is this the best cookbook ever?

A friend of mine, formerly (maybe) of the SupperClub told me that Larousse Gastronomique is the best cookbook ever. Considering just how many cookbooks there are that seems a bit of a stretch.

So I brought it for my sister, the serious amateur chef. She gave it high marks for being not so much an straight out cookbook but rather a encyclopedia of cooking knowledge. Spice utilization and what “confit” means (meat cooked in its own fat) are among its entries.

Definately a book that the serious chef must have!