The New Art of Cooking: A Modern Guide to Preparing and Styling

We all eat with our eyes, and amazing-tasting food isn't just about ingredients - it's about anticipation too. Why serve your friends houmous from a plastic tub when a pretty bowl plus a drizzle of olive oil will make it look ten times more appetising?

Welcome to the world of 'food styling'. For Frankie Unsworth, food styling is both an obsession and a profession, and with years of experience behind the scenes on photography shoots, she knows exactly how to make food look good. Her approach begins with produce; rule number one is to always buy fruit and veg in season so it's colourful and flourishing, as well as tasty. Next, start collecting dishes that will show off your cooking to the best effect (a large white platter will make the most of colourful summer salads, while cosy little bowls are good for winter soups). And finally, take a moment to think about serving your food in a beautiful way! Simple techniques - such as tearing lettuce leaves instead of chopping them, or picking out the tiniest leaves at the top of a sprig of basil to make instant 'micro-herbs' - can make a stunning difference.

All of Frankie's recipes include clear instructions for making them look their best, so without even trying you'll pick up tips that can be applied to the rest of your repertoire. Not only will these recipes look good, they will taste wonderful too (and you won't find yourself resorting to expensive or hard-to-find ingredients). These include beetroot soup with hazelnut cream; red pepper gazpacho; shredded slaw with turmeric and tahini dressing; bittersweet seasonal salad; pork with shaken rhubarb; fancy puff-pastry fish pie; raspberry chocolate mousse with honeycomb crunch; brioche and custard pudding; and strawberries and cream ice lollies.

There is also a substantial 'how-to' section at the front of the book, which outlines the professional techniques and insider's knowledge that will give your cooking the edge. You'll quickly master everything from how to spot the freshest fish on the counter, how to chiffonade herbs like a pro, or simply how to decide whether to serve your favourite pud in big bowls or small ones. This beautiful, clever book will provide you with a fantastic toolkit straight from the world of professional food styling, and change the way you cook forever.

Frankie Unsworth is a London-based food stylist and writer. After studying languages at university, she worked as a writer for an Italian food magazine, before studying Patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she lived for a few years. It was here that she met Rachel Khoo, for whom she went on to style books and work as a home economist on her TV shows based in Paris, London and Melbourne. This is her first book.

@frankie_u / frankieunsworth.com