The Escoffier Cookbook: Guide to the Fine Art of French Cuisine

This is less a recipe and more a bible. Pouring over the thousands of recipes is engrossing, fascinating and highly recommended. The book was written at the turn of the last century by Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier who at the time was running the kitchen at the London Ritz is regarded as the revolutionary grandfather of French cuisine. 

The range of recipes in the book is vast. It starts detailing basic preparations, stocks and sauces and goes on to implement these in thousands of recipes each one given a number. Cooking from the book is not always easy with references to other recipes that also need to be followed, antiquated units and language and often time consuming processes. All of this adds to the satisfaction felt when you successfully recreate one of Escoffiers classics and definitely shouldn't deter you from buying this book.