The Joy of Cooking, http://www.thejoykitchen.com/ and Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Edit: If you'd like to learn how to bake, I'd suggest King Arthur Flour's Bakers Companion.

Silver

 

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Saw a used On Cooking in "Like New" condition for $50 and grabbed it. Hopefully, it arrives in the promised condition and everything works out. Couldn't resist the price...

 

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If you don't know how to cook pick up the 1950's classic Betty Crocker cookbook.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=betty+crockers+cookbook&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=1152966161&refd_sl_41c 15kge57_b

The 10th edition is the newest here is a direct link

http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-8576-betty-crockers-cookbook-10th-editi.aspx?affiliateID=10092&gclid=CPSry4nv8Z0CFZ8a5wodSm7ZKg

If you just want to explore more advanced techniques pick up the 1930's Joy of Cooking
by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Joy+of+cooking&x=0&y=0

There are also pretty good volumes by Better Homes and Gardens also by Good House Keeping.

 

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