The Joy of Cooking

There is one cookbook that absolutely belongs in the kitchen of everyone, no matter their culinary expertise: The Joy of Cooking. After years of using it, this book remains indispensable to me. Find a recipe that sounds good, but is unclear about technique? Joy will help. Need a good starting point to build your own meal? Joy will help. Want to know how to clean a chicken, where cognac comes from, or how to understand the differences among cuts of meat? Joy will help.

I won't give you a full description of the book - the history is easily found. But suffice it to say that even when I find a recipe from a trusted source, I always look it up in Joy - just in case. I can't describe the many errors this has saved me, or the ways I've been able to improve my own technique. Before you spring for that shiny coffee table book by celebrity chef X, buy Joy.