The Provence of Alain Ducasse
I like The Provence of Alain Ducasse because it is really personal. He discusses individuals—you meet the guy that makes the best pastis or the best olive oil—and you really feel like you are on this trip with him. It’s one of those books that actually makes you hungry.— Mike Solomonov
Buy: amazon.com
The Last Course
Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course is a classic. That was my go-to book when I first became a pastry chef. I especially love her coconut tapioca with passion fruit and cilantro. That was one of my favorite desserts when I started on this road.—Belinda Leong
Buy: from $55, amazon.com
El Bulli: 1998–2002
Flipping through the pages of El Bulli: 1998–2002 is so powerful. It’s one of those books where you pick it up and four hours later you haven’t even gotten through 40 pages.—Michael Mina
Buy: from $400, amazon.com
La Technique
Jacques Pepin’s La Technique was revolutionary in a lot of ways. I have a copy that’s so used it’s torn and spotted. It’s a very good book for someone who needs things explained really clearly.— Charlie Palmer
Buy: from $31, amazon.com
Joy of Cooking
The old Joy of Cooking was my first cookbook. It has everything in it, from cooking an armadillo to how to make the most perfect pie crust. It’s great for when you need a basic recipe to build off of, because the proportions are so well tested. —Anita Lo
Buy: $20, amazon.com
Ma Gastronomie
My favorite is Ma Gastronomie by Ferdinand Point. It’s both a storybook and a book of recipes. If you work for me, I give you that book and then I ask you questions about it. Point was 6’5” and 300 pounds—he’d get to work at 7am every morning and write menus in the courtyard while drinking magnums of champagne and getting a shave. Paul Bocuse was his salad chef. There are hundreds of stories. — Jimmy Bradley
Buy: $29, amazon.com
Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages
My copy of Mario’s first cookbook, Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages has completely fallen apart. Like it’s so off its binding it’s not even funny. I should probably just go out and buy another one.—Matt Molina
Buy: $25, amazon.com
