The ultimate guide to classical cuisine, now updated for the era of food processors and microwaves, completely freshly illustrated in full color and Americanized by the renowned author of Tastings. Over 900 full-color photographs and 70 black-and-white illustrations. ( )

The first English language edition of the world authority on food, wine and cooking.

The majority of the book is about French cuisine, and contains recipes for French dishes and cooking techniques. The first edition included few non-French dishes and ingredients; later editions include many more. (Amazon)

I had this book on the shelf for years, and supposed it to be snooty and French. It is - and terrific stuff, too.
Handling a roadkill just after Christmas I browsed the book for venison recipes and discovered one (see Roebuck) attributed to Christian Dior, of all people. To my slight surprise it read well - it had, I imagine, a sort of New Look simplicity. And it was a triumph.
Now I browse the great tome occasionally, finding all sorts of treasures, including little biographies of extraordinary people, mostly French cooks and critics. ( )

Highly regarded as a French gourmand's Bible, I keep this book close to the kitchen as a culinary dictionary. Entries are organized alphabetically, and brief recipes are filed where appropriate. For example, if you want to find different ways to cook sole, look up "sole," and the entry will provide an explanation of the subject, tips on how to select and prepare the fish, then different recipes that focus on ingredients rather than step-by-step instructions such as "Turn the oven to 400 degrees...."

My edition is old, from the '60s or '70s, but it is still is useful to have around. Larousse Gastronomique is a companion to the kitchen and certainly not a replacement for a cookbook, as the recipes are there more for inspiration than direct instruction. ( )