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Mediterranean summer: a season on France's Côte d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella

by David Shalleck

Other authors: Erol Munuz

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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1443188,433 (3.82)2
Biography & Autobiography. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML:

An alluring, evocative summer voyage on the Mediterranean and into the enchanting seaside towns of France and Italy by a young American chef aboard an Italian billionaire coupleâ??s spectacular sailing yacht.

Having begun his cooking career in some of New Yorkâ??s and San Franciscoâ??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 upon a rare opportunity: to become the chef on board Serenity, the classic sailing yacht owned by one of Italyâ??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 coupleâ??s uncompromising tasteâ??all from the confines of the yachtâ??s small galley while at sea.
 
Shalleck invites readers to experience both place and food on Serenityâ??s five-month journey. He prepares the simple classics of Provençal cooking in the French Riviera, forages for delicate frutti di mare in Liguria to make crudo, finds the freshest fish along the Tuscan coast for cacciucco, embraces the season of sun-drenched tomatoes for acqua pazza in the Amalfi Coast, and crosses the Bay of Naples to serve decadent dark chocolate-almond cake at the Isle of Capri. Shalleck captures the distinctive sights, sounds, and unique character of each port, 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 re-create
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» See also 2 mentions

Showing 3 of 3
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!
( )
  classyhomemaker | Dec 11, 2023 |
Baked Crêpes with the Don's Filling, p.299; very good.
Fresh Tomato Sauce, p.280, that's tomato sauce.
  DromJohn | May 27, 2018 |
Good summer read for those into travel and/or food. Shalleck and his co-author do a fine job explaining the upsides and downsides of the chef's life onboard a yacht. (Pro: seeing the beautiful architecture and lovely waters as you sail around the Mediterranean. Con: having to produce locally- and seasonally-appropriate, never-repeating dishes from limited supplies in limited space for the demanding ultrarich.) Since this book condenses a few years into one summer, the narrative can feel a little too much on-the-nose at times; for example, just when you start worrying about the captain's relationship with his crew, along comes a storm to show just how good he can be under the right circumstances. I also wish there were photos to go along with the descriptions of the various places, since my imagination only goes so far. Still, this was a journey worth taking, especially since most of us can't afford to take such a trip for real. ( )
  simchaboston | Aug 24, 2015 |
Showing 3 of 3
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
David Shalleckprimary authorall editionscalculated
Munuz, Erolsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Batali, MarioForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Biography & Autobiography. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML:

An alluring, evocative summer voyage on the Mediterranean and into the enchanting seaside towns of France and Italy by a young American chef aboard an Italian billionaire coupleâ??s spectacular sailing yacht.

Having begun his cooking career in some of New Yorkâ??s and San Franciscoâ??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 upon a rare opportunity: to become the chef on board Serenity, the classic sailing yacht owned by one of Italyâ??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 coupleâ??s uncompromising tasteâ??all from the confines of the yachtâ??s small galley while at sea.
 
Shalleck invites readers to experience both place and food on Serenityâ??s five-month journey. He prepares the simple classics of Provençal cooking in the French Riviera, forages for delicate frutti di mare in Liguria to make crudo, finds the freshest fish along the Tuscan coast for cacciucco, embraces the season of sun-drenched tomatoes for acqua pazza in the Amalfi Coast, and crosses the Bay of Naples to serve decadent dark chocolate-almond cake at the Isle of Capri. Shalleck captures the distinctive sights, sounds, and unique character of each port, 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 re-create

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