Originally published by Vogue
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 brandGhia—has publishedRiviera: 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 tellsVogue. “The kitchen was always a place of respite. That feeling is what I hope to capture in this book.”
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 inRivierais 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 withVogue.
Prep time: 20 minutes; cook time: 35 minutes
This is often the first cake French children learn to make, using a yogurt pot as their measuring cup. The recipe has been passed down through generations—mix yogurt, sugar, flour, and oil in the same little pot and somehow it works every time. I prefer to use a 5.3-ounce (125 g) yogurt pot here, but it’s easy to scale up if you want to make a larger cake—just use a larger pot to measure all of the ingredients and keep the ratios the same. I’ve updated my grandmother’s recipe with almond flour and a crown of caramelized figs, but the method remains charmingly imprecise.
Unsalted butter, for the pan, plus 2 tablespoons more as needed
4 to 5 ripe fresh figs (any kind will do)
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, as needed
One 5.3-ounce pot (125 g) plain whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One 5.3-ounce yogurt pot (125 ml) olive oil
One 5.3-ounce yogurt pot (125 g) granulated sugar
Two 5.3-ounce yogurt pots (250g) almond flour
Three 5.3-ounce yogurt pots (375g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter a 9-inch round cake pan generously, then line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper too. Cut the figs in half and arrange them cut side up on the parchment. The figs will caramelize as they bake, creating a beautiful pattern on top when you flip the cake. If the figs aren’t perfectly ripe, sprinkle them with brown sugar and a dot of butter to help them along.
Scrape the yogurt into a large bowl, reserving the empty container. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and olive oil and mix them in.
Use the empty yogurt pot to measure the sugar, almond flour, and all-purpose flour and place in a medium bowl. Add the baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.
Gradually fold in the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture until just combined—don’t overmix. Pour the batter over the figs.
Bake until the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge. Lay a serving plate upside down over the cake, then carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Keep the cake covered with a kitchen towel at room temperature—it stays tender for about 2 days, though it rarely lasts that long.
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