It’s such a simple thing but it’s so important to me. I use it everyday, it gives me inspiration, it helps me create tasty treats and fancy dishes; my beloved spice rack. It’s not neat or tidy or even full (I must go shopping) and I wouldn’t want it to be neat or tidy, I think of it as a working document that changes and morphs depending on the time of year or the money in my pocket. The recent change is the beautiful branch of bay leaves I was given the other day.

I use lots of spices and herbs in my cooking. They can really change a dish; bringing interest and new flavours to simple dishes and create depth with sauces.

Some of my favourite combinations are:

• Lemon and oregano with chicken legs, roast in the oven till crisp and brown.
• Paprika, coffee and brown sugar on pork shoulder, put the rub all over the pork and slow roast till it pulls apart.
• Cumin, corriander, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic and lemon rice. Add a teaspoon of each spice, 2 garlic gloves and 2 slices of lemon to the water while cooking the rice
• Paprika and chilli on sweet potato wedges.
• Chilli and garlic butter pasta. Gentle fry the sliced garlic and chilli in butter, add to cooked pasta and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt.