A celebration of the author/chef's mantra--"local, fresh, direct"--this unconventional cookbook contains excellent recipes from the Freedom Cafe in Durban. Sensationally illustrated with photographs and hilarious sketches, its recipes include vine tomatoes with a sprinkling of sea salt; Bloody Marys made with horseradish and celery sticks; old-fashioned ginger beer; and "chakalaka" oysters with shallot vinegar. Inventive yet not overly complicated, featuring easy-to-follow instructions, this is a cookbook that presents recipes with a stylish twist.

Neil Roake's love of good food has brought him happy friends and a skewer-full of awards, including Best Barbeque and Outdoor Cookbook in the World at the international Gourmand Awards for Life's A Beach Cottage. Now he's put his money where his mouth is and opened Freedom Cafe at Concierge Boutique Bungalows in Durban. As Glynis Horning writes in the Forward, 'Only a few of us have the energy and sheer bloody nerve to break loose and risk what we have to be fully and freely ourselves.' Neil is one. You can taste the Freedom in these vibrant pages of food from the Cafe - a celebration of his mantra, 'local, fresh, direct.' His recipes and the colourful tales behind them are sensationally illustrated with photographs by Tony Christie, and artwork from his Modern Museum design studio.