We met Aran at her kitchen and photo studio on a beautiful fall day in Seattle. The large windows, handmade ceramics, and the nostalgic sound of American Blues music made us feel instantly at home. It’s just the way you would imagine the space looking if you have seen Aran’s recipes on Cannelle et Vanille. While in the kitchen we talked about her favorite comfort food (baked goods), what it was like growing up in the Basque Country in Spain, and the new book and video series she is working on.
Photography by AJ Ragasa
"In Seattle, I usually get my produce at the Ballard Farmers Market or Frank's at Pike Place Market. I always look forward to the squash and quince and apples ... not the apples that have been sitting in refrigeration ... but do you know that first batch of apples that came right off the tree? I love that. And more than any particular fall food or recipe I really love seeing all of these coming to market each season."
"I often photograph books for other people, but right now I'm working on a second book of my own. The first book I wrote is called Small Plates and Sweet Treats ... I think the recipes are great, but my photography and my style have changed a lot since then. What I am working on now is sort of a response to my first book which is so two-dimensional. Now, I'm much more about sharing stories and also showing vulnerability. You know, so many people are focused on creating a brand and showing this persona and I'm kind of rebelling against that ... that's not what I want to show. I just really want to show my true self. You know REALITY!"
"So, the concept for the new book I'm writing is based on the video series that I'm doing with Jen and Genevieve called A Cook's Remedy. So far we have five episodes, and there I talk about an eating disorder that I had in my twenties ... it was sort of like a secret that my parents didn't know about ... In the series I talk a little bit about where I was with depression, how isolating and toxic it felt for many years, but, then how through food and cooking I was able to overcome it. And how this thing that was quite toxic for me became quite healing."
"In each episode I bring in a different character from my life. For example, in the second episode I talk about how cooking was a way out of isolation and we go out to Vashon Island to visit with my friend Carolina who is a true artist. She's from Spain too and she's been doing ceramics for the last six years. In the second episode we go to the Basque Country to visit my past and in the third episode my friend Jenn Elliott Blake who is a stylist in Seattle and sort of like the person from my present who comes and visits my past. So I think the book is going to be a little bit of a mirror of the sentiments that came from things that I once suffered from once in my life and the recipes for healing and health that I shared to get out of that isolation. I think it will make sense once it all comes together in a story."
Reasons to Gather:
Lentil and Roasted Squash Salad // Chard, Fennel, Bean Soup with Clams // Apple Galette
Related Links:
A Cook's Remedy Videos by Aran Goyoaga and Common Thread Creative