Name: Melanie Masarin

Instagram: @melaniemasarin

Job description: Founder + CEO, Ghia

Eat this for (good skin, healthy gut, etc): 

Maybe more like don’t eat this - everything changed in my life once I cut out booze!

Where do you find recipe inspo? At the market! I just go and get what’s beautiful and in season and create a meal around that. I follow a lot of chefs on instagram, and read Bon Appetit religiously, in print. I always get so excited when it comes in my mailbox. With that, I read about new techniques, but rarely follow recipes along. I just mix and match based on my cravings and the seasons. 

Top 3 Instagram accounts for inspiration: @taksekin @rosie_assoulin @clare.deboer

Dream dinner guest to cook for: Oprah and Martha Stewart, ideally together.

Favorite skin food ingredient and why: Fatty fish, and eat the skin! I have tried to reduce my consumption of animal protein to 2-3 times a week at most. Limiting fish to really good, wild-caught fish from a trusted source (I swear by Mayday in LA) will do wonders for your diet. 

 Must-have cookbook: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Go-to quick, healthy meal: For when I’m really in a rush, usually around lunchtime. I’ll cut a couple zucchinis into cubes, and sautee them in olive oil with mint, chili flakes, garlic, a touch of Fly by Jing chili oil. I always keep pickled Rye Bread on hand and it serves as the best tartine for my protein - beans on Rye, egg salad on Rye, or basically any leftover on aioli and Rye. It all sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

Skincare mantra: Less is more! Especially when it comes to Sun ;)

 Recipe: 

I drink Ghia every night - I know it sounds crazy, but I'm not sick of it yet. The mint in my garden has been growing so much and I’ve learned to incorporate it into so many things I eat, including this recipe. 

Ingredients:

Mint

Lime

Ghia

Sparkling water (I like Topo Chico)

Ice

Crush the mint in a shaker or mortar and pestle. Add a squeeze of lime and 2oz of Ghia, shake with the ice and pour into a glass before adding 2oz of the sparkling water of your choice. Add fresh mint for garnish. Shown here in a german wine glass and edible flowers just to be a little extra.