A practical guide to adding that professional flourish to any dish. Food Presentation Secrets provides professional cooking school instruction, tips and recipes for more than 100 sweet and savory garnishing ideas. Using this comprehensive guide, any home chef can make professional-looking garnishes with delicious edible ingredients. Five comprehensive sections reveal the techniques, tools, ingredients and designs used by chefs in fine restaurants. Step-by-step illustrations show how to assemble the garnishes, and each is graded in difficulty from one to five. Handy checklists, tip boxes and identifier directories explain the best ways to use the different garnishes. The features include: . How and why to garnish, history of garnishing, modern garnish styles . Essential cooking tips and rules of presentation . The aesthetics of plate styles and shapes . Useful tools and essential knives . Core garnishing techniques using sauces, gravies, oils, salsas, pestos, foliage, flowers, fruit, vegetables, flour-based garnishes, dairy, sugars, pastries, ices, chocolate and textures Food Presentation Secrets rivals a professional culinary course and will give all cooks the confidence to create attractive designs for any type of menu. AUTHORS: Cara Hobday has been a professional food journalist and stylist for 14 years and is the author of a number of cookbooks. Jo Denbury is a freelance journalist, stylist and writer based in London, England.