Table Talk for July 31, 2008

• By TOMMY SIMMONS
• Published: Jul 31, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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I’m a summer reading optimist. When I pack for vacation, I tuck in three books that I expect to finish during the week’s break from work.

It’s folly to think I’ll make it through three books. I’m lucky to complete even one, what with sand, surf, bicycling, kayaking, crabbing, fishing, horseback riding, swimming and playing with grandchildren calling for attention and time. However, I did finish one paperback during our stay at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

The book, “Mediterranean Summer: A Season on France’s Cote D’Azur & Italy’s Costa Bella” by David Shalleck with Erol Munuz, was perfect vacation reading. The story told of Shalleck’s culinary adventure working through a series of internships in Provence and Italy for four years before signing on to work as a summer season chef onboard a private yacht sailing the Mediterranean.

The yacht, owned by one of Italy’s most prominent couples, is their weekend entertaining venue during the summer and their home for the month of August. During the season, the owners entertain lavishly, sometimes having 200 guests aboard to watch auto and yacht races in Monte Carlo.

The young chef is presented with the challenge of preparing all the meals for the owners, guests and crew without repeating a single menu, and all the meals must be made with ingredients from the local ports of call where the yacht is moored. The owners expect flawless cuisine and service, and how Shalleck accomplishes this from a tiny galley kitchen is interesting and informative.

The book honestly depicts the work of a chef, which while creative is physically demanding. The job requires the ability to focus on detail and organizational skill that I had never thought about before. It also accurately portrays the relationship between the owners and chef, which is respectful and formal, not casually friendly or intimate.

The story reinforced my respect for professional chefs and cooks. They work hard to prepare and present every meal and still manage to bring their love of the culinary art to the table even when presenting something as simple as a bowl of herb-marinated olives accompanied by crisp toasts.

The book also offers a view of beautiful scenery and makes the reader want to visit these lovely ports of call on the French and Italian Mediterranean coasts. Shalleck, ever attentive to detail, shares several recipes for the meals he prepared on  the yacht that summer as well as tips on cooking and preparation.

If, like me, you are interested in cooking and re-creating a sense of place in your cooking and entertaining, find this book. It’s both a satisfying and entertaining read. The book is published by Broadway Books.

I can’t pass up the opportunity to talk about a few of the places we ate while vacationing at Hilton Head Island. Since we were celebrating our son Dave’s birthday, we looked for a bakery where we could get a birthday cake and found a local bakery, Signe’s Heaven Bound Bakery & Café, which has been in business on Hilton Head for more than 36 years. We picked up a Piña Colada Cake, which was a yellow cake layered with a rum and coconut milk infused pineapple icing, cost $17.95; a couple of Mud Dauber cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes filled with candied pecans and covered with milk chocolate ganache, cost $3.50 each; a slice of Tomato Tart and a dozen assorted cookies. We heated the Tomato Tart for breakfast the next day and polished off the cookies in less than 24 hours. Everything was fresh tasting. The pastries were not overly sweet, and the Tomato Tart was flaky and delicious. One serving note: we thought the cake was much better tasting served at room temperature rather than right from the refrigerator. Signe’s is located at 93 Arrow Road in Hilton Head. The phone number is (843) 785-9118; the Web site is
http://www.signesbakery.com.

We also ate seafood at The Black Marlin Bayside Grill, an attractive, busy restaurant overlooking the Palmetto Bay Marina. We had four children with us, and the wait staff was accommodating and prompt, important considerations when dining with children. I thought my fish was the best, which was a broiled trigger fish, though my husband liked his grouper, and son Dave said his flounder was also fresh. There are lots of seafood choices; prices are moderate, with entrees generally priced in the $18 to $22 range. We recommend the Sushi Nachos for a starter. Priced at $7, the nachos were constructed of seared tuna, drizzled with a soy chile vinaigrette and served with sliced avocado, pickled ginger and a smear of wasabi aioli on top of a crispy wonton. Dine early enough to allow time for the kids to wander the marina dock after dinner. There are young dolphins that roam the waters around the dock and seem to love entertaining the kids. The phone number is (843) 785-4950, and the Web site is http://www.blackmarlinbaysidegrill.com.

On another night, our sons and their wives had dinner at Red Fish, located at 8 Archer Road on Hilton Head Island. They described the restaurant as contemporary and having a good selection of wines to accompany the fish. They all praised the restaurant’s fish and were particularly complimentary of the Chilean Sea Bass. Prices were in the $24 to $32 range for entrees. Phone is (843) 686-3388, and their Web site is http://www.redfishofhiltonhead.com.

We ate pizza, which is always a hit with kids, a couple of nights. Both pizzas we sampled were good. One was sold at a pizza stand situated in the Salty Dog Marina café, shop and dock complex at South Beach, and I didn’t get the name of the stand, but it’s easy to locate in the center. The other was Giuseppi’s Pizza in Sea Pines located at 71 Lighthouse Road #210 in Hilton Head. The kids ordered the cheese pizza, which cost $12.50 for a 16-inch, and the adults shared a special pizza (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers and black olives), cost $19 for the 16-inch size. We also ordered Greek salads, $6.25 each, and a side of spaghetti with marinara sauce for $7.50. Everything we tried was tasty, and we ate it all. This is a small restaurant, but tables are placed outside, too, and are a preferable seating for families with small children. The bill for our hungry party of 10 came to less than $80. The phone number is (843) 671-5133.