I have just one desire for you dear reader, as you hold this cookbook in your hand.
Just one desire, pure and simple, just like the sweetness I pour into every recipe.
It's this: that you hold this cookbook without fear. That you trust yourself enough.
That you find every day to be a sweet celebration of your body filled with delight after every bite of these recipes.
OK so maybe there's more than desire there.
But there's more than one ingredient to a happy life. And this is a cookbook about celebrating your sweet life - and your sweet tooth - naturally.
And there's not just one way, there are a 1001 ways to do that.
This is my way. Through cooking wonderful, nourishing recipes, and sharing those recipes.
I've chosen ingredients which leave you feeling good. They nurture your body and its organs. They won't lift you up on a refined sugar high and then dump you afterwards.
It's not a justification to eat dessert all the time. Just because some of the recipes contain sweet potato, dates and berries doesn't mean you can eat my (Adults Only) Chocolate Cupcakes or my Banoffee Cheesecake all day, every day.
Let me add this.
Desserts get a bad rap sometimes. As children we can only have dessert "after you've eaten your veges".
They're used as a reward. As a bribe. They are withheld as punishment, they are forbidden and then at birthdays and Christmases we overindulge.
They also bring back sweet memories too. In these pages you'll meet my Dad and his Anzac Cookies, my Mum and her Fruit Salad. You'll meet Rachelle's (Mum's) Pavlova, Hayley's Brownie and Daina's Childhood Chocolate Chunks.
If it's another desire that I have for you then it's this: it's time to stop beating yourself up over your sweet tooth, and it's time to start loving your body.
Louise, Chef Cynthia: - "Chef Cynthia Louise talks about food. Plant-based food that makes you Feel GOOD. She won't talk diet. She won't talk macronutrients. She talks about real food. Just like nature intended. And one more thing - if it doesn't have flavor it can F-off. Chef Cynthia comes with a large side of personality. An infectious passion. Not to mention she's also- the bestselling author of 7 recipe books (including 3 books with biochemist Dr Libby Weaver)- the star of 2 cooking shows on Gaia TV and FMTV- the partner of a global chain of restaurants with serial entrepreneur Roger Hamilton- and created her own range of gut-healing food products and online classes. In her early days at a health resort she saw the effects of her cooking on chronically ill patients. Diabetes, stress, chronic fatigue, Crohn's, eczema, cirrhosis, leaky gut, IBS and autoimmune conditions all responded positively - even to the amazement of natural doctors and healers - when she served natural, plant-based meals made from her highest intentions. She followed these same principles while recovering from her second heart surgery. So she knows the power of her method from the inside out. As an adopted child raised in New Guinea, Cynthia spent days down the back of her family's workshop with the wives of the workers. They would harvest coconuts and shred them while roasting sweet potatoes over an open fire. In contrast, her nights at home were spent eating rissoles and mash. She learnt early on how real food tastes and what it does for your body. That's when she realized that cooking is a contract with your body. Our health is on loan. You pay it back by nourishing yourself with positive energy and emotions, then starting the simple act of preparing a meal. It's one of the many simple, yet profound things Chef Cynthia Louise has discovered in her journey. And there's more she wants to share. Cook with real food. Cook with great energy. Cook with Chef Cynthia Louise."
