Joy of Cooking — Irma S. Rombauer

Joy of Cooking, first self-published in 1931, has sold over 20 million copies and covers everything from knife holding to deer butchering in its 2019 edition. It includes running inline technique commentary that teaches while you cook, unlike #6 The Flavor Bible which lacks step-by-step guidance. Priced at $40, it is cheaper than the average culinary textbook and remains the American kitchen bible for 90 years of continuous updates.