Meet my Kitchen

You can tell a lot about a person, and their kitchen, by the spice rack. Mine for instance, is made from two bamboo boxes that were meant to hold who knows what, but which I hammered to the wall. Put a few decorative heat absorbers (there's some kitchen name for them which escapes me now) around it and all of a sudden, bam, it looks like it was meant to be that way. Spices of choice? Oregano, Herbs de Provences, bay leaf, majoram, thyme, red pepper, not necessarily in that order.

I come from the Mediterranean school of cooking. That is to say I'm not fancy, like fresh things, and really like Italy. I usually use olive oil - but sometimes a chip of butter helps a meal immensely. Love garlic. Hummus, good. Vegetables, good. Fish, good. You get the idea. But spices add an important part to any meal, and it's not just about how you use them, but making sure they're easily accessible.