Lynn Rafferty

The Toronto-based ‘Love/Hate’ star on therapeutic cooking, being hot for hot sauce, and her home comforts, Barry’s tea and King crisps

“Sour jellies are my sweet treat. Shout out to my dentist for dealing with that!”

What did your mother make you?

Sunday roast will always make me think of my mum. She makes the best stuffing and roast potatoes.

The meal you will always remember?

Pizza in Naples with my mum.

Your defining food experience?

There isn’t really just one. Going travelling around the world about 10 years ago was an overall defining food experience. Getting to learn and understand other cultures through food was pretty amazing.

First dish you ever cooked?

I’m pretty sure it was a vegetable stir-fry. I was 13 and felt like Nigella.

What is your comfort food?

King crisp sandwich and a cup of Barry’s tea. Two things I always bring back to Canada with me.

What is your hangover cure?

A beet, apple, ginger and carrot juice. The ultimate cleanse.

What do you drink?

Water and white wine.

You can only eat three things for the rest of your life, what are they?

Cheese toastie, sushi, hot sauce.

What’s the nicest smell in the world?

Frank’s Hot Sauce. I’m obsessed with hot sauce in general.

How important is food to you?

Very. Food brings people together and I especially love the process of preparing and cooking. It’s really therapeutic.

You can go anywhere and have anything to eat with any one person. Where, what and who?

Charcuterie board at sunset on Cawaja Beach, Ontario with my girlfriend and our puppy.

What’s always in your kitchen?

A wok on the stove. You can cook almost anything with a wok.

Favourite restaurant?

Hard to choose one. I would have to say Elephant and Castle in Temple Bar. I’ve been going there for over 10 years.

And abroad?

There is a restaurant in Toronto’s West End called Odd Seoul, a modern Korean snack bar with delicious small plates.

What’s your sweet treat?

Sadly sour jellies. Shout out to my dentist for dealing with that!

What do you refuse to eat?

I’m trying to refuse meat more and more. What’s happening with mass industrial meat production is really scary and I feel we all need to eat less meat and do our part to combat that.

Worst meal ever?

A number of years ago I had a chicken Kiev that wasn’t cooked right through. Let’s just say I haven’t had once since.

What’s your signature dish?

Risotto. I love the slow process of cooking it and the fast process of eating it.

Are you careful about what you eat?

I go through stages of eating only healthy meals, to then eating six tacos in one sitting. I work out a lot so I can eat more of what I want. It’s all about balance.

What’s your perfect family meal?

My whole family meets around my mum’s dinner table every Sunday. We eat home-made curry, drink wine and laugh the day away. ‘Taken Down’ a new six-part crime drama from the creators of ‘Love/Hate’, starts tonight on RTE One at 9:30pm