billionaire Italian family. The Serenity is a $5 million ship with a full crew. He needs to cook a new meal each day using fish and no pasta or meat and local fresh produce. The owners fly in for weekends and the month of August. It was a very interesting read. Several recipes from his cooking experience.
a culinary travel memoir
July 29, 2013
Delicious (in every sense)summer day's read. The Times said (from the cover blurb): "Just put a chef on a yacht on the Riviera and you have a book-sized vacation - an escapist story that comes with recipes and practically generates its own breeze." I couldn't have said it better (or even half so well). David Shalleck doesn't spare us the lows of his career before the success of this particular enterprise. I really liked it and the recipes, detailed and doable, are intriguing.
June 2, 2012
Read it. If you have a passion for travel and food, this is an amazing book to read. The food sounds phenomenal and reaffirms my desire to eat my way through Italy. Although after reading this book, I'd really like to spend August on a yacht in the Mediterranean with a personal chef like David Shalleck.
March 4, 2008
Great memoir about being a chef on an Italian yacht for the summer.
October 30, 2012
Ever wonder what it would be like to be the private chef on a luxury yacht? This book tells you. Warning: You might gain weight simply by reading it.
March 18, 2013
Loved everything about this book. It had something for everyone: travel, food and a taste of life at sea.
June 29, 2020
This is one of my favorite books as it has it all: adventure, travel, food, scenery, and people. I first read it in 2012 following surgery. I kept the book and reread in June 2020 during the pandemic as I so needed to read a feel good book and escape. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book the second time. It is a fascinating and entertaining read --- I was unable to put it down. The author's journey from learning his culinary skills as a roving chef-in- training to managing and coping with cooking 5 star meals for discriminating tastes in a small space and the forethought and organization involved in the task is an amazing, delightful story. American David Shalleck had a dream, a destiny to fulfill, and what is marvelous is his willingness to take on a tough culinary job as chef for a wealthy Italian couple on their 124 ft yacht and his determination to perform his tasks to the utmost. The author take you on a culinary tour of the good food of the Mediterranean, introducing you to unfamiliar seafood dishes and ingredients, and inspiring you to try out some of the recipes in the back and jazz up your own cooking. You tag along as he shops for groceries and see how and why he makes decisions for his selections. You learn the mechanics of sailing and what it takes to sail a yacht and provide luxury service to its owners with high standards and their guests. The reader gains insight to the crew and the teamwork needed. This book reconnected me to my own youthful adventures in the Italian and French Riviera and Sardinia. I found a kindred spirit in Shalleck who pursued his interests and dreams in Italy as I did, had both great adventures and difficult times, met interesting and wonderful people, and saw exquisite scenery on land and from the sea. An excellent book for those wanderlust readers.
June 16, 2018
I finished this today and really enjoyed it...a lot more than I thought I would. I don't know much about this part of the world and sometimes it can be difficult to find a starting place to introduce myself to a new-to-me culture. Like Azuki, I think Shalleck was just perfect for this job, bringing no cultural bias but taking advantage of the unique things to be found in each place they stopped.
However, I DO think he had an epiphany. I think it happened during the conversation with la Signora when she said, "to be Italian is to be yourself." I think he realized he would only find peace in his calling when he decided to be proud and secure in his talent and accomplishments.
Shelleck came across as a very humble person who was genuinely interested in learning professionally from those more experienced than him. There were so many inspiring food ideas---there are a couple on my menu this week! I considered keeping the book just for the recipes in the back but then I decided I'd better share it so I just copied them all. Ha! I was super thankful that words and phrases were translated. The book I read before this was full of long French phrases with no translation---a book targeted at Americans, no less!
The ship owners seemed very selfish and arrogant. I can't imagine working for another person, but especially not in a service job like this. They seemed to be such a self-centered couple. Shalleck was more than gracious in the way he spoke about them, but it was easy to read between the lines.
Ultimately, this was a really great travel memoir and I'm inspired to read more about France and Italy---and to do more cooking!
However, I DO think he had an epiphany. I think it happened during the conversation with la Signora when she said, "to be Italian is to be yourself." I think he realized he would only find peace in his calling when he decided to be proud and secure in his talent and accomplishments.
Shelleck came across as a very humble person who was genuinely interested in learning professionally from those more experienced than him. There were so many inspiring food ideas---there are a couple on my menu this week! I considered keeping the book just for the recipes in the back but then I decided I'd better share it so I just copied them all. Ha! I was super thankful that words and phrases were translated. The book I read before this was full of long French phrases with no translation---a book targeted at Americans, no less!
The ship owners seemed very selfish and arrogant. I can't imagine working for another person, but especially not in a service job like this. They seemed to be such a self-centered couple. Shalleck was more than gracious in the way he spoke about them, but it was easy to read between the lines.
Ultimately, this was a really great travel memoir and I'm inspired to read more about France and Italy---and to do more cooking!
May 15, 2023
I purchased this book some time ago, but picked it up this year. For the last few weeks, I've hesitated knowing my next reading would finish the book. I definitely had an end-of-book dread. This book has been a pleasure to read. I've enjoyed every page describing the adventures of a starting chef through the validation process of his career.
The book records the pleasures and hardships of living on a mega-yacht and serving employers that were perfectionists and had the means to pay for it. Many challenges were faced and the stories tell of most of them ending above the requirements. The author's voice is friendly and you will soon be thinking of David Shalleck as a friend. I love to travel and I love to dine and I love to cook. This book has been a total delight, satisfying all my enjoyments. No need to try to make a list of recipes as you read the book, as the author has kindly included them all. The cuisine was Mediterranean Italian and I ventured further into this cuisine than I've been before and have loved every bit. I will continue eating Mediterranean style as much as possible through my life. I have and will try some of David's recipes and have created some of my own with his influence.
The book records the pleasures and hardships of living on a mega-yacht and serving employers that were perfectionists and had the means to pay for it. Many challenges were faced and the stories tell of most of them ending above the requirements. The author's voice is friendly and you will soon be thinking of David Shalleck as a friend. I love to travel and I love to dine and I love to cook. This book has been a total delight, satisfying all my enjoyments. No need to try to make a list of recipes as you read the book, as the author has kindly included them all. The cuisine was Mediterranean Italian and I ventured further into this cuisine than I've been before and have loved every bit. I will continue eating Mediterranean style as much as possible through my life. I have and will try some of David's recipes and have created some of my own with his influence.
August 14, 2019
**3.5 stars
This was a much needed selection to pull me out of my nonfiction slump ... this is the kind of readable nonfiction I love: featuring glorious landscapes and locations to populate my daydreams, and enough food talk that it makes me a little hungry.
The 'story' is such a unique one - being a private chef to the super rich on an uber-luxury yacht for a summer. In the Mediterranean. Totally not something I will ever find myself doing, but a supremely interesting read. It was a little slow-going until we made it to the yacht, but then it got interesting. So interesting, that it has made me think that perhaps some private yachting on the Med should be penciled into my future - and I am NOT a boat girl. At all. That should tell you something ...
This was a much needed selection to pull me out of my nonfiction slump ... this is the kind of readable nonfiction I love: featuring glorious landscapes and locations to populate my daydreams, and enough food talk that it makes me a little hungry.
The 'story' is such a unique one - being a private chef to the super rich on an uber-luxury yacht for a summer. In the Mediterranean. Totally not something I will ever find myself doing, but a supremely interesting read. It was a little slow-going until we made it to the yacht, but then it got interesting. So interesting, that it has made me think that perhaps some private yachting on the Med should be penciled into my future - and I am NOT a boat girl. At all. That should tell you something ...
July 6, 2017
A memoir---all about chef, David Shalleck, on a yacht touring Italy for 3 months and the logistical difficulties that presents especially when the $$$ la Signaora requests that a meal is never repeated and is created only from the local foods (fresh) of each port. Plus, he could serve from 2-200 with only a moments notice.
Quite a feat.
Quite a feat.
January 4, 2019
This is a terrific travel / food hybrid - the real story of a Chef who cooks on a luxury Yacht on the French Riviera, documenting his adventures and of course, recipes, including the legendary "Fish In Crazy Water!' - https://johnrieber.com/2019/01/04/coo...
March 25, 2022
I was hoping this book would make me feel as if I was in the Mediterranean, but alas it’s a bit dry and suffocating. Like cooking for 100 in a galley kitchen in the summer heat. One star for fantasy because I really can’t see how this chef got so many opportunities when it seems his heart was not in cuisine.
September 11, 2017
The food and view into the lifestyle of the ultrarich were interesting, but each part left me wanting a little more...more scenery, more boating, more interactions among crew. I felt like it was a summary more than a story.
October 3, 2017
I would have lasted 30 seconds with the wealthy boat owners that chef David had to deal with. Having visited Italy a number of times, I enjoyed sailing with David. I wish I could have enjoyed some of his meals. But I don't think the ultra rich have me in their radar.
October 8, 2017
This was a fun book to read, and I loved all the beautiful places the crew visits in the story. Maybe it's due to this being a true story, but it wasn't always the most thrilling or interesting plot. It's a book written by a chef, and that's pretty much what it felt like to read.
September 30, 2018
If you have ever luxuriated in the coté d’ Azur of France and/or dreamed of sailing on a beautiful sailboat/yacht and, just for making the fantasy come true, had at your disposal a talented chef..this book is for you.
April 19, 2019
I wanted to like this more, since I’ve recently traveled to several of these areas.I love the descriptions of the scenery and the food. But plot was lacking it in my opinion. Only got about halfway through it so maybe it gets better later.
January 18, 2021
This was a great "summer" read. A fun blend of food writing and behind the scenes insights to the world of super yachts. Fans of Below Deck will definitely enjoy this. The recipes provided at the end of the book were an exciting surprise and I definitely plan to make a couple of them.
August 13, 2022
Want to feel like you are floating around in a yacht off the coast of Italy or France instead of doing laundry and cooking dinner for your kids? Then, by all means dissolve into this book every evening and feel like you are on the most wonderful trip in the world!
December 18, 2016
Nice book - allows to peek into life of sail yacht crews, chefs and cooks, and super-rich people. All in one bottle, augmented with descriptions of beautiful vistas and delicious things. :)
November 14, 2018
Great book if you like food and the area described. I have visited both the Cote d'Azur and Italy. So this book brought back fond memories.
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