Bosco Santimano - Director/Community Cook 

I was born in Bombay, India to a family of migrants from Goa. My passion for food was developed early as I was surrounded by family and friends who excelled in home cooking from a wide range of cuisines.

My career has been very varied and full of excitement as I always looked for new challenges. I have worked as a Teacher, Marketing Manager, Executive Assistant, Steward on a cruise ship, various jobs in the catering industry in the UK, Health Care Assistant with NHS Lothians, Administration Officer within the Civil Service, Client Advisor within the Voluntary Sector( last job as I was made redundant!) to being currently Self-employed.

I love reading, music, good films and being an organiser of various events that I do within the community to create awareness of issues that I believe should be of public interest. Malawi Fundraiser, Diwali-The Festival of Lights, Arthouse Film Nights are some of the successeful events hosted in Peebles in the last few years with active support from the local community.

 Rica Macinnes - Director

I was raised in what I like to refer to as a blip in the universe: a liberal multicultural university town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and I was the first American to be born to German parents.  My mother has always been passionate about food not only nutritionally but artistically and my father despite having a huge appetite had a thin waist. I prefer to spend less time in the kitchen concentrating on simple but healthy.  I have now spent almost half my life in Scotland.  

While I have studied Zoology, Medical Technology, Mathematics and Occupational Therapy, my greatest passions are art, imaginative education, mystics from any tradition and people watching.  I am not keen on team sports of any kind or history as it seems that people never do learn from the past!  I now tutor Maths, work as an Activities Coordinator for elderly patients in our local hospital and on developing my own art. 

I am pleased to support You Can Cook and its community ethos.   

 Hanisa Santimano - Secretary/Community Cook 

I was born in Milano, Italy and after finishing my studies in Tourism worked for a while doing various jobs until one fine day I woke up! and decided to change my life for the better and decided to leave Italy and travel the world to experience and know my inner self!

13 something years later, was I glad to take that step? Of course! My journey took me to Australia, New Zealand, Africa, India, Central America and many other beautiful places along the way.

I am a Shiatsu Therapist and  have also done courses/studies in Accupressure, Reflexology and Meditation. I am passionate about healthy food and grow some of my food in a allotment shared by friends. My hobbies are painting, drawing, crafts, dancing, music and exploring new eco-friendly alternatives.

 Clare Galloway - Community Cook

I was raised on an island small-holding in south-west Scotland,  and have trained at both Glasgow and Edinburgh Schools of Art. I've also travelled, trained in permaculture, worked on organic fields and in communities, healed through organic food and art, and developed a unique visual language and ecological philosophy.

I am passionate about inspiring transformative vitality in culture, and have been vegetarian for 21yrs.
See www.claregalloway.co.uk for further background information.

 Morag McDonald - Community Cook

Growing up in Nairn in the North of Scotland I learned to cook from my mum and granny, progressing from making pancake men with raisins for eyes to soups, stews, home baking and jam making.

I enjoy the challenge of creating inexpensive healthy meals (in half an hour or less) from whatever i've got to hand and love the social buzz of cooking for and eating with friends, It's great when i'm able to pick vegetables and herbs fresh from my organic vegetable garden or use fruit or mushrooms that I've gathered in the wild.

I've got loads of interests from traditional music and singing to hillwalking, travelling,learning languages and practising the ancient art of shamanic healing and i really enjoy connecting with people from all walks of life.

 Mona Taylor - Community Cook

I still love baking myself and do lots of it with my own family. Being Irish I also make lots of dishes with potatoes, but then you probably guessed that already. They are one of my favourite foods and my children love them too.

I moved to Scotland   twenty years ago just after my parents moved back to Ireland as it was easier to “get home” to Donegal. There seems to be a strong connection between Scottish and Irish cooking and culture which sits well with me. I love using seasonal traditional Scottish foods in simple ways to feed my family and friends and above all love learning about food myself.

Special Thanks to our Supporters

Lawrie & Rhona from http://www.bookdonors.co.uk 

Gregor Clark from http://www.gregorclark.co.uk

Registered Office