Reddit reviews Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, Completely Revised and Updated

Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques and Larousse Gastronomique are both great resources for classical dishes and techniques. Much of classical French cooking is based around stocks and sauces (the 5 mother sauces, and their extensions) and finesse in cooking, i.e. precise cuts, elaborate platings, etc. Something like cooking a french omelet, a piece of fish a la meuniere (get real french and do it with skate wing or dover sole), or if you're into pastry, a simple pâte à choux or genoise, are good starting recipes. With those two books and a few recipes to practice should get you started.

You want the Larousse Gastronomique

Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking is easily the best book to learn French cooking. It has very thorough instructions for techniques, authentic recipes, adapted for the American kitchen.

I also recommend Larousse Gastronomique,
Escoffier and
Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques.

You mentioned that you prefer recipes that are simple and not too time consuming. The problem with that is, most authentic French cooking is time-consuming and laborious. This is why it is so delicious and intricate. However, I do have one cookbook that I don't use too much anymore, but it features great recipes that are fairly quick and accessible.

The Larousse Gastronmique is a whole lot of fun to poke through. Tons of information on ingredients, restaurants, and chefs, although it does sway heavily toward French cuisine. The newest edition is pretty expensive, but the Older editions can be had for not too much cash.

https://www.amazon.com/Larousse-Gastronomique-Greatest-Encyclopedia-Completely/dp/0307464911

Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques

The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

From here you can move on to:

Institut Paul Bocuse Gastronomique: The definitive step-by-step guide to culinary excellence

&

Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, Completely Revised and Updated

These are all great resources. Also look for culinary school text books and always youtube.

The resources are out there and with everyone having a different way to learn and adopt information the variety in options is tremendous. Good luck and keep cooking. If you have any questions please reach out and if I can help I will.

Larousse Gastronomique

I use Larousse Gastronomique as my standard reference book. It is more of an encyclopaedia and reference book than a cookbook. However, it absolutely excels in what it does.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307464911/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687682&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0609609718&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1F0AATX2VCM7YG8VPV79

I would also add Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques. He is after all, the master of techniques and crucially, in explaining the fundamentals of his techniques really really well.

http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-P%C3%A9pin-New-Complete-Techniques/dp/1579129110/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449167360&sr=1-1&keywords=jacques+pepin+techniques

There's also a DVD on his techniques which is far easier to understand than the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Pepin-Techniques-Recipes/dp/B000LXHJZA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1449167416&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=jacques+pepin+techniques+dvd

Larousse Gastronomique For me it's the Bible of cooking. It has all the classics, as well as being an encyclopaedia of food. Every serious cook needs this book.

Larousse Gastronomique

Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child

Paul Bocuse:The Complete Recipies

If you like French food, recommend trying cookbooks written by French chefs (ie chefs actually from France).

This is like the Bible of French cuisine and is translated in english:
https://www.amazon.com/Larousse-Gastronomique-Greatest-Encyclopedia-Completely/dp/0307464911

Assyrian Cookbook
Great recipes for feeding a family. Easy to follow with simple ingredients and I love that the cookbook looks like a chopping board :-) Has by far the best minced lamb kebab recipe.

Larousse Gastronomique
I have this . . . . just because it makes me feel like a real cook! This is a serious reference book (and heavy).

On my Christmas list is a copy of Larousse Gastronomique.

Gastronomique is an incredible resource for all pretty much anything edible.

Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is also a great resource but is more like a text book than a cook book.

The Ideas in Food books are pretty good too.

I guess I've been leaning more towards "educational" type reading lately (opposed to recipe tomes). Ratio is also very good. Does reddit like Ruhlman?

https://www.amazon.com/Larousse-Gastronomique-Greatest-Encyclopedia-Completely/dp/0307464911

I'm surprised so far no one has mentioned Larousse which is generally my go-to along with The New Best Recipe for more generalized fare.

I generally don't cook from cookbooks, but I do use them for inspiration or fundamentals.

The Larousse Gastronomique.