Although there are plenty of accomplished cooks in my circle, Jacques Pepin is the one person who has taught me more about the craft of cooking than anyone else.  It's hard to say whether I would feel as strongly without the magic of television -- his gentle mannerisms, Gallic humour, that charming accent, and his unmatched skills at demonstration & execution are a good chunk of Pepin's appeal -- but at the end of the day, his recipes have to deliver... and they always do.  This encyclopedic collection of his "essential" recipes have absolutely everything you can possibly look for.  The small drawback is the lack of food porn photos, but at least the companion DVD makes up for it.