Books like Cooking A to Z by Jane Horn

Samin Nosrat’s cookbook teaches cooking fundamentals through four essential elements—salt, fat, acid, and heat—using clear explanations, 150 illustrations, and a collection of 100 core recipes to help any cook create balanced, delicious dishes.

Mark Bittman's entry‑level cookbook offers clear, practical recipes for everyday cooking, covering basic techniques and a wide range of dishes—including vegetarian options—aimed at home cooks in the United States.

A comprehensive French culinary encyclopedia and cookbook, the Larousse Gastronomique offers detailed entries on ingredients, techniques, and classic dishes, enriched with illustrative photographs, making it an essential reference for chefs and food lovers alike.

The Flavor Bible is a definitive culinary reference that teaches chefs and home cooks how to season ingredients for maximum flavor, drawing on the expertise of leading chefs and offering thousands of ingredient pairings.

The Essential New York Times Cookbook compiles over 1,000 timeless recipes from 150 years of NYT food journalism, updated and explained by Amanda Hesser, offering both classic favorites and practical guidance for every home cook.

T he brand-new fourth edition of this widely praised reference guide has been updated with new information for everyone, including lovers of ethnic foods and health food aficionados. The authors have added many all-new entries on exotic produce and other unusual ingredients. An earlier edition of The New Food Lover’s Companion was hailed by Bon Appetit magazine as “one of the best reference books we’ve seen, a must for every cook’s library.” This new edition has even more to offer! Among the myriad foods and culinary subjects defined and explained are cooking tools and techniques, meat cuts, breads, pastas, international foods, and literally everything else related to good food and enjoyable dining. Handy appendices cover many topics, including suggestions for substituting recipe ingredients, a microwave oven conversion chart, recommended safe cooking temperatures for meats and fish, and much more. The New Food Lover’s Companion is a reference guide—not a cookbook—but it includes hundreds of cooking tips plus an extensive bibliography of recommended cookbooks. More than 6,700 entries plus line art.