A Concise Encyclopedia of Gastronomy

This book is a must-haev for anyone who even remotely enjoys cooking. It's divided into sections, e.g., Sauces, Meat, Fish, Eggs etc. and each section is in alphabetical order. Unfortunately you'll have to go second hand as it's out of print, but it is definitely a must-have. The Wine section is somewhat dated of course as the book was written in the early 20th century and cooking implements/ovens etc. are of that time. Nonetheless, it's easy to follow. Entries are of two types, recipes and encyclopedia entries that simply describe an ingredient or dish. Recipe-wise it's a cornucopia, with recipes for eveything from sauce bernaise to hedgehog, thrush and squirrel - even blackbird pie!