Favorite Cookbooks: Aran Goyoaga Recipe

A new favorite cookbooks list by the lovely and talented Aran Goyoaga.

Favorite Cookbooks: Aran Goyoaga

While I wrap up my trip to India, I have a fantastic cookbook list to share with you. It's really a good one thanks to Aran Goyoaga - who, I know, many of you are familiar with. And for those of you who aren't, Aran is many things. She is the mother of two cuties, a talented writer and photographer, and the author of this brand-new beauty of a cookbook - Small Plates and Sweet Treats. I hope you all enjoy her list as much as I did.

Aran Goyoaga

ARAN'S COOKING STYLE (in her own words):

I would describe my cooking style as what I am: a curious Basque who has been gathering bits and pieces along the way. I grew up in the Spanish Basque Country side surrounded by the Atlantic coast on the west and the Pyrenees on the east. Basque cooking is very simple and seasonal, relying heavily on fresh ingredients (mainly vegetables and fish) and technique. It is influenced more by neighboring France than Spain itself. The travels I have done and the people I have met along the way have introduced new ingredients and taste profiles into my cooking, but essential, I remain that little 11-year old girl who loved to make squash soup and apple-caramel flan for her family.

I like to revisit old recipes and make them new again whether it is by adding different ingredients or by changing the presentation. I like to make food look beautiful because we eat with our eyes first (don't we?) and I clearly see that with my children.

I am the mother of a 6-year old boy and a 2-year old girl who love the same dishes my mother used to make for us when we were growing up. Different variations of paella, lentil soup loaded with vegetables and chorizo, tortilla de patatas, risotto with clams, garlic and herbs and savory vegetables tarts are some of the dishes that you will see at our dinner table many nights.

ARAN'S FAVORITE COOKBOOKS:

- Nigel Slater's Tender is one of those books I can get lost in for hours. (I want his garden!) Although I am not a vegetarian, vegetables are the main component in most of my recipes. Nigel reviews all of their characteristics from a gardening and culinary perspective and any time I need inspiration about a particular variety, I turn to this book.

- Mugaritz's Clorofilia: Published in the Basque Country, it is one of the books that have inspired me most. In it, Andoni Luis Aduriz recovers 50 wild plants from their botanical use, to medicinal and gastronomical. Dishes that are so colorful and fresh. It is a book filled with nostalgia as foraging is such an important part of Basque cooking. .

- Michel Bras' Essential Cuisine: I remember the first time I opened this book. I was in culinary school and my jaw fell to the floor. Dishes that were so inventive, colorful and almost architectural. The recipes do require a bit of skill and knowledge so one must be patient with it.

- Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Home by Jeni Britton-Bauer made my summer of 2011 so much better. Anyone that knows me well will tell you that I have an obsession for custard and ice cream. Jeni's recipes truly have a culinary perspective always paying attention to flavor profiles and textures, adding what seem unusual ingredients but that make it all that much better. The coriander ice cream with raspberry is one of my favorites.

- Sophie Dahl's Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights is such a beautifully styled and photographed book. I love the British and slightly Scandinavian aesthetics - I feel like I am in a rose garden having tea as skies threaten rain. It is seasonal, light yet hearty, healthful and did I say beautiful?

- Connie Green's The Wild Table is a collection of seasonal recipes for foraged foods. I am a bit obsessed with foraging these days, maybe because it was something that my family has always done and I feel I didn't get to retain much of it. I can sit for hours with this book reading about fiddleheads, wild fennel and mushrooms.

Aran Goyoaga

- Donna Hay has definitely been one of the most influential food stylists of our time. I can sit with her books for hours admiring and studying her technique. Seasons is a collection of editorial food stories published in her magazine and as the name suggests, arranged by season. This book is all about beautiful food photography.

- Rachel Saunder's Blue Chair Jam Cookbook is another book that is filled with beautiful food photography printed on beautiful thick paper. (Do you see a pattern here by now?). I love books about jams. There is something so comforting, old-fashioned, yet modern about the thought of stirring a pot of simmering fruit and sugar. I really think this is the only jam book one needs. I will be making the fig and fennel jam next.

*****

Thank you for taking time out of your day to share with us Aran! xoxo -h

You can keep up with Aran's life and work through food-related posts and pics at Cannelle et Vanille, her portfolio, and her beautiful new cookbook, Small Plates and Sweet Treats (you can watch the book trailer here).

Lead photo shot by her father, Txomin Goyoaga.

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Comments

So excited to see Aran’s book! Thank you Heidi!

The Healthy Apple

Great to see Aran on your site Heidi.
This is a little late in commenting… but, I loved seeing how you prepared for your trip to India. (Very organized!) I appreciated you sharing your packing strategies.
Kelly Turnbull

Kelly Turnbull

Oh my, what a lovely list. I’m a bit of a cookbook fiend. I’m so thrilled to read Aran’s book and get lost in her photographs and words…

Jade Sheldon

Hello again; it happens that both Aran and I are ex-pats, coming from the same town, and grew up in the same street! Thank you Heidi for making me smile… twice! 🙂

Itxaso A

Heidi, I have been a reader of your blog for many years and I love it! I write for the first time in your blog to let you know how happy it made me to read a post in your blog about a fellow basque. So, thank you for spreading the word! And congratulations (Zorionak!) to Aran on her book which, by the way, looks fabulous! Cannelle et Vanille is a new fav in my list 😉

Itxaso A

What!? Sophie Dahl, granddaughter of Ronald Dahl, writes amazing cookbooks? Can’t believe the stuff I learn from your blog.

Ann

I love Jeni’s Splendid Ice cream cookbook! It’s one of my favorites! My fav is coffee or lavendar berry!

Robin

Sounds like a great cookbook! Have fun on your trip – can’t wait to hear all about it!

Jenn@slim-shoppin

Heidi, I love when you do your favorite cookbook lists. Our house is filled with beautiful cookbooks, most of which are used like textbooks. I have been eyeing Small Plates and Sweet Treats for a while now, and it’s great to hear how much you like it. Recently, I got Skye Gyngell’s, A Year in My Kitchen, and it is a great find as well. Have a wonderful trip!

Jill @ 42potatoes

Pretty photos, pretty lady, pretty food, pretty cookbook! This is a great list of books – some of which I know and have, others brand new. Congratulations, Aran, on your new book.

Alicia Sokol @ Weekly Greens

Just beautiful, as French I don’t know the Pays Basque but it makes me want to go, thanks for sharing that x

Marlene

I would love to have a list of Aran’s favorite Basque or Spanish-language cookbooks! I like how she explains her cooking style, it is much like my own. As a cook who is contemplating a stage in Spain, I need to brush up on my culinary Spanish 🙂

Kendall

Jut watched the trailer. Really nice feel and beautiful style. Having just returned from Andalucia, Spain where we spent a year last year, I can couch that for some reason the basques’ are in a league of their own when it comes to good (and much more veggie friendly) food. To me, more than language or historical claims, it really sets them apart as a different race from the Spanish..!

adam and theresa

I simply can’t wait to get my hands on this book. Lovely write up!

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar

I’m gonna get a copy of Aran’s cookbook asap: sounds super interesting.
I need also to checkout the ones she recommends.

Mike @TheIronYou

Love Aran’s photography…recipes….and peek into her world. Looking forward to her cookbook!

i love your new book, Aran. And Donna Hay’s Seasons is one of my absolutely favorite cookbooks!

sina

So cool of you to promote her book here. It looks absolutely beautiful.

joy

Aran I love your book! And thanks for sharing your recommendations, many of which are entirely new-to-me. I love Donna Hay’s book and also Blue Chair Jam and now I need to scour amazon for these others!

Averie @ Averie Cooks

That is a great list of cookbooks. We have a basque restaurant about 20 minutes away from where we live that we have been meaning to go to. Going to have to make a point of it.

Fork and Whisk

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