Great classic French brasserie recipes and Bourdain’s endless wit. Not your typical cookbook – great reading fun, especially for a pro cook who can relate to his quips & quibbles. For the home cooks, it gives an inside look at how we crazy guys in the industry think and work.

The king of old school, classical French cookbooks. Classic sauces, elaborate garnishes, etc.

Great, usable book. Each technique is illustrated by photographs of Pépin himself working. Very useful for learning knife skills, basic cooking techniques, garnishes, etc.

The classic guide to classical cuisine. Now updated to include other cuisines besides French, and some more contemporary recipes. Learn how to make classic French dishes like souffles, pates and terrines, roast meats with thick, flavorful sauces, etc. Recipes are not written for beginner cooks – they are very brief, and a knowledge of numerous cooking techniques is required. If you can cook from this book though, you’ll definitely turn a few heads.