"Inspiring， thoughtful and incredibly useful。 Selin Kiazim thinks like a chef but writes for cooks everywhere。" – Diana Henry

"Once again Selin has created a truly impressive mouth-watering entity。 It's fabulous and well-written， thoughtful and generous in its information。" – Peter Gordon

Three looks at the magic elements that make a plate of food truly come into its own: acid， texture and contrast – the fundamental building blocks that will transform a modest dish into the star of the show。

Chef Selin Kiazim gives you the know-how on how to use ingredients from the store cupboard or fridge and combine them in a way that elevates every single element。 Whether you want a simple midweek meal or a centerpiece to blow your guests' socks off， there's something for all occasions。

Starting with a guide to the basic foundations of a dish， along with clever ideas for pickles， dressings and condiments to get the balance right， the recipes are then divided by type of food – alliums， beans， greens， pulses and grains， brassicas， fruit， nightshades and mushrooms， nuts， poultry and meat， seafood， and roots and tubers。

Selin's recipes show that a meal can be so much more than the sum of its parts through the simple guidelines of using acid， texture and contrast in each dish。