FAQ

What does Gateau | Gato mean?

Gateau is French for cake, and Gato is Spanish for cat. We both love cake, and one of us loves cats. The other is coming around to them. Kind of. 

Why did you start this blog?

Rina: I've wanted to start a food blog for a while, and since leaving graduate school I've had the time to figure out what I actually want to do. After staring a bit too long at a bottle of Gato Negro wine at a dinner, the idea for the name of this blog popped into my head. I want to create and share amazing recipes with my community, and a food blog seemed like the perfect way to do that.

Alyssa: I've always considered myself to be a writer, so the fact that I haven't started one of these things yet is preposterous. An infamous vegan doubter, Rina's cinnamon rolls brought me new life, so much so, that I convinced her to start this blog. Why not share your genius with the world? I'm honored to be along for the ride (and help solve any technical-related issues by yelling at the computer).

Okay, so I get the cake part. But where do cats fit into this?

The one of us who's obsessed with cats cries at every video of homeless cats. She felt inspired to create a cat-loving community as part of her food blog to add a little spice into the recipe sharing. So, if you're a cat lover too (or any kind of animal lover, really) please email us or tag us on Instagram. We'd love to share them alongside our recipes!

Where do you get your recipe inspiration from?

Rina: I have a slight problem where I buy cookbooks by the stack, so a lot of inspiration comes from my bookshelf.  Anything by Yotam Ottolenghi is at the top of the list, as well as The Food Lab, the Serious Eats encyclopedia on how to cook, well, everything.  Kenji J. Alt Lopez is an evil genius.  I also love reading food blogs, including smitten kitchen, Minimalist Baker and Thug Kitchen.  But first and foremost, my mama.

Alyssa: My parents joke that I'm a foodie, and I'm slowly starting to embrace the fact that I'm a food snob. I love exploring new restaurants, trying exotic cuisine and stalking my favorite food blogs (Hi, Kate Taylor of Cookie + Kate!). I'm inspired by new cities, countries and people. Food may be a fundamental necessity for human existence but it's also fun!

Can I use any of your photographs or recipes on my website?

We're flattered.  As long as you link back to the original content, we're happy to share.  We encourage you to make it your own, though!  That's the beauty of recipe sharing - use what you love, change the rest, make it yours.

Who took the photos of the two of you together? 

That would be our very talented friend, Danna. You can find her on Instagram @dpsphoto or email her at dpsphotog(at)gmail(dot)com.