FIG & OLIVE, The Cookbook

Need a great gift idea for the home cook in your life? Fig & Olive’s founder and owner Laurent Halasz just launched the first-ever cookbook, "Fig & Olive, The Cuisine of the French Riviera" ($50) in collaboration with Assouline.

The beautiful illustrated book explores the Mediterranean table as seen through the eyes of Halasz who was raised in the South of France and developed a passion for seasonal ingredients and olive oil as he and his mother Francine, frequented local markets. It features more than sixty simple recipes, including the restaurant’s signature Zucchini Carpaccio, Fig & Gorgonzola Tart, Whole Branzino with Rosemary, and Green Apple and Olive Oil Sorbet, accompanied by stunning photographs set against the provençal landscape of Mougins.

“The best cooking is like my mother’s: simple, fresh, flavorful, and colorful on the plate and on one’s palate,” Halasz said. “Similar to an evening at our home in Mougins, we hope readers enjoy these recipes with their family and friends, and use them, just like my family has enjoyed for years, to gather with loved ones around the table.”

 Halasz shares his passion for olive oil and the cuisine of the South of France with insider’s tips, from simple techniques and seasonal ingredients to pairing the right olive oils with each dish. Recommendations range from a fruity and delicate varietal from Château Léoube in Provence; a green fruit and herbal olive oil from Marqués de Griñon, Spain; or a peppery Tuscan olive oil from the Mugelli family

"Fig & Olive: Cuisine of The French Riviera" is available for purchase at Assouline South Coast Plaza and at Fig & Olive at Fashion Island and through assouline.com.

Fig & Olive is at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. 949.877.3005.