La Varenne Pratique :
The Complete Illustrated Cooking Course : Techniques, Ingredients, and Tools of Classic Modern Cuisine
by Ann Willan

So extraordinary is this volume in both its presentation and its comprehensiveness that it is destined to become the essential reference for all cooks. It is the complete illustrated guide to the techniques, tools, and ingredients of classic modern cooking and don't worry despite its title its in English.

"The book is not only a beautiful cookbook with all color pictures, it is a marvelous reference guide. Directions are clear and consise, many have pictures to accompany them. The author has covered kitchen skills that normally only professionals are taught. The format is indepth yet understandable. Although it does contain many fine recipes, it is more like a cooking guide showing classic french cooking tecniques."