A NEW YORK TIMES SUMMER READING PICK

“Just put a chef on a yacht on the Riviera and you have a 327-page book-sized vacation... an escapist story that comes with recipes and practically generates its own sea breeze.” 
—The New York Times Book Review

“Engrossing.” 
—Bon Appétit

“Food and travel porn at its most addictive.” 
—San Francisco Examiner

“He tells his story and manages not only to survive, but to thrive...chastened but wiser— and as a true chef.” 
—Pittsburgh Tribune

“Once you've salivated over the food described in the book, you'll be rewarded by a nice collection of recipes.”
—Chow.com

“Like Heat, Down and Out in Paris and London, and Kitchen Confidential, David's prose in this picaresque tale is filled with sage cooking advice, travel anecdotes, and, most important, a young and vibrant voice chronicling the world from a delicious new perspective... a joy to read for both style and content.”
—Mario Batali

“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, author of Under Magnolia and Under the Tuscan Sun

“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

“David 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 while being transported to the wonderful lifestyle and coastline of the Mediterranean.”
—Thomas Keller, The French Laundry

“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

“A diverting page turner.” 
—David Lebovitz , author of My Paris Kitchen and The Sweet Life in Paris

“A clever summer adventure tale.”
—Kirkus Reviews