Samin Nosrat: I moved here when I was 29 and never would have guessed that I’d still be here when I was 39. I’ve slowly upgraded the kitchen. There’s always that balance when you’re a renter. You’re like‚ “I’m going to save my money so I can fix up the place where I’ll finally live.” But at some point‚ I just had to say‚ “Well‚ I do live here‚ and I have to make it enjoyable.”

Two years ago‚ I put in upper cabinets from IKEA. I don’t even understand where I stored food before. They’re chock full. My stove is just the jankiest‚ and I used to resent it so much. There’s not enough power to cook a lot of stuff at the same time. I have to just figure it out.

As I went further into my writing career‚ with less professional cookery and more writing for home cooks‚ I realized‚ in a weird way‚ that this is a blessing. It’s much more likely that the people I’m writing for have a situation like this than a six-burner Wolf range. The constraints of a tiny apartment kitchen are a great challenge: If I can figure out how to do stuff in here‚ then I can explain it to people.

Make It Yours

Worktables: Samin’s kitchen originally had almost no counter space‚ so she added two stainless steel worktables and topped one with a leftover piece of wood countertop from a friend’s renovation. “It’s just like being in a restaurant kitchen‚” says Samin. “I cut directly on top.”

Cabinets: Before adding cabinets‚ she tried shelves. “But I came to hate open shelving‚” she says. “I don’t have great ventilation in my kitchen—there’s no hood—so everything got sticky and greasy.” The corner cabinet includes a lazy Susan for her extensive vinegar collection.

Magnetic Knife Strips: Samin uses wall-mounted magnetic walnut strips from Mag-Blok to keep her knives handy. “They’re always there‚ and I like looking at them‚” she explains.

Trashcan: A pedal-operated trashcan from Simplehuman is the perfect size and scale for Samin’s kitchen. “It helps to have some parts that just fit right‚” she says.

More Kitchens We Love: Blogger, Cookbook Writer, and Pastry Chef David Lebovitz; Newly Minted James Beard Award Winner Nina Compton; Trois Mec Chef Ludo Lefebvre