The is a must for any serious cook who wants to learn the proper way to prepare the classics of fine French cooking. When I want to make a fancy dinner, I assemble the menu from a variety of cookbooks, and then I consult this book to see if any of the items are included.

This is because Mastering the Art of French Cooking includes so much useful information about technique, ingredients, and cooking processes that I trust these recipes. Even if I use the recipe in another book, it's worthwhile reading about it in this one first.

I have the 1961 single-volume edition. It originally came out as two volumes and it has been re-released as two volumes. You can often find one or another volume in a used book store or an antiques shop, but be careful to see if it is the single-volume edition or one volume of a two-volume edition! And of course you can order it online - the links above go to the 2009 two-volume edition on Amazon.com