The purpose of the book is to continue the tradition of excellent vegetarian food, centred on Mediterrrean flavors, served at the BRC which has always had the personal touch of the head chef in charge of the menus and that of his co-chefs: the lovely, friendly local Zulu women who have worked in the kitchen for many years to great acclaim from visitors. These ladies were taught the skills of traditional Zulu cooking from their mothers, which they then readily adapted to cooking the vegetarian cuisine served at the BRC. These women could hold their own in the kitchen of any up-market restaurant anywhere. With this book, the BRC also wanted to showcase the exquisite indigenous environment in which it is set, which has become a spiritual haven for South African and international visitors. It offers a wide variety of retreats and workshops ranging from studies in eastern – mostly Buddhist – philosophy and cultures, such as yoga and Japanese brush painting. CNN voted the BRC as one of the top ten retreat centres in the world, and President Mandela awarded it Natural Heritage Status. In common with most recipe books, it has a tradional layout with soup, salad, mains, sweets and bread sections, but it also includes beautifully-written, charming anecdotes by Louis van Loon about the centre’s early beginnings and history, also showcasing some of the fascinating personalities, secular and religious, he met on his travels to the East.