EMO TIONAL TIES

Chef and Scandilicious author Signe Johansen on Norwegian values, hygge votives and fearless grandparents

These photographs of my maternal American grandfather Jack and British grandmother Juliet in uniform were taken during the Second World War. They met at an army shindig in London. Wartime taught them how short life could be – it made them fearless. They inspired me to tread my own path and live life to the fullest. This Georgian rinser, used to clean wine glasses between courses, is one of a set of six that I keep sweets or jewellery in. I bought them in honour of Bloomsbury, where I’ve lived since moving to London seven years ago. I love being a part of its wonderful history. This traditional Mariusgenser jumper, knitted by my Norwegian grandmother, was originally my father’s until he passed it down to me. It represents everything I love about the old-fashioned Norwegian values of making things from scratch, craftsmanship and quality. This Iittala Kastehelmi tealight holder is hygge in a votive! It reminds me of growing up in Norway where we lit candles all year round to bring warmth and comfort to our homes. I discovered this Lagavulin whisky when I went to a jazz festival in Islay, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, last year. It brings back happy memories of walking on the beach and being with friends. Norwegian cardamom buns were one of the first things I learned to bake with my Norwegian grandparents on their farm. Being connected to the seasons of the land really shaped my love of food and cooking. I find baking meditative and restorative.

Signe’s book How to Hygge: The Secrets of Nordic Living (Bluebird, £14.99*) is out now

This Arabia of Finland Anemone mug, one of a set given to my parents as a wedding present in 1971, was handed down to me a couple of years ago when I found it in their attic. The rustic wholesomeness of the design is a reminder of the pared-back visual...

I first read Graham Greene’s Travels With My Aunt when I was 16 and I still come back to it every few years. It’s whimsical, funny and well-observed. It was one of the first books to spark my love of literature.

A good friend and mentor, the journalist Fiona Beckett, gave me Angela Flanders’s Cachou a few years ago for Christmas. Giving fragrance can be risky, but its uplifting notes of iris, roses and raspberries suit me. It makes me feel grown up.