What makes you happy?

Good food, great friends and plenty of sunshine. Luckily, working in the food business and living in Southern California, I'm able to combine all three.

What makes you angry?

Lateness, single-mindedness and intolerance. . .

What's your biggest fear?

To live in a world full of late, single-minded, intolerant people.

What's the last thing you do before going to bed at night?

Brush teeth and take off make-up, if I am being good. And I try and turn off the TV before going to sleep. I have a terrible habit of falling asleep with the TV on and then waking up at 4am with a crazy infomercial blaring.

What's the last lie you told?

The other day I told my parents that I was only going for lunch and a couple of drinks with some college friends so I would be home for dinner. Early afternoon cocktails and catching up with old friends resulted in me missing my Dad's roast lamb and not making it home. I was very distraught!

What was your last spending spree on?

Clothes in Las Vegas. I was in Vegas filming at some amazing restaurants for my website www.inyourkitchen.com the week before I came home to Dublin. Vegas has fabulous shopping and stores are open until midnight.

What's your guilty pleasure?

I love eating sweetened condensed milk out of a can with my finger. I've loved that stuff since I was a kid but it has so many calories.

What's in your fridge at the moment?

I usually have Trader Joe's zero-fat Greek-style yogurt and Kerrygold butter. I may be thousands of miles from home but I love my Irish butter.

I often have new interesting products that I get sent to try. The last products I tried were lavender and rhubarb flavoured mineral water. At my request, my parents' fridge here in Dublin is packed full of Superquinn sausages, smoked bacon and Irish yogurt -- some of my favourites from Ireland that I really miss.

How often do you exercise?

At least 3-4 times a week. Sometimes it's an early morning swim or a quick 5km run on the treadmill. If I don't get to the gym

or swim, I try and go for a quick walk on the beach first thing in the morning with one of my friends.

What's your favourite smell?

The smell of a cake in the oven. One smell I have grown to love since living away from Ireland is the smell of boiled potatoes.

What is your bathroom read?

Whatever magazine is around. My room-mate often has Sports Illustrated and Maxim.

What's the song that holds the most memories for you?

Shane Mc Gowan and Kirsty Mc Call's, Fairytale of New York is one song that, on the rare occasion when I hear it in California at Christmas time, will always remind me of Christmas back in Dublin: Turkey, ham and a dip in the 40 foot included.

Diane Stopford is a Dublin native now living in San Diego, California. She is chef and host of www.inyourkitchen.com, a new all-video food and cooking website that hopes to bring some of today's hottest chefs and their recipes right into your own kitchen.

- Emma Blain