The title of A Platter of Figs alludes to Tanis’s metaphor for the ideal food: fresh and fleeting. His love of seasonal ingredients is no surprise. Tanis lives two lives, spending half the year as head chef at Chez Panisse and the other half hosting a supper club at his home in Paris. Those who love the Chez Panisse books will appreciate this as a continuation in the series. It’s different, to be sure, but touched with the same seasonal mentality and small techniques that make ingredients shine. The book flows like the seasons it’s created for and includes 24 menus, each recipe serving eight to 10 people. The result is a presentation of straightforward, sophisticated food that is meant to be shared with others. Photographer Christopher Hirscheimer’s pictures present Tanis’ vision of beautiful food—uncontrived and voluptuous. A Platter of Figs seems to be targeting a foodie audience, but Tanis’ message about real-life cooking and back-to-basics approach will serve as a refreshing reminder and inspiration for restaurant chefs.

2003 James Beard Award Winner - Photography Category; Diane Forley shows how to build a dish--and a menu--from the vegetable on up in this innovative cookbook that looks at flavors through a botanical prism.

Owner and chef of Montreal's innovative Au Pied de Cochon restaurant, Martin Picard brings together 55 of the restaurant's recipes in this sumptuous album, which not only dodges culinary fads but also breaks the mold of the typical cookbook in its playful, award-winning design. There's no calorie counting here — Picard leads readers into shameless gastronomic indulgence with such hearty dishes as Foie Gras Pizza, Venison "Chinese Pie," and, per the restaurant's name, oven-braised Pigs' Feet. Six hundred color photos and 50 illustrations complement the lively text.

With more than thirty years of experience in the business, Delores Custer knows how to make food look good for the camera. And in an industry that relies so heavily on print and online-visuals, the art of the food stylist is in high demand. Would-be food stylists, whether total amateurs or active professionals, couldn’t ask for a better guide than Custer, whose extensive career included heavy-hitters like General Mills, Bacardi, and Cuisinart, and who has previously taught her craft at NYU, the CIA, and ICE. The book is entirely, and exhaustively practical, covering everything from the history of the craft to getting your first job to organizing storyboards, exaggerating appetizing visuals, and building a kit of various, and surprising, food-styling tools. Whether she’s giving advice on how to get the best “cheese pull” for a pizza commercial (pre-slice the dough), suggesting hair grooming lotion as a perfect visual substitute for milk (it’s highly toxic), or troubleshooting styling issues for everything from pasta to meat to pastry, Custer’s advice is detailed, thorough, and generous—proof of a long, successful career in the industry making food look as good as, and often better than, it tastes.

Chef Peter Gilmore of Quay cares primarily about the diversity of food. On the menu or on the plate, he wants variety as well as vibrancy. His artistic cookbook celebrates his open culinary philosophy with recipes and photographs from his iconic restaurant. Thomas Keller penned the introduction, where he claims “[Gilmore] has great command of the fundamentals and is also able to successful blend the diverse cultures that have influenced the region with integrity and understanding.” Keller’s favorite, “Mud Crab Congee” reflects Gilmore’s philosophy as much as Keller’s, featuring diverse textures and local ingredients, but with the depth of knowledge that makes Gilmore stand out among Australian chefs. His book, like his restaurant, is a piece of art.