Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon

This is the Bible of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which was founded by Sally in 1999.

I was a board member of this foundation from May 2000-December 2005. I can't recommend this book enough. It convincingly presents the value of maligned fats such as lard and coconut oil and the virtues of fermented foods in the diet. You will also learn that "broth is beautiful" and many soy products are newfangled foods to be avoided.

This book builds on the work of Weston A. Price, a Cleveland dentist, who in the 1930s traveled the globe to document declining dental health after the introduction of the "displacing foods of modern commerce."

Ecole de Cuisine: Professional Cooking for the Home Chef by Jill Prescott

This is a basic primer on French cooking that I give to young chefs and as a wedding present. It's the best introduction to sauces, classic techniques, and famous French dishes on the market.

While experimenting, don't forget to try Coquilles St. Jacques, Dauphinoise Potatoes and the classic caramelized apple tart called Tarte Tatin.

Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminescences of Life with Frida Kahlo by Guadalupe Rivera and Marie-Pierre Colle--Guadalupe Rivera is the daughter of Mexican painter Diego Rivera with writer Guadalupe Marin. Diego was also married to fellow artist Frida Kahlo. The photography and recipes in this cookbook are fantastic. It is one of my favorites. This book is also available in Spanish.

I Hear America Cooking by Betty Fussell--I love this book. Betty Fussell is one of the most stylish woman I have ever met. I remember her at one culinary conference in Phoenix. She showed up wearing the most exquisite turquoise jewelry I have EVER seen.

Cooking with Michael Field, edited by Joan Scobey--Michael Field was one of the editors for the much acclaimed 1970s Time/Life "Foods of the World" cookbooks. He was about to complete this book at the time of his death and his widow asked Joan to complete it. A gem.

The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth by Roy Andries de Groot--the amazing story about the high Alpine valley in France that is home to the liqueur called Chartreuse. 

George Lang's Cuisine of Hungary by George Lang--although it's quoted everywhere, this book is regrettably out of print, so I recommend having Amazon. com perform a search for you. If that fails, try other online cookbook sellers or keep your eyes open at yard sales. George Lang is the owner of Cafe des Artistes in Manhattan, and Gundel and the Owl's Castle in Budapest.

See Lang's autobiography and a coffee table book about Cafe des Artistes below.