Dr. Patricia Robertson Main has been a worker bee at Glenview Presbyterian, in Toronto, for some 20 years. Pat was born into a Presbyterian family in Edinburgh. They attended St. George’s (Presbyterian) Church in Old Town. When Pat was dental student, at Edinburgh University, she met James Main, a teacher of hers, and they married in Greyfriars Presbyterian Church. These days Greyfriars is most famous for Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye terrier, who stayed by his master’s grave for 14 years (1858-1872). Today visitors, to Edinburgh, flock to the statue of this faithful dog (opposite a faithless bar, named for him). As newly-weds, the Mains lived in a flat, above a pub on The Royal Mile, across the street from St Giles Cathedral. Well churched, indeed.
In the late 1960s, James was offered a position at the University of Toronto, so the couple tried Canada and decided to stay. Pat had to re-do her dental degree, to obtain Ontario qualifications, and then, after graduate school, she landed a job teaching dentistry at U of T. By the time Pat retired, she was department head in the Discipline of Dental Public Health. “I had a very interesting career. I was involved with dental health policies and worked on programmes for First Nations,” Pat says.
Currently, at Glenview, Pat is on the Session Membership Committee and in her second term, heading up the Worship Committee which helps the minister and music director with new ideas for the church services. Pat has championed innovative measures like the installation of screens, in the church, so people at the back can see proceedings in the sanctuary.
And Pat is no mean baker. At an Advent Festival, at Glenview, she organized a shortbread and Christmas pudding workshop and, for an anniversary dinner, she baked bread pudding, with whisky sauce, for 150 diners. Pat also made Cranachan (Atholl Brose), a rich tradition Scottish dessert, for the same church celebration.
Cranachan, although simple to make, provides a light, yet sophisticated, ending to any special dinner, especially at Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve in Scotland) and (Rabbie) Burns suppers.
Oh! And did I mention Pat is past-president of The St. Andrews Society of Toronto.
CRANACHAN
2 Tablespoon oatmeal
1 cup Whipping Cream
I Tablespoon sugar (sweeten to taste)
I Cup Raspberries
METHOD
Toast the oatmeal until slightly brown.
Whip the cream until stiff.
Fold in a little sugar, the toasted oatmeal and raspberries.
Either serve as small individual desserts or pour into a large bowl.
Decorate the top with fresh raspberries.
Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more. Serve from refrigerator.
Makes 8 portions.
