By Darren Lum

There is a genuine sweetness to the From the Heart of Haliburton Cookbook that can’t be denied, and it’s down to more than just the dessert recipes.

Created by the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School Interact Club in partnership with parent club Rotary Club of Haliburton and the club for young adults, the Rotaract Club, the spiral-bound cookbook has multiple purposes. While serving to unite the community in an effort to collect recipes that have long warmed the hearts and bellies of county residents, the cookbook is also a fundraising initiative, with proceeds raised to benefit the Mahatma Gandhi Sishu Siksha Sadan School in rural India, south of Kolkata. The Haliburton Rotary Club has had a relationship with the school for almost 15 years.

Profits from the sale of the 84-recipe cookbook will help the school in India purchase basic items such as desks and chairs. There is a hope to expand the relationship with the school to include HHSS for greater school-to-school interactions.

Logan Heaven, the Interact member responsible for communications on the cookbook project said, “It’s been a great success so far and we’re just proud of what we’ve created.”

Thus far there have been 70 pre-orders from the 100 about-to-be printed copies for the $20 book, which spans the range of recipes from appetizers and sides to entrees and desserts. There is an eclectic list that includes Chinese fried rice, chickpea burgers, Pad Thai, bread, pesto and date squares.

Heaven said originally the plan was to print only 50 copies before pre-orders came in and, if there was interest for more, another run of copies printed. He added the book took two months to complete, which included planning and execution.

The cover of the design was created by members of the Rotaract Club, while the interior page layout was completed by the Interact Club in consultation with members of Rotary and Rotaract, Logan said.

The Interact Club has taken on several initiatives to help the community since their launch, such as during Halloween when it organized the We Care Hunger event, which included the collection of non-perishables for residents in need within the community.

It includes president Emma Mitchell, vice-president Daniella Meraw, secretary, Megan Klose, and members Jessica Lee and Sophie Longo.

Logan said his favourite recipe is the one from his family, which he’s had the pleasure of knowing all his life and not just close to his heart, but donated by his grandmother, Logan’s Famous Chocolate Sauce.

Throughout his life it was a sauce that adorned many desserts, but primarily ice cream, he said.

He adds cooking and those sorts of activities have been a big part of helping him get through the pandemic.

“I know I have tried to pick up some cooking and I was never the best at cooking, but at least it let me get out there and try,” he said. “It marks a time we all worked together as a community and as a population to help and get through the pandemic. I think it very much does mark an era in time for us.”

Pre-order your copy at haliburtonrotaract@gmail.com.