A multi-talented home economist, teacher and actor, Mairlyn Smith loves to add a dash of comedy to her cooking. Born in Vancouver, Mairlyn always loved the view of the mountains from her parent's kitchen window. In 1976 she graduated with a degree in Home Economics from the University of British Columbia. She then returned to UBC and completed her Teaching Certificate before going on to teach Home Economics and head the Department of Fine Arts at Balmoral Junior High.

Unable to shake the acting bug, Mairlyn enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California. Then, like most Canadian actors in the 1980s, she moved to Toronto to find work. Mairlyn has amassed an impressive resume of credits: she is the author of Lick the Spoon, an alumnis of Second City, and a teacher at Loblaw's cooking schools in Ontario. Her versatility in acting and cooking with a comedic flair also landed her the job as a host of Harrowsmith Country Life and a subsequent Gemini Nomination.

Mairlyn lives in Toronto with her son and her partner Scott who is the only person aside from herself who has eaten everything in her books seven times.