A Taste for LIFE

The actor reveals the best pizza in NYC, her carb cure and why the quintessential Sunday roast, complete with bickering, is her favourite

Actor Zara Devlin’s life in food

Your favourite childhood meal?

I adored the cornflake tart and custard I got in primary school. I feel very nostalgic when I eat it now. I don’t think it’s very common in Dublin. It doesn’t sound very appetising, but believe me, it’s amazing!

The meal you will always remember?

Having Christmas dinner in Orlando, Florida. We decided late Christmas Eve that we couldn’t possibly have Christmas without dinner, so we went to Walmart — which was the size of Ireland itself — and got all that was left or wasn’t snatched up. It actually ended up being delicious.

The first dish you ever cooked?

I’d say it was something like Super Noodles. Not very exciting.

What is your comfort food?

Biscuits with a cup of tea.

What is your hangover cure?

Carbs, carbs, carbs. Pancakes with Nutella, or a fry-up with soda bread or potato bread.

What do you drink?

I really like Chardonnay. It’s a nice summer drink. Now, coming into autumn proper, I’ll probably change to red wine.

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

Toast and jam — that counts as one; eggs; and porridge.

How important is food to you?

Apart from when I’m sleeping, I am always thinking about food and what I am going to eat next.

What’s always in your kitchen?

Eggs.

Favourite restaurant in Ireland?

Grants restaurant in Omagh, my home town — not only is the food divine, the atmosphere and the music is great.

And abroad?

The pizza in New York in general, but Joe’s Pizza in Greenwich Village comes to mind as a specific good spot.

What’s your sweet treat?

Carrot cake is the first thing that entered my head — it has to be warm for me, though. I like anything sweet.

What do you refuse to eat?

Cucumbers, black olives, and celery are among the worst things I’ve eaten. Rotten.

What’s your signature dish?

I would make omelettes quite a bit, adding different flavours and ingredients. It’s also such an easy and quick thing to make and gives me energy. Especially before going on stage. I’ll be eating lots of omelettes this month before I tread the boards in Rough Magic’s staging of Marina Carr’s Hecuba.

“Apart from when I am sleeping, I am always thinking about food”

Are you careful about what you eat?

I am, yeah. I like to eat well because it gives me energy and I feel better. When I do have a treat, I appreciate it more. I have cut out drinking milk, apart from in my tea. It has cleared up my skin and helped my singing voice. I’ve also cut out fast food like McDonald’s and KFC, and I never really miss it.

What’s your perfect family meal?

A Sunday roast. It’s the one time we all really sit around the table together because of people being away from home or at work. We all help out until there is an argument, and my mother takes over.

The final performance of the Irish premiere of Marina Carr’s ‘Hecuba’ at Project Arts Centre, staged by Rough Magic, takes place tonight, October 6, as part of Dublin Theatre Festival. See dublintheatrefestival.ie/programme/event/ hecuba