Now Moldovans know how to make stovies

HE ADMITS he has rarely boiled an egg and had to beg his friends back home in Scotland for their favourite recipes. But charity worker John McKellar last night turned celebrity chef to demonstrate Scots cusine on a prime-time Moldovan TV show.

He donned his kilt to demonstrate the art of making stovies and cranachan on cookery-based chat show Sare si Piper ("Salt and Pepper") - a cross between The One Show and Saturday Kitchen.

Mr McKellar, 33, who lives in Moldova's capital Chisinau, where he is country manager for charity Hospices for Hope, was seen live on the programme teaching presenter Nata Albot to dance the Gay Gordons.

Co-presenter Andrei Bolocan also wore a kilt for the Scottish- themed, 90-minute show, which included video footage from around Scotland.

The hosts seemed less than bowled over by the Scottish recipes. "The stovies looked very grey. I'm not sure they were the nicest, but they ate them," said Mr McKellar. "I was so nervous before it started, but the presenters made me feel very relaxed."

Albot said: "I do not really eat meat, so the stovies was not my favourite dish. It looked a little strange, but there are no full dishes left after the show, so there must have been something tasty about it. I was a big fan of the dessert though."

She added: "We had heard there was a Scotsman living in Moldova and we knew nothing about Scotland before - except Braveheart and Ewan McGregor - so we really wanted him on the show."