What are some essential books about cooking? Ones that focus

>>8269048
>Essential
>theoretical
"Modern cuisine" from Nathan Myhrvold

>>8269290
That's the gold standard for sure. Other good ones are:

On food and cooking by McGee
Anything by Ferran Adria

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larousse_Gastronomique

Really good read if you're looking to change how you think about cooking rather than learn specific recipes. They're there for sure, but it gives a really good understanding of cooking in general. It's about classical french cooking, but the techniques and stuff carry over to other styles of food.

>>8269437
I have an original first edition from the larousse gastronomique at home...