Saveur

Michael Ruhlman, author of Charcuterie and other books

The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer
I love to see standard home preparations, and I love the expertise offered in the 1996 edition.

The New Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America
Great for basic standard prep or proportions for puff pastry, for roux, for angel food cake, and so on.

The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant by Judy Rodgers
For her intelligence.

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman
Sorry! Because I always need the ratio for the right amount of pink salt for bacon and sausage, because I want to check sausage seasonings when I'm making something new, and because you just never stop learning the nuances of this craft.

On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
THE most turned-to book, even for matters that go beyond food. ("Dad, what's cholesterol?" my son asked yesterday. I knew basically, but in order to be specific, I turned to McGee.)

Allison Vines-Rushing, MiLa, New Orleans

The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
I was a vegetarian in college, and this book was the first cookbook I ever wore out.
 
Antoine's Restaurant Cookbook, Since 1840 by Roy F. Guste
Always inspires me on the New Orleans classics, and the illustrations are amazing.
 
The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern by Claudia Fleming
There is a Guinness cake I love to make during the holidays for family get-togethers.
 
The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook
I love the basics: pancake batter, waffle mix, biscuit dough. This book has all of the classic homey things that make you feel good inside.

Grande Livre de Cuisine by Alain Ducasse
Whenever I am ready to give it all up, I open this book and remember why I am doing what I do now.

Grace Young, author of The Breath of a Wok and other books

The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child
My only tattered cookbook happens to be the first cookbook I ever bought as a young girl. It is a paperback copy of The French Chef Cookbook. The pages have yellowed with time, but it is dear to me because it is signed by Julia Child and Paul Child. I made my first chocolate mousse, pâté à brioche, coq au vin, and croissants and learned much, much more from these recipes. This is the book that I read over and over, fascinated by a cuisine so foreign from the Chinese food I was raised on. The French Chef Cookbook ignited my passion for cooking.

Cooking with Josephine by Josephine Araldo
Cooking with Josephine is in some ways my most precious cookbook, because I studied with Josephine Araldo for about six years during the 1970s, when Josephine was in her mid-70s. It's a wonderful cookbook not only for its recipes but for Josephine's incredible wisdom and spirit. The book includes amazing photographs from Josephine's extraordinary life both in America and in France. If The French Chef Cookbook awakened my interest in cooking, it was in Josephine's home kitchen that I learned to cook with a true master, and her "fundamental" recipes are all collected in this book, written from the heart.

Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings, and Breads
My favorite Chinese cookbook author is Florence Lin, and this cookbook is truly a classic. The recipes are extremely well written, with fascinating headnotes, which explain the cultural context for how these recipes are prepared and enjoyed. There is no other cookbook that contains the kind of unusual recipes found here, such as for hand-pulled noodles, spring roll wrappers, and Lin's famous curry puffs. There are also classic favorites, from pot stickers to scallion pancakes.

Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert
Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco is the first cookbook I bought that transported me to another world. Wolfert's writing is evocative and pure. The book's food history is well researched, but mainly it is written with such heart and soul that it reaches far beyond the realm of cookbooks. The food is totally heavenly. For me, this book is a masterpiece.

Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz
It's a slender volume, but it covers everything. Every dish I've ever prepared from this collection not only works but is rich and delectable. Dessert recipes so often are disappointing, but Lebovitz has only winners.