With the kick off of my cookbook tour this week, I thought it perfect timing to launch a new interview series. Though my new cookbook is called Keys To The Kitchen, the reality is that there are too many to publish in one single book. So, I wanted to ask some of my favorite food people from each city I’ll be visiting to share his or her very own key to the kitchen.
First up, is the lovely Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille who calls South Florida home. Her clean food and ethereal photography make me want to jump into my computer screen and steal the food right from her website. Luckily, I’ve practiced more restraint that that and it turns out that’s exactly Aran’s key too — but I’ll let her explain that to you.
Q: Do tell, Aran, what is your “key to the kitchen?”
A: I am very minimalistic and I consider myself somewhat austere in the kitchen. Clutter gives me anxiety in all aspects of my life, but mostly when I am cooking.
When I was a little girl, my grandfather, who was a pastry chef, used to tell me “you don’t need anything but your clean hands and a sharp knife”. He was right. This is why I think that the most important key to a successful kitchen and cooking is clean space with only my essential tools. I shy away from unnecessary gadgets and one-use-only tools (except for my cherry pitter that is). Before I begin cooking, I clean my work space, place a thick wooden cutting board in front of me and my tools right next to it.
The tools I use daily and I cannot live without are a super sharp chef’s knife, paring knife, mandoline, whisk, rubber spatula, small offset spatula for baking, and a stand mixer. I love my stand mixer and use it every single day.
Oh, and music. I love to cook while music plays.
Keep tabs on Aran via her blog, Cannelle et Vanille, Twitter, or Pinterest. And, be sure to check out her upcoming book, Small Plates and Sweet Treats: My Family’s Journey to Gluten-Free Cooking due out October 23rd!
Read the other key to the kitchen interviews here.
