Le Sud: Rebekah Peppler on Recipes From The South of France

Last Updated:

8/9/2024

In her latest cookbook, Le Sud, Rebekah Peppler invites readers into the heart of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. This southeastern part of France, bordered by Occitanie to the west, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to the north, Italy to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, with Marseille as its vibrant capital, comes to life through Peppler’s words and recipes.

Living in Montmartre, Paris, Peppler wears many hats as a writer, food stylist, and culinary school graduate originally from Wisconsin. Since 2015, she has immersed herself in French culture, exploring the country’s cuisine and infusing her work with her own experiences. Her previous books, À Table and Apéritif, examine Parisian lifestyle and culture through the lens of food and drink. Her new publication broadens this exploration.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Rebekah just before she headed to the South (where else?) for a holiday. She shared insights into her creative process, her favorite recipes, and the unique charm of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur that inspired her to dedicate an entire book to the region.

Light, Landscape and Sunny Flavors

Peppler’s affection for Le Sud is clear, and it’s a sentiment shared by many Parisians who often express their frustration with the capital’s perennial greyness. Despite her busy schedule of interviews and upcoming book tour, her enthusiasm for the south is infectious. When I asked what about the South inspired her to write the book, she was effusive: “The light, the landscape, and the flavors of Provence are unlike any other place. It’s a region that captures the heart and the palate. I started to go in August during the mass exodus [of Parisians to the South] and fell in love with the food and the lifestyle.”

The cover of Le Sud and a spread of nibles next to a swimming pool

Beyond lavender fields and endless vacations

Her frequent visits to the region deepened the connection: “Friends moved to the south, opened restaurants and hotels, and I visited in different seasons. I started to appreciate the beauty and breadth that is Le Sud”. Peppler’s aim to represent Le Sud beyond the typical summer “extravaganza” is clear from the outset. In her book’s introduction, she reminds readers that Le Sud ‘isn’t solely a fantasyland of wine and lavender and endless vacation. It’s a real place, with real people and four seasons.’ This point resonates amid the ongoing conversations about overtourism in France and Europe, where visitors are encouraged to explore places like Marseille during off-seasons to prevent putting pressure on communities.

Capturing all that Le Sud has to offer necessitated extensive research and dedication. Peppler’s approach to the book was methodical. “Because I have a journalist background, the book is research-driven and involves working with locals”, she explains. She and her partner, – who also served as the book’s researcher – “went on a huge bunch of trips and met lots of people.” These encounters with local producers and artisans significantly shaped many of the book’s recipes. Peppler recounts a charming anecdote about cooks in Menton who regularly cross the French-Italian border to shop at the market in Ventimiglia, illustrating the cross-cultural influence on their cuisine. Following their example, Peppler once ventured across the border herself, only to be so captivated by the market’s bounty that she forgot to buy basil for pesto, leading to an impromptu—and delicious —substitution using leftover radish leaves.

Culinary Diversity

Le Sud’s acknowledgments section is a tribute to the many producers with whom Peppler met and collaborated. Her experiences ranged from discovering winemakers producing “excellent wine that is not rosé” (a curated list of which is included in the book) to engaging in what she describes as extensive “conversations about trout.” These interactions, Peppler notes, allowed her to “understand the region in a larger capacity.”

Indeed, as the book illustrates, cuisine in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is highly diverse, not a homogeneous entity. Peppler points out regional specifics, such as how “serving bouillabaisse inland would be unheard of.” This notion of culinary diversity is emphasized in the book’s introduction, where she describes the region’s varied landscape: ‘…vineyards, olive groves, pine forests, lavender fields, the Camargue plains and marshes, rivers, and the Mediterranean seaside.’ She talks about how influences from Mediterranean and African countries were absorbed, ‘via modern trade and travel, colonization, migration, and exile.’

Simplicity at its best: local ingredients and simple preparations

Despite this diversity, Peppler notes that what unifies the region’s cuisine is its focus on using the best, freshest ingredients to create dishes that “feed the soul” rather than relying on intricate recipes. “Most of the dishes [in Le Sud] aren’t very long or complicated. They don’t follow the trope that cooking is mastering sauces and knife skills,” Peppler explains. She cites aioli as an example: “There’s a lot of aioli in the book. You can serve it with poached fish… there’s lots of different ways to incorporate this into the dish. It’s not super technique-heavy, just have patience.”

Even the tarte tropézienne (a pillowy brioche with a creamy custard filling and dotted with crunchy pearl sugar), which Peppler acknowledges as the longest recipe in the book, is designed to be approachable. “You have to make brioche and crème pâtissière, but it’s broken down into stages, so it doesn’t feel like you’ve been in the kitchen all day.”

Rebekah Peppler sat on stones next to the sea cutting melons and a plate of fish, fries and aioli.

Le Sud: Essential Ingredients

Her essential ingredients for Southern French cooking? “Olives, garlic, figs, tomatoes, and herbes de Provence and an assortment of olives. Salt!” she exclaims. “There’s also lemons, which you can preserve and that can be translated to pantry item.” Her recipes are a tasty blend of tradition—think ratatouille and panisse—and playful innovation, such as the aforementioned radish pesto and pastis chicken. She describes one dish with particular enthusiasm: “The pink peppercorn chèvre I sampled in a market in Antibes. So special and simple and really encapsulates what you want to eat when you’re having a picnic on the beach in the south of France.”

Her approach is unpretentious: “I’m not writing a recipe book classifying how all of the dishes are made historically. I wanted to find a balance between what I’ve seen and eaten recently and traditional dishes.” Her favorite creation? Greens with tomato vinaigrette, which she believes “imbues the salad with this fresh vegetal depth. It goes very well with the pissaladière.” The result is a collection of approachable recipes that easily complement one another.

A Most Personal Exploration

Le Sud marks a significant evolution for Peppler. “It’s the most personal of my three books,” she explains. “It comes from my lens.” This intimacy is evident in the book’s exploration of queer identity. A striking image at the outset features two post-swim figures, glistening with water. On the left is Iris Marchand, the book’s illustrator and Peppler’s former partner; on the right, her wife, Laila Said. The candidness is refreshing. In a headnote for a melon and sweet wine recipe, she quips, “Both my wife and ex-girlfriend were present when we shot this in Marseille. My other ex-girlfriend edited this very headnote. And that, my friends, is lesbian culture.” This openness is central to Le Sud’s – and its writer’s – appeal and authenticity. It’s no surprise that Eater recently included the book in an excellent piece exploring the growing landscape of queer cookbooks.

This personal approach extends to every aspect of the book’s creation. Peppler collaborated closely with Chronicle, an art-driven publishing house that gave her “a lot of freedom” to ensure the book reflected her vision. “I did the art direction for the book, developed the recipes, and styled the photos and wardrobe too”, she tells me. This comprehensive involvement allowed her to create a book that is evocative of the south’s charm and culinary richness. “The region in the background is as important as the food in the foreground,” she adds. “It was important to me and Joann [Pai, the photographer] not to shoot in a studio but on location.”

The Essence of Le Sud

Our conversation inevitably turns to the weather in Paris, which was unseasonably dismal at the time of our interview. This prompts a discussion about the culinary differences between Paris and Southern France. When asked how cooking and food culture in Paris differs from that of Southern France, Peppler highlights the relaxed pace of the South. “I think that anytime you’re in a bigger city versus smaller, things move slower, they’re more relaxed. That infuses into you,” she explains. “Even on shoots, the energy is calmer.”

“I have far too many market bags from the South that come with me to the markets in Paris,” Peppler laughs. “In Paris, I shop for ingredients every day, and lots come from Provence. But it’s true that everything tastes best closest to its source.” Nevertheless, she believes it’s possible to capture the essence of Le Sud wherever you are. “When I was developing the book, I was making lots of the recipes in Paris. That’s the easiest way to bring you back to the South of France—cooking recipes from there.” Even if it’s dreary in Paris, she says, a pesto-filled tarte du soleil can transport tastebuds to the Sud.

Peppler is eager to encourage readers to experience the magic of the South first-hand. “If you’re visiting Paris, it’s incredibly easy to venture south”, she enthuses. “Take the train to Marselle, then Avignon, and rent a car. Nice is a must-visit for its food and culture.” She recommends exploring local markets and indulging in spontaneous picnics. “There’s something truly special about a market-fresh spread”. For those seeking recommendations on specific destinations, Peppler suggests exploring her Substack for insider tips.

Ultimately, Peppler hopes Le Sud will serve as a portal to the South for readers. “I want readers to feel like they are visiting Le Sud themselves, or at least feel inspired while flipping through the book,” she says. She hopes the book will find a cherished place in readers’ homes. Recalling her mother, a librarian, she says, “Cookbooks used to pile up by my bedside when I was younger. I hope Le Sud becomes that kind of book.”