Savoring summer with ghia founder mélanie masarin's riviera recipes

As the sun begins to shine brighter and sweaters collect dust, Mélanie Masarin, founder of non-alcoholic apéritif brand Ghia, is here to ignite your taste buds with her latest cookbook, Riviera: Recipes from the Coast of France and Italy.

From lockdown to legacy, masarin's culinary journey

During the 2020 lockdown, Masarin found solace in cooking simple recipes at home, which eventually sparked the idea for her cookbook. 'People kept reaching out about what I was making, and that's really how it began,' she recalls. 'Honestly, the same instinct that started Ghia is what started this book. I wanted gathering to feel easy.'

Riviera is a collection of recipes that Masarin hopes will 'take the intimidation out of cooking.' With dishes ranging from tomato tarte tatin to seared scallops, French minestrone, and more, the cookbook emphasizes the importance of using fresh, seasonal ingredients. 'You really don't need a big, well-stocked pantry,' Masarin assures. '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, a family heirloom recipe that she's updated with almond flour and a crown of caramelized figs. '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,' she explains. 'That's the philosophy of the whole book: Cook with what's in season, and let recipes adapt to your life.'

Below, Masarin shares with Vogue the recipe for her beloved fig and yogurt cake, a dish that embodies the essence of her culinary philosophy: simplicity, seasonality, and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones.