My kitchen is … absolutely packed to the rafters. No one is allowed to open the cupboards apart from me – in fact, the whole thing is pretty much a no-go zone for everyone other than myself, apart from when we have dinner parties. We have a small beer table that should only seat six, but we’ve had up to 15 people crammed around it. We’ve lots of artwork on the walls, and the hand-painted signs you find in butchers’ shops. There’s a mock-up cover of Observer Food Monthly my sister made for me when I graduated from Leith’s Cookery School – I’m dressed up as a hotdog.
My favourite kitchen tool is … my wooden spoon with the extra long handle. I’m on my fifth one – I don’t like it when a wooden spoon retains the residue of a curry, say, so I have a different one for a number of uses.
My storecupboard staple is … Marmite. I feel lost without it in the house. I have it every day on toast, in bolognese, sometimes right off the spoon.
When I’m starving I … make puttanesca, because it’s made with things I always have in my cupboard: tinned tomatoes, chilli, anchovies, capers, garlic, olives, spaghetti … They’re my favourite flavours (I’m a salt fiend), and it’s a one-pan dish, so it’s easy.
My culinary inspiration is … company. Having people round turns having your tea into a celebration. I love all those food cultures where you eat from the same pot, be it a West African feast or a Sunday roast. It’s so much more tactile and so much more interactive.
My best-kept kitchen secret is … that with the exception of curdled custard, there’s nothing in the kitchen that can’t be fixed – usually with cream or icing. People will give most things a go if it’s presented with a smile.
My current obsession is … keeping supermarket herb plants alive. I have a mint plant I’ve repotted in a terracotta pot on my window sill that is thriving, and a coriander plant that keeps coming back to life. I talk to them every day, and sometimes give them sugar water.
Everything tastes better with … parmesan. It even works with sweet things, such as honey, figs and grapes.
When I go shopping I … stay local. I’ve an excellent Turkish grocer where I can get pretty much everything –spices, herbs, fresh fruit and veg. Also, a good bakery and a nice butcher. I essentially never really have to go anywhere else. I shop so frequently in the supermarkets near me for work that I avoid them at all costs when shopping for myself: everyone in there knows me, including the security guys.
For dinner tonight … I’m making pesto from leftover herbs, new season garlic and pistachio nuts. I’ll have it with pasta, parmesan, and maybe some fried anchovies, because I love them.
Rosie Reynolds is a food stylist, author of The Kitchen Shelf (Phaidon) and Cook regular. She will be taking over our Instagram account this weekend. Follow us @guardian_cook for updates
