Taste of Montreal: Tracking Down the Foods of the World Book

Jane Grigson is one of the foundation cookbook authors so often borrowed from by current celebrity chefs. Like The Fruit Book this one is organized by ingredient, with conversational introductions to each one discussing history, tastes, and selection, and then a handful of good recipes, simple and complex. Some of the ingredients are obscure (green walnuts) and the ideas about meals can be dated, but her approaches and expertise have made me a better cook. But it's also a good reading cookbook, even if you never make anything from it.