Today I have the great pleasure of introducing Mairlyn Smith – food writer, cookbook author, professional home economist, television personality, comedic actor, gardener... and that's not all, I could go on! Mairlyn boasts such an impressive resume because she has never been afraid to fail and has always fearlessly pursued whatever subject interested her, and clearly this positive perspective paid off. The latest addition to Mairlyn's list of accomplishments is her recently launched YouTube channel, My Left Frying Pan, and we recently chatted about her new online cooking show and more. Mairlyn is a delightfully funny, confident and spirited woman who doesn't shy away from throwing out the occasional f-bomb! She's a breath of fresh air, and I'm excited to share more about her here.
It's likely you already know or recognize Mairlyn, as she is a regular guest expert on Cityline and Breakfast Television Toronto. She's often called upon to appear on these shows for her expertise on food and cooking; Mairlyn graduated university with a degree in food and nutrition and is a professional home economist. Her love of food and cooking started very early on – she always liked cooking and helping her mom in the kitchen as a child. As a teenager, circumstances unexpectedly made Mairlyn the primary cook for her household after an accident left her mother temporarily bedridden, and by the age of 15, Mairlyn knew she wanted to become a cook. Before cooking, though, it was Mairlyn's dream to become an actress, and this always remained in the back of her head. Unfortunately, Mairlyn was to experience an accident herself that left her unable to dance, so instead of pursuing her dream of musical theatre, she went to The Second City and discovered the comedian in her. Fast forward to My Left Frying Pan – Mairlyn's new YouTube channel that combines her love of cooking with her sassy, funny personality.
My Left Frying Pan
My Left Frying Pan is where you will see Mairlyn at her most authentic self – her cooking-meets-comedy channel is where she is allowed the complete creative freedom to do and say whatever she wants; in her own words, her channel is “Mairlyn without a filter.” Her goals are simple – she wants people to laugh and learn... and laugh you will! She revives the characters that she developed and played on stage during her time with The Second City, as well as incorporates fun new ones. Take, for example, “Auntie Hack,” a character Mairlyn created in response to her “anti-hack” stance – she believes in learning how to do things the way they are meant to be done, and doesn't believe in hacks! Her characters and accents will have you laughing as you're learning how to cook or bake something new. Speaking of accents, Mairlyn's Irish accent played a role in how “My Left Frying Pan” was named. When performing with an accent, her comedic training taught her to have a trigger phrase, a phrase that when spoken in said accent would smoothly launch her into character. It so happens that this trigger phrase is “fokken bastards!” After brainstorming with her husband through several possible channel names but coming up with nothing that felt right, the eureka moment came when they went to see My Left Foot and sure enough, isn't Mairlyn's trigger phrase one of the first phrases spoken in the movie?! It was a sign, and right then and there it was decided that the channel name should involve word-play on the movie title. My Left Frying Pan is also a salute to Mairlyn's Irish side, as well as paying homage to her left-handedness. It made sense to throw a kitchen apparatus into the title, and My Left Frying Pan has a much nicer ring to it than, say, My Left Potato Masher. :)
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMOUdChe9rA&w=854&h=480]
Mairlyn's cooking show is immensely fun to watch, I promise it will brighten your day! There are three key values that Mairlyn lives by, instilled in her by her late father, and they shine through on her show: 1. Happiness is a choice you make every morning before you get out of bed; 2. Optimism will ride you through tough times; and 3. Laughter is the best medicine. Mairlyn sends out more than her fair share of positive vibes into this world, she is supportive and encouraging of others, and a good example that if you just 'take a leap' (one of her mottos) you can achieve what you go after. So do me a fuckin' favour – go and watch My Left Frying Pan on YouTube!!!
Want more? Here's what We Want To Know about Mairlyn:
I can't start my morning without...a pot of tea served in one of my china cups and saucers. I've got a big collection of tea cups and I use a different one every day. I like encouraging people to celebrate every day of their life and using your good stuff helps you do that. Check out #useyourgoodstuff on Instagram, it's one of my babies.
I have a weakness for...chocolate, but it has to be good chocolate. I'm from Vancouver and our go to chocolate was Purdy's but I will indulge daily in a piece of really good chocolate.
Most people don't know that I...am a gardener, my parents were both gardeners, and I guess I must have their DNA. But gardening is like walking meditation to me.
Currently reading...I just finished My Name is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout.
I want...to encourage people to choose healthy foods everyday, because eating a healthy diet is like investing in a Health GIC. The sooner you invest in yourself the better the dividends. Invest in your health now and it will pay you back in a positive way down the road.
Thank you, Mairlyn, for lifting my spirits and brightening my day by participating in #WeWantToKnow!
