Search results for ""Author Bob Dewar""

Our favourite anteater is back for another adventure. When Alice reads about Christmas she realises that she and her fellow anteaters have been missing out...Why don't anteaters get Christmas presents? To find the answer, she sets off on a hazardous journey to the icy North - in search of Father Christmas!

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Natives know them. Visitors soon get to know them. Some, like the Golf Club Captain, the Last Publican and the Nippy Sweetie, are endangered species; others, like the Whisky Bore and the Munrobagger, are enduring figures on the Scottish landscape. Every generation produces its own variations on the Scottish character and it doesn't take long for the newcomers to become familiar social types like the MSP, the Yooni Yah, the Rural Commuter and the Celebrity Chieftain. Most Scots, if they're honest, will recognise a little bit of themselves in one or other of thes mischievous and frighteningly accurate portraits. Julie Davidson's wickedly observed profiles are complemented by Bob Dewar's witty drawings in this roguish gallery of 'Scots We Ken'.

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'Years have passed since the Scottish Independence Referendum was held and the political landscape has changed. Big Nellie Nellis has been voted First Minister, and things are about to get interesting as all the political parties are given the benefit of her very unparliamentary sound bites!'

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An hilarious and often wise collection of Scots saying straight from the mouths of the Grannies of Glasgow. With each snippet accompanied by a straightforward English translation, this is your introduction to the unique wisdom of the 'Glesca Granny'.

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Brunch should evoke a sense of pleasure and relaxation – and perhaps also the temptation to try something new. Food writer and broadcaster Ghillie Basan offers 50 recipes in seven themed sections: brunch in a bowl, brunch with eggs, brunch on bread, baked potato brunch, sweet-tooth brunch and boozy brunch. Featuring Scottish ingredients in traditional recipes as well as imaginative combinations – from herring in oatmeal with creamy scrambled eggs and cranachan smoothie to pancetta scallops with Caesar salad bruschetta and bacon butties with honey gooseberries – this little book is the perfect inspiration for those days when time is more generous and food less rushed.

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Acclaimed cookery writer Claire Macdonald turns her attention to food for free in this selection of recipes using a huge variety of produce that can be found growing wild in fields, forests, hedgerows and along the seashore. Featuring blackcurrants, brambles, crabapples, dandelions, elderflower, funghi, hazelnuts, wild garlic, meadowsweet, nettles, sorrel, kelp, razorfish, mussels, and much more, Claire includes over 40 recipes for soups, mousses, salads, accompaniments, jams and jellies, cordials, cakes and biscuits as well as main courses and puddings.

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Marmalade is an iconic Scottish food, traditionally made every year in January and February when Seville oranges are available. Shirley Spear, whose multi-award-winning Three Chimneys restaurant on the Isle of Skye is a magnet for foodies, has written the ultimate guide to marmalade - not just to making it, but to using it as an ingredient all the year round in a delicious variety of dishes. The recipes here are both sweet and savoury, from Chocolate Marmalade Tart, Marmalade Ice Cream and Apple and Frangipane Tart with Marmalade Glaze, to Marmalade Sauce for Roast Duck, Glaze for Roast Gammon, use of Seville oranges in fish and shellfish dishes and Marmalade Chutney - and not forgetting the Three Chimneys' own legendary Hot Marmalade Pudding. Shirley mixes in fascinating information about how marmalade was invented, the great Scottish marmalade producers like Keiller and Robertsons, and even a link with Mary, Queen of Scots! This book will be the ideal Christmas stocking-filler for anyone interested in cooking, and an irresistible impulse-buy at any time of the year.

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Scottish baking is famous the world over. In this book, Liz Ashworth introduces a whole range of recipes arranged by theme – Bannocks, Breads and Scones; Biscuits; Tarts and Traybakes; and Cakes and Wee Fancies. From bannocks to butteries, seaweed nibbles to shortbread, from indulgent lemon Madeira cake and light-as-a-feather strawberry sandwich cake to wee fancies such as raspberry buns and ‘sair heideis’, the book features 40 recipes from all over the country. All are graded according to level of complexity (though none are difficult), making it ideal for bakers of all abilities to explore this glorious part of Scotland’s culinary heritage.

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Seumas MacInnes, one of Scotland's premier restaurateurs and owner of the iconic Cafe Gandolfi in Glasgow, is not afraid to take issue with the national bard over the sobriquet 'Great chieftain o' the puddin race'. Without slighting the qualities of haggis, or indeed white pudding, he wholeheartedly maintains that the title rightfully belongs to black pudding - and, very specifically, Stornoway black pudding. Raised in Glasgow with a Hebridean heritage, he rates black pudding as a versatile and uniquely flavoursome ingredient which can be served in myriad ways that will come as a revelation to those who still mistakenly associate the humble marag dubh solely with fried breakfasts. The 100 recipes in The Stornoway Black Pudding Bible include everything from the Cafe Gandolfi's black pudding and mushrooms with pancakes, to black pudding pakoras, black pudding tarts and black pudding, chorizo and bean stew. Black - or blood - pudding has a venerable past that stretches back to allusions in Homeric literature and a present that ensures its enduring popularity in the cuisines of, among others, Spain, France and Portugal. The Stornoway Black Pudding Bible is a celebration of the quality and versatility of black pudding, and above all is an encouragement to strike out in novel and fresh ways of cooking and enjoying this remarkable and underrated ingredient.

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Meet Bus Pass Barbara and Bus Pass Molly. Since they first met in Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station, they have been using their bus passes to explore new parts of Scotland they never dreamed they’d see. As they travel the country, they encounter crotchety drivers, snooty passengers and potentially eligible men, while saving weddings from catastrophes and walkers from sprained ankles. With a combination of both caustic wisecracking and cheeky humour, the Bus Pass Girls quickly become fast friends and travel companions as they navigate their way across the country.

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The referee. You can’t have a game without one. The most hated man (or woman) in football but you have to invite one to every game. Enjoy a laugh at the antics and wicked humour of Scottish referee Big Erchie, a powerhouse at five foot five, and a top grade referee who strikes fear into he hearts of managers and players alike as he stringently applies the laws of the game. But Big Erchie is burdened with a terrible secret… He’s a Stirling Albion supporter.

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Dealing with grammar in a modern way, with modern terminology, this book gives readers an understanding of the way language works. Providing readers with the vocabulary to think about and discuss Scots, English and other Modern languages, Modren Scots Grammar fits with the Curriculum for Excellence in that it provides the grounding for readers to undertake further exploration and discover language for themselves. Furthermore, this book aims to give readers confidence in using the Scots language. It is important for young Scots today to realise that Scots is not just bad English, but a language in its own right. Increasing understanding of the differences between the two will improve the use of both.

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Which river has half the distilleries in Scotland found along its length and in its surrounding glens? Why were monks at the forefront of developing whisky? Which Speyside distillery has an annual migration of toads? How did Glenrothes distillery expel its ghost?Robin Laing - singer-songwriter, author of The Whisky Muse, and chair of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Tasting Panel - set out to visit every distillery in the Speyside area, from Benromach to Tomintoul, and presents a guide to each of them here. There are descriptions of over 50 distilleries in Speyside, including The Macallan, The Glenlivet, Cardhu, Aberlour, Glenfiddich and Glengrant.Each entry is part history, part travelogue and part commentary on the changes in the whisky industry. Includes personal musings by the author, stories associated with the distillery and snippets of poetry and song. Laing's 'spirit' guide in his journey is Alfred Barnard, author of 1887's The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom. Barnard visited many of the same distilleries that Laing visits now and similarly left his impressions of the state of the facilities and the beauty of the surroundings. Much of this present book compares what Barnard found with what exists now, and the differences - and similarities - are often fascinating.

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These are tough times.Prices spiralling! Climate change! International tension! Pandemics! It’s not hard to find things to worry about.But Scottish grannies can be an oasis of calm. Their wit and wisdom, their compassion and knowhow, their measured good sense and withering reproaches are exactly what is required.Scottish grannies are reassuring. They are relevant. And they need to be heard.

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This witty and diverting book, from musician and whisky expert Robin Laing, captivates the reader with folklore and history reflecting aspects of Islay life, all relating back to whisky. Simultaneously entertaining, comforting and informative, Laing uses narrative and lyric to examine the relationship between the islanders of Islay and whisky. When grouped together as a whole, the various anecdotes, poems and songs beautifully illustrate the importance that whisky plays in the lives of the people of Islay, but also of how it has shaped their history.

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King o the Midden is back, and mankier than ever, with his cast of grimy guests, like Sergeant Snoddy (fae Kirkcaldy), exploding fairies and a hungry hairy mammoth. Brewing belly laughs for kids and adults alike, this collection of ridiculous rhymes is not for the faint-humoured. Marking the 20th anniversary of Itchy Coo, and devilishly doodled by Bob Dewar, this collection of musings from mischievous Scots writers covers everything from aliens to sport, family life to superheroes and how it feels to be a fish 'Swimmin in batter'.

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New title in the same series as bestselling The Stornoway Black Pudding Bible, The Italian Sausage Bible and The Macsween Haggis Bible Salmon can be eaten any time, and makes excellent starters, main courses, breakfasts and snacks, and there suggestions for all of these in this book. Due to its high protein content, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, salmon is one of the most nutritious fish available, with many health specialists recommending that it should be eaten three times a week. In this handy and varied collection of recipes, award-winning chef Claire Macdonald demonstrates the enormous versatility of salmon in forty mouth-watering recipes which show you could eat salmon seven days a week and still never tire of it. Hot-smoked salmon, cold-smoked salmon, salmon fillets and Gravalax (salmon cured with sugar, salt and dill) all feature, together with a huge range of imaginative accompaniments, from beetroot, cheese and cream to bananas,tomatoes, garlic and prosciutto.

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The latest in Birlinn's bestselling Food Bible series features the succulent soft fruits for which Scotland is so renowned - raspberries, Tayberries, redcurrants, blackberries - and shows how to get the best out of them. So much baking and cookery knowledge is packed into the compact Food Bible format, illustrated with Bob Dewar's delightfully quirky cartoons. Sue combines new and traditional recipes, including Bramble Clafoutis, Strawberry Risotto, Chocolate Raspberry Brownies, Duck with Blackcurrants, Redcurrant and Apple Lattice Pie and Blaeberry Polenta Cake. Sue is a real cook's cook, providing recipes that are easy to cook but reliably produce delicious results. As Nigella Lawson says: 'There couldn't be a book by Sue Lawrence that I wouldn't want to own and, indeed, I'd be horrified to learn that there were any titles I don't own. She writes beautifully, is as much chatty historian as cookery writer and her recipes always interest me and make me ravenous.'

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Dundonians have a defining, distinctive way of expressing themselves and communicating feelings. The ancient city’s characteristic accent can be heard in any Lochee bar or Hilltoon playground, or on any bus – where Dundee grannies have extraordinary ‘Eh?’ ‘Eh!’ nodding conversations. And to the trained ear they make perfect sense!

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Robin Laing – songwriter, poet, performer – takes the reader on a lyrical tour of the history and lore surrounding Scotland’s national drink. His writing depicts whisky in its many guises; be it a warm comfort on a winter’s night, the perfect accompaniment to beans on toast, or even a perilous substance inciting mayhem and ‘super velocity.’ The Whisky Muse II is an ode to both whisky and the country where its stories began. Laing’s poems are steeped in legend and inspired by a wealth of anecdote; from sea dragons to warring rabbits, culinary finesse to the elusive female haggis. His songs are reminiscent of the foot-stamping and rowdy camaraderie of folk songs performed in a cosy tavern, possibly following a wee dram (or two). So settle down, crack out the Usquebaugh Baul, and join Laing for many a tale of legend, adventure, chaos and love, all in tribute to Scotland’s favourite tipple.

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In today's world of ready meals and snacking, the value of healthy eating has never been more important. Seafood is one of the healthiest things you can put on your plate: fish is good for the heart, improves circulation, keeps your joints mobile and your eyes healthy, and is packed with minerals. There's even evidence it can boost your brain power. In this book, Sally MacColl presents 50 delicious tried-and-tested seafood recipes featuring produce from the waters around her home island of Mull, including salmon, trout, haddock and mackerel as well as mussels, langoustine, lobster, scallops and crab. Arranged in five main sections – Quick and Easy Fish Recipes, Quick and Easy Recipes with Smoked Fish, Quick and Easy Recipes with Shellfish, Favourite Fish Recipes, and Sides and Sauces – and featuring a host of mouth-watering dishes, from Smoked Salmon Hash to Scallops with Island Black Pudding and Garlic Butter, Sally also includes useful information on buying and preparing fish.

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From David Cameron striding across the border, wearing nothing but a kilt and brandishing a claymore soaked in the blood of his enemies, to Alex Salmond’s naked mud wrestling bout with Alistair Darling, the campaign to win Scotland’s independence from the Evil Empire in Westminster had everything. Now, with in-depth analysis from renowned political expert, Dr Ian Shackleton of the Glasgow School of Politics and Football, and relying on actual quotes from friends of sources close to aides to senior Holyrood insiders, From #Indyref to Eternity tells the true story of this momentous political event, with week-by-week reports from the final six months of the campaign that historians will call ‘that vote about the thing that happened in Scotland in 2014.’

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An alternative look at notable figures and events as seen through a unique Caledonian perspective. The attributes associated with being Scottish are applied to well-known quotes and events. Covering topics such as war, politics, cinema, religion and more, the text will be accompanied by light-hearted and witty illustrations making this an ideal book for the gift market both in Scotland and further afield.

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Ah want tae check she’s awricht. Ah kin luik there fur Brodie an aw.Burds are meant tae fly.Brodie goes missing. Being a bird with a bad wing, Iona is sent into a worry. Her mammy is busy trying to get her ready for school and the snaw is settling in. But Brodie must be found.Running through the garden and exploring Mad Billy’s farm, Brodie couldn’t have gone far. After all, she was a hoolet thit couldnae fly.A fantastic book from award-winning Scots author Emma Grae, exploring themes of confidence and celebrates the idea that it is okay to be different. Meet all the different animals we encounter on the search for Brodie in this bonnie wee book.There is an untapped market for an original children’s book in Scots and Emma is keen to fill it with great stories for kids aged 7-10 years old. With a snowy setting, it will make a great gift this Christmas for any child in Scotland.

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The Scots have a unique way of communicating their feelings. Their sayings are cheeky, to the point, rude and always funny. Scotland’s bestselling humour author is back with his latest collection of hilarious Scottish sayings.‘Away an’ bile yer heid an’ mak silly soup!’‘If you don’t behave ah’ll pawn ye an’ sell the ticket.’‘That wan’s in everything but the Co-operative windae!’‘If ah had your money ah wid burn ma ain.’‘Ye’ve goat a heid oan ye like a stair-heid.’‘The gemme’s a bogie.’‘Yer cruisin’ fur a bruisin’.’‘Ah’m that hungry ah could eat a scabbie-heided horse.’‘Castor oil cures everythin’ but a widden leg.’‘Wan minute yer a peacock an’ the next yer a feather duster.’‘Yer talkin’ mince withoot a tattie in sight.’‘Lang may yer lum reek, an’ may a wee moose never leave yer kitchen press wi’ a tear in its ee.’‘Yer herr’s mingin’, hingin’ an’ clingin’.’From the infallible wisdom of the Glesca Granny, to the hilarious patter of larger-than-life conductress Big Aggie MacDonald, Allan Morrison has a sharp eye and a silver tongue when it comes to observational humour.SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY on Haud Ma Chips, Ah’ve Drapped the Wean!

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The Arbroath Smokie is one of Scotland's best loved traditional fish delicacies, taking its name from the small coastal town in the county of Angus it has been on the menu for a thousand years. Unlike its famous fishy relatives, Finnan Haddies and Loch Fyne kippers, which are cold-smoked and require cooking before heating, Arbroath Smokies are uniquely hot-smoked, making them ready to eat straight from the smoker. In this book, Iain R. Spink, whose family have been involved in this traditional way of cooking haddock for five generations, introduces the history of the Smokie and divulges the process involved in its preparation. He also explores its enormous versatility in 30 mouth-watering recipes for all occasions, from Arbroath Smokie and Leek Chowder, and Luxury Fish Pie to Tagliatelle with Creamy Lemon Smokie, and Arbroath Smokie and Spinach Gratin.

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Meet Dave. Dave is Prime Minister. Dave really wants to do the right thing. He keeps telling us he wants to do the right thing. Again and again and again. One afternoon he told us four times in half an hour. Then he went off and did the right thing. Every morning when he wakes up, he reminds himself to remind us that he's doing the right thing. But what is the right thing? And what is the wrong thing? And is doing the right thing the right thing or the wrong thing to do? Or is doing the wrong thing the right thing to do when doing the right thing might turn out to be the wrong thing, and doing the wrong thing might turn out to be the right thing? Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they've tried everything else WINSTON CHURCHILL Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing TONY BLAIR If I lose the ball, I lose it trying to do the right thing. That's the way it is. FRANK LAMPARD

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AW ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MAIR EQUAL THAN ITHERSIt didnae seem unco when Napoleon wis seen daunderin aboot the fairmhoose gairden wi a pipe in his mooth...Frae the instant o its first publication ower seeventy year syne, Animal Fairm, in mony weys, has come tae be oor socio-political urtext – oor wan-singer-wan-sang, oor collective pairty piece, the script we’re doomed tae keep repeatin...George Orwell’s faur-kent novel Animal Fairm, yin o Time magazine’s 100 brawest English-leid novels o aw time, has been translatit intae Scots for the verra first time by Thomas Clark. When the animals o Manor Fairm cast aff thirldom an tak control frae Mr Jones, they hae howps for a life o freedom an equality. But when the pigs Napoleon and Snawbaw rise tae pouer, the ither animals find oot that they’re mebbe no aw as equal as they’d aince thocht. A tragic political allegory described by Orwell as bein ‘the history o a revolution that went wrang’, this buik is as relevant noo – if no mair sae – as when it wis first set oot.

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