Sugar pavilions and miniature sweets: the star of food design

LAST PURCHASE I MAKED AND WHAT I'M IN THE PROCESS OF Recently I went to the Parma antiques fair, Mercante in Fiera. I travelled there and back from New York in just 24 hours to buy a set of Gio Ponti silver pots and pans. These days, however, I'm going for the gold and diamond Grand Ensemble Ocean ring by my friend Sophie Bille Brahe, a Danish jewellery designer who has a poetic style: she combines Scandinavian minimalism with understated luxury. In New York, the brand can be found at Dover Street Market and Bergdorf Goodman, but it has also opened its own boutique on Madison Avenue (silver-plated coffee pot signed by Gio Ponti, €1,640, at 1stdibs.com. Rings starting at around $3,200, Grand Ensemble Ocean model, $22,580, sophiebillebrahe.com).

Laila Gohar indossa l’Apron hostess metallico del suo brand GOHAR WORLD (160 €).

THE VIEW THAT INSPIRES ME Farmers' markets, I especially like to attend in early spring. There is nothing more exciting than recognising quality natural ingredients and knowing that we have officially passed the winter and can enjoy the fruits of summer. I particularly choose produce from Norwich Meadows Farm, which I find at the Greenmarket in Union Square, New York (norwichmeadowsfarm.com).

Anelli di SOPHIE BILLE BRAHE nella sua boutique di New York in Madison Avenue.

the apps and podcasts I prefer I use the Notes app more than anything else for lists, recipes, ideas, dreams. As for podcasts, I'm listening to This Cultural Life (it's a BBC podcast where journalist John Wilson meets some of the most interesting creatives from the world of theatre, music, art and film, bbc.co.uk).

The LAST MEAL THAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME For work I deal with elaborate food and banquets, in my spare time I love simple dinners prepared by friends. Many are intimidated by the idea of cooking for me and my partner (Chef Ignacio Mattos, ndr), so I find it really exciting when someone puts aside their fear and invites us for a simple dinner. The pizza is also perfect.

Le ostriche amate da Gohar.

MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS In New York, I like Estela, one of the liveliest bistros to meet for a drink, a weekend brunch or a festive dinner with friends, and Altro Paradiso, an Italian restaurant in Soho. Now I have just returned from Paris, where I love La Poule au Pot, on rue Vauvilliers, by chef Jean-François Piège: typically local cuisine, it has just celebrated its 90th anniversary (an aperitif at Estela with food pairing, from $40, estelanyc.com; altroparadiso.com; jeanfrancoispiege.com/la-poule-au-pot).

IN MY REFRIGERATOR NEVER LACKS Capers, anchovies, butter, a snack for my son Paz and champagne. I make sure there is always a fresh bottle for last-minute guests. My favourite is the Champagne Lallier, particularly the Blanc de Blancs (from 50 euros, champagne-lallier.com).

Blanc de Blancs, CHAMPAGNE LALLIER (da 50 €).

My HOME'S MOST LOVED ROOM We live in an open-plan loft: the whole house, therefore, is my favourite place. Reform's signature kitchen, however, is the real heart, because both Ignacio and I cook. Unlike many New Yorkers, we never order in, we like to try our hand at new recipes together (Column oak island kitchen designed by Inga Sempé, 15,780 euro, reformcph.com).

Cucina Column con isola centrale, design Inga Sempé, REFORM (15.780 €).

The BEST GIFT I HAVE GIVEN RECENTLY My brand, Gohar World, created with my sister Nadia, specialises in gifts for both guests and guests. I often draw from there! I really like the Apron metallic, perfect for an ironic hostess: it's the classic bistro-style apron, but in a metallic version, decorated with our iconic white lace appliqué hands, and comes in a velvet clutch bag with a snakeskin effect box (€160, gohar.world).

Il libro “How to Cook a Wolf” di MFK Fisher, manuale di cucina scritto durante la guerra, nel 1942: una sorta di promemoria del piacere che si può ancora trovare nel cibo, pur facendo fronte al razionamento bellico.

And WHAT I RECEIVED A limited edition copy of my favourite cookbook,How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher. A 1942 guide on how to cook with limited resources during the war. It is not a traditional cookbook, but offers practical advice and philosophical reflections on how to cope with hunger in times of scarcity and prepare simple meals, offering insights into topics such as life and deprivation (EUR 13.74, on lafeltrinelli.it).

“Gathering Wool” (1990), di Louise Bourgeois, in mostra fino al 18/4 alla personale “Gathering Wool”, presso la sede di Hauser & Wirth a New York.

THE ARTIST WHOM I WOULD COLLECT IF I COULD Surely Louise Bourgeois, in particular her textile works, which range from installations and sculptures to drawings, abstract collages, prints and books (Louise Bourgeois. The Fabric Works, edited by Germano Celant, Skira, €75, skira-arte.com; hauserwirth.com).

I HAVE TO FIND TIME TO... Do nothing: that's when the best things happen.

The BOOK ON THE DESK Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach, a teacher of meditation and mindfulness: her book is an invitation to embrace ourselves, with our fears and anxieties, which is the first step on the path to clarity and compassion, also to then build loving and authentic relationships (€26.37, on amazon.co.uk).

Olio d’oliva, di cui Gohar è grande appassionata.

A PLEASURE I WON'T EVER GIVE UP I confess, fat, be it butter or olive oil. Irresistible.

If I DIDN'T LIVE IN NEW YORK I would live in Paris. It's a bit of a cliché, I know, but the light is so beautiful. And I have so many friends there. I would definitely live on the Left Bank, maybe in the 7th arrondissement, which I love very much.

If I HAD TO LIMIT MY SHOPPING TO ONE DISTRICT OF A CITY it would be the Marais, also in Paris, for food. I like to go to the Marché des Enfants Rouges to buy ingredients such as pâté, bread and cheese, then stop at one of the stalls to eat fresh oysters accompanied by a glass of Chablis.

Il progetto Lascaux IV del centro di arte rupestre di Montignac nel Périgord, in Francia, dello studio Snøhetta.

If I DID NOT DO WHAT I DO I would be an architect and design buildings for people. For example, I love the work of Snøhetta, a Norwegian interdisciplinary studio that designs and builds huge museums and libraries that, despite their proportions, manage to remain on a human scale. Here, I would imagine myself just like them (among the studio's recent projects, Lascaux IV, the international centre of rock art, built in Montignac in Périgord, France, around the Lascaux Cave. And the Shanghai Grand Opera House to be opened in 2026,snohetta.com).