And my housekeeping! Mariella Frostrup

Writer and broadcaster enjoys travelling and coming home to a fully stocked larder and an emergency supply of herring

Mariella lives in Somerset with her husband, Jason Mccue, and their children Molly, 14, and Dan, 13.

How would you describe your home?

I have aspirations of tidiness and tranquillity. One of life’s mysteries is how the heart can expand to embrace all the people you love, but your cupboards seem to contract at almost the same rate.

What is your signature dish?

In the winter, I cook a beef and Guinness stew. It’s delicious. Also, my kids love the Hemsley + Hemsley smokey beans.

Cook for friends or eat out?

Entertaining at home. You don’t have to worry about drinking and driving and you can have nicer wine for less than you’d pay for it in a restaurant.

What food could you not live without?

Avocados. I liked them long before they become fashionable. Occasionally, I’ll crave sardines in a tin or herrings in a jar. That’s when my Norwegian genes come to the fore. I keep a jar in the fridge for these kinds of situations.

Dream party guests, alive or dead?

I’d choose them from the array of extraordinary women who’ve journeyed the world. Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the summit of Everest and was still climbing at 77. Another would be Aloha Wanderwell – she was born to travel being given that name. In 1922, when she was 16, she embarked on a round-the-world expedition in a Ford Model-t.

Best time-saving tip?

Whenever I cook, I do at least double – if not triple – quantities of anything that can be frozen. The time and effort you spend chopping and cooking is saved when you’ve got three meals out of it.

Best bargain you’ve ever found?

On the app Depop, which my children introduced me to in their desires for ludicrous designer sweatshirts, I found a Woolrich parka to replace one I’d worn every winter for about five years. It was £150 – to buy new it’s around £700!

What did your parents teach you?

Confidence. I had a difficult older childhood but

a loving one, and I think if you get unconditional love in your early years, it sets you up for life.

What advice will you hand down?

Take risks. Fear should be what drives you forward, not what pushes you into retreat. The best reason I’ve ever found to do anything was because I was afraid of it. Every time you do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, it gives you confidence and it’s never something you regret.

Kitchen cupboard must-have?

I live life as though a nuclear holocaust is just around the corner – I think that’s very much the product of being a child of the Cold War. My larder is stocked to the brim and one of the things that gives me the greatest sense of pleasure is if I look at a recipe and I’ve already got all the ingredients. That’s the only time I feel like a domestic goddess and like I’m really succeeding in life!

Biggest extravagance?

Travelling. I’m the one googling my next trip while on holiday. I like to have a destination ahead.

What always lifts you out of a mood?

A walk with a girlfriend. It’s the antidote to blues and stress; a good stomp in suitable clothing, airing and sharing with a friend. That’s what keeps me sane.

Hoarder or throw things away?

I am a hoarder who aspires to a life of minimalist tranquillity, but I’ve yet to achieve it.

Favourite household task?

I like making beds because I think it instantly makes a room look tidier. It’s minimal effort, but it creates a veneer of order. I love vacuuming for pretty much the same reasons.

Where is your happy place?

Home. Somerset. It’s become an oasis of happiness and home comforts and I just love it. I love the countryside, I love our neighbours, I love our house. I feel, after a very peripatetic life, I’ve found home. ◆ Wild Women And Their Amazing Adventures Over Land, Sea & Air edited by Mariella Frostrup (Head of Zeus) is out 10 January

The best reason I’ve ever found to do anything was because I was afraid of it