The sun is coming out, the sweaters have been (mostly) packed away, and the spritzes are starting to flow: Summer is on its way.
We’re dreaming of days spent basking in the sun; diving into cold, clear waters; luxuriating in a good book; and finishing the day off with a glass (or two) of wine and a dinner made with fresh, bright ingredients. Just in time to fulfill all our Mediterranean summer dreams, Mélanie Masarin—the founder of the non-alcoholic apéritif brand Ghia—has published Riviera: Recipes from the Coast of France and Italy. Like Ghia, Masarin drew inspiration for the book from her childhood in France, and particularly the cherished time she spent with her grandmother in the kitchen.
“I’m lucky to come from a family that cooked a lot, so I never felt stressed in the kitchen. We had an open-door policy, neighbors and friends were always coming and going, and always offered something to eat or drink,” Masarin tells Vogue. “The kitchen was always a place of respite. That feeling is what I hope to capture in this book.”
Photo: Courtesy of Mélanie Masarin
Photo: Hugh Davison
Masarin first had the idea for the book back in 2020, when she found herself cooking simple recipes at home during lockdown, and coaching her friends through how to make them. “People kept reaching out about what I was making, and that’s really how it began,” she says, adding: “Honestly, the same instinct that started Ghia is what started this book. I wanted gathering to feel easy.”
The result is a cookbook that Masarin hopes will “take the intimidation out of cooking,” with recipes like tomato tarte tatin, seared scallops, French minestrone, and more. “You really don’t need a big, well-stocked pantry,” she says. “Most of these recipes come down to good olive oil, flaky salt, fresh herbs, garlic, and a good attitude.”
One of Masarin’s favorite recipes in the book is for fig and yogurt cake. “The version in Riviera is a riff on the cake my grandmother used to make in my childhood, which was really a glorified pound cake… The cake itself comes out tender and slightly tangy from the yogurt, and the figs do all the work of making it feel like something more.” But, she clarifies, you can also use citrus, frozen raspberries, quince, or truly whatever you have. “That’s the philosophy of the whole book: Cook with what’s in season, and let recipes adapt to your life.” Below, Masarin shares the recipe with Vogue.
