TO KICK OFF THE HOUSE OF PERE’Z FIRST ISSUE, gracing the publication with delectable bites, especially sweet ones, is ideal to welcome our readers for a sweet read. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Aran Goyoaga, who is a well-known Spaniard cookbook author, food stylist, and photographer. Goyoaga was born and raised in the Basque Country, in northern Spain, where her maternal grandparents owned a pastry shop and her paternal grandparents lived off the land. Her blog, Cannelle et Vanille, is a two-time James Beard Award finalist while her first book, Small Plates & Sweet Treats, was named one of the top cookbooks of 2012 in Good Morning America and praised by the New York Times and GOOP. Goyoaga’s second cookbook Cannelle et Vanille was published in 2019 and was named a best holiday book by the New York Times. Currently, she has over 306,000 followers on Instagram, which is a world-renowned culinary account.
Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us about your background, where you are from and what led you to start your career in food.
I grew up in the Basque Country in Northern Spain. Baking and cooking has been an integral part of my life as I grew up across the street from my maternal grandparents’ pastry shop. My mom is the oldest of 8 and nearly everyone worked in the shop. I studied business and economics in university but after moving to the US, I enrolled in culinary school and began working as a pastry cook for a few years. Then, I turned to blogging, photography, and into cookbook writing.
Take us through your journey to gluten-free cooking. What was it like to make this transition and build it into your daily routine?
I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance in 2010 after a couple of years of autoimmune issues and not feeling well. The transition was actually a welcomed one as it immediately helped me feel sane and heal. Because I had a pastry background and I had played around with alternative flours before, the transition wasn’t a difficult one. Yeasted breads have always been the hardest piece of the gluten-free conundrum but with time, I experimented and learned from other bakers.
What brought you to Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple and how would you like to see readers utilize the book?
After I published my last book, Cannelle et Vanille, I knew I had many more baking recipes in me. Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple feels like an extension of the baking and dessert chapter of that book. There are many more yeasted breads, sourdough, cakes, cookies, tarts and pies, holiday baking and many staple recipes.
Your photography is beautiful. Why is it important to style and capture your food the way that you do?
A cookbook I am going to love is not a mere collection of recipes. I need a cookbook that feels like a moment in time, like a world in itself just like films create. I like a cookbook with a strong point of view, narrative, and visual storytelling where the authors message transcends a collection of steps. Photography is a really important step in all of this. It moves emotions.
What has been the most challenging part about becoming an author and public figure in the food space?
elling a book is definitely the most challenging part of the whole process for me. I am not one to push product on anyone. I want people to discover the book and integrate it into their lives in an organic way. So finding the right balance of talking about a book without tiring your audience is a fine line. We are all so bombarded with messaging and it’s very hard maintaining people’s attention.
“A cookbook I am going to love is not a mere collection of recipes. I need a cookbook that feels like a moment in time, like a world in itself just like films create”
When you put yourself into your “creative place”, what does that look like for you? What’s your process, what is the space like, how long does it take?
There are three different parts of that creative process. The first one is really about the flow of ideas and inspiration in a general form. What am I trying to say, what is the story behind this book or project? I find this stage a bit torturous because I am such a perfectionist and I have to see ideas through. I tense up, which is the opposite of what this stage really requires. So I have to remind myself to open up and let ideas flow instead of clenching. I read, take walks, listen to music, and avoid looking at work that might be similar to mine. I just need to relax into the flow.
In the second stage of creation, there is a part that is a lot more mechanical and focused. Requires more planning and organization. I am naturally good at this and I welcome it after a bit of a more chaotic beginning. I make sure I have my favorite notebooks and pens and I begin to work. This is more of a recipe development and testing side.
Finally, I go on to photographing the work, which is a bit more ethereal and emotional for me. Music is an integral part of this step. The music I listen to while I shoot is hugely influential. I shot Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple last winter and I listened to Handel non-stop. I think it shows in the images. There is a melancholy and austerity to them.
“I’ve paved my own way in this world. I left everything behind, I went through a difficult time with a secret eating disorder, healing myself, redisovering myself through my work and motherhood.“
What are your greatest sources of inspiration?
Such a cliché but seasons are a huge influence. I love the passing of time and change. The farmers markets, music, films, other books. Anything that catches my attention.
What are you most proud of thus far?
I think having paved my own way in this world. I could have easily stayed in the Basque Country and followed the expected path but I left everything behind, I went through a difficult time with a secret eating disorder, healing myself, rediscovering myself through my work and motherhood. I am in awe of my kids.
What is your favorite meal and how do you prepare it?
Not a very common one but I love elevenses. It really reminds me of my grandmother. I wake up really early most mornings (4:30am most of the time). I love the alone time with coffee, but I rarely eat breakfast until 11am. Then, I prepare myself something hardy, likely savory, such as sautéed vegetables with eggs, or I’ll eat leftover soup, or a piece of sourdough bread with roasted vegetables and some kind of spread. My grandmother always had elevenses ready for my grandfather as he was at work by 4am making brioche and preparing the pastries for the day. She opened a canned of sardines and then would fry some eggs. Or she sautéed some foraged mushrooms and served them with hunks of bread.
What about your food makes it distinctively yours?
I think it’s hard for me to identify that. I think my focus In vegetables and subtle food. My food is not bold but I think it’s very textural.
What do you consider your purpose to be as a creator?
I think I’m a teacher at heart. But beauty is super important to me so and that has a lot of weight in what I do.
What does the future look like for Cannelle et Vanille? Other creative endeavors you are currently passionate about?
Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple will come out on October 26th so I will be tied up with that for a bit. I also have some on-demand baking videos coming out next month. I want to continue to offer more baking classes as people have responded so positively to them. And perhaps, begin thinking about another book. I love the process.
