School’s book a recipe for success

PUPILS at a Highland school have scored a first by producing what is thought to be the only fully bi-lingual Gaelic-English recipe book in print.

Inverness Gaelic School has already sold 100 as part of efforts to raise money for charity in memory of a schoolmate .

An example of the mouthwatering dinner menu, in Gaelic, includes measgan muasgain, followed by toiteanan-muice ann an criomagan-arain, with cèicchaise teoclaid dhùbailte for dessert – or prawn cocktail, pork chops in breadcrumbs and double chocolate cheesecake.

If you can’t wait have sconaichean le measan (fruit scones) with your brot peasrach after (pea pod soup) for lunch. The book will also be available in Asda in the Highland capital.

The Leabhar Reasabaidhean (recipe book) idea grew out of a project last year to create a class café for parents at the end of term.

The 19 children in Primary 4-5, aged between eight and 10, submitted their favourite recipes and used online design aids to help put the book together with teacher Kirsty MacVicar.

Mrs MacVicar said: “They have had great fun collecting the recipes and developing the book. The finished article looks great and is proving really popular. We hope to start a second print run shortly to keep up with demand.”

Priced at £6.50, the proceeds from the book are being divided between school funds and the Archie Foundation, which is building a new children’s unit at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

The children voted to donate to the charity in memory of Keir MacGruer who died last year, aged eight, from a rare lung disease. The book has been sponsored by IT company Fujitsu, the Gaelic development agency Comunn na Gaidhlig (CnaG), Comhairle nan Leabhraichean (the Gaelic Books Council) and Asda.