In this age of food being judged by its visual appeal in photos on social media, it’s essential to create beautiful art on the plate. Even successful chefs rarely understand exactly how this is accomplished because they do not have any formalized set of rules to follow.

The book is the result of a Michelin star chef’s travels around the world, analyzing hundreds of plates to codify a set of rules that can be followed by other chefs and serious home cooks. This is unlike any other book published to date, and illustrated with color photographs throughout.

The paradigms of plating at top restaurants is revealed in unabashed detail, revealing tricks of the trade and sometimes the art of deception that results in stunning plates that will stand up to the scrutiny of any critic.

For the first time ever, here are clear and concise directions for transforming virtually any dish into one that deserves to be on the menu of a top restaurant-and without the use of any exotic molecular gastronomy chemicals or specialized expensive equipment. Everything you need is readily available. An explanation of the approaches and exact methods for producing an artistic arrangement of components of any dish has never been explained as clearly.

After the extensive section on analysis, there are dozens of complete recipes from the author’s experience. Also included are methods for how to make outstanding substitutions of expensive ingredients such as truffles and foie gras at a fraction of the price of the real thing, and a method for making inexpensive poultry taste like grouse or pheasant. Several easy artisanal bread recipes are included and there is an insightful guide to pairing flavors in a novel way to achieve unique memorable dishes.

This is the book that every aspiring chef and serious home cook dreams of finding.

DISCLAIMER: This book is not affiliated with or necessarily endorsed by Michelin. The author has been a chef at several Michelin star restaurants, and so the title is based on his extensive experience at those restaurants.