Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France's Cote d'Azur and Italy's Costa Bella

A perfect read for those who love to cook, travel, and experience the cuisines of the world! What an extraordinary adventure.

Here are the totally engrossing true adventures of a young American who is engaged by a very wealthy Italian couple, to be the chef on their newly refitted luxury sailing yacht, 'Serenity'. The sounds, sights, delectable aromas and glamour of this Mediterranean summer leaps from each page. We experience with chef David,(or Daveed as la Signora the mistress of the yacht calls him when angry), the high and low moments of his very demanding job. There are laughs aplenty in this new book and plenty of material for daydreaming after the last page has been read.

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.

The imagery in this book will make you feel as though you are on the yacht with David, the owners, and the crew. It's a wonderful escape to take from your everyday life. Each time I put this book down I wondered what meal the chef would create next from ingredients he foraged at the local markets. Erol and David have given us a book that truly allows the reader to take the journey of a cook becoming a chef, and more importantly, learning to cook from the heart.

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

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.