Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Without this book, we might still live among Jello salads, overdone roasts and vegetables boiled to within an inch of their lives. On its appearance in 1961, Mastering the Art of French Cooking delivered the basics of everyday French cooking to an American audience, courtesy of the three authors (and co-founders of Paris' L'Ecole des Trois Gourmands), Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle. Alongside recipes for traditional French dishes like cassoulet and duck à l'orange, the book instructed readers on proper knife skills and basic shopping and cooking methods. It once again became a best seller in 2009 after the release of Julie & Julia, a film about the book's impact on one woman — proving that good, whole foods and simple techniques are timeless.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2088856_2089141_2089286,00.html