I’m sure it’s not lost on members of my community, but animals are deeply important to me. My flock of 20 rescue chickens are my feathered babies, and are spoilt accordingly. And truly, they’re just like your cat or dog. They come running up whenever they see me, patiently waiting at the gate. They know the difference between all the family members, and who lets them get away with what. They pick off the burrs stuck to my boots just the same way they preen each other. I can tell you who’s best friends with who, who’s got angst with who, the quirks of each personality, who gets scared of what, who goes crazy for corn and who’s had their beak trimmed (an inhumane practice commonplace in the egg industry) and therefore finds the cobs hard to peck at. The girls that love watermelon, and those that prefer banana. I can tell when one is sick just by looking at them.
I started writing my first cookbook in 2009 – that’s going back a while now! And even back then, before this movement had really started, I wrote passionately about the ethical sourcing of meat and animal products. And after 15 years in the food industry, and with a thriving backyard food system of my own, I still see food ethics as a highly complex issue, one that I certainly don’t think is black and white. But one thing I couldn’t be more sure of is that we could all eat less animal products. For the animals, for the environment, for our health, for our wallet. And who couldn’t do with more veggies and fibre in their diet, anyway?
My sister Ellen has been cooking the most amazing plant-based recipes in the Thermomix for over ten years now, consistently surprising me with the impressive meals she serves up. So much so that I would take her cooking over a restaurant any day. These recipes were too good not to share, so we set about doing what we do best – creating a beautiful cookbook to guide and inspire. In this case, a plant-based cookbook for Thermomix machines that everyone would love, not just the vegans! Our delicious recipes make it easy and accessible for everybody to include a few more plant-based meals in their diet. What have you got to lose?
This book marks my family’s eleventh published cookbook; a milestone I’m very proud to reach. Why do we do what we do? Because home cooking truly is life changing stuff. And while cooking a meal from scratch may not be the most celebrated of achievements, small steps lead to big changes, and we get the opportunity to contribute positively three times every single day! So, let’s take that opportunity and make a difference; to our health, to the environment, to our wallet, to our community and to the animals. We’ve made it easy, with our doable and delicious real-life recipes for real-life cooks.
Now let Ellen take you on a journey, showing you the vast array of delicious dishes you can cook with ease in your Thermomix or thermo cooker — no animal products required! You’re going to love it.
Happy cooking, Alyce xo
