The Armchair James Beard

Anyone who watches Top Chef has probably heard the name James Beard before. This is one truly incredible chef. Known as both the Father of Gastronomy and the Father of American Style Cooking, James Beard has been at the top of the culinary scene since he first brought French cooking to Americans in the 1950s. Time Magazine deemed the James Beard Awards the "Oscars of the food world," and past winners include Mario Batali, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, and Rick Bayless.
To get to know Beard best, one must start at the start with The Armchair James Beard.

A Must Have for your library: 5 out of 5 cupcakes!

Mmm. Cupcakes.
This book is recommended not only for the great photos and layout, but also because the recipes contain basic ingredients and easy to follow instructions. This book is especially useful for novices. Maybe you don't bake normally, but your all about the latest cupcake craze? Well then, if the recipes throughout the book seem somewhat tricky, flip to the back where you can find step-by-step instructions for beginners. This book also contains icing recipes. Author Pamela Clark has over 30 years in the baking industry, and runs her own test kitchen. Note: This book is published by Barnes & Noble, so you may have difficulty finding it elsewhere.

This book gets 5 of out 5 cupcakes for mouth-wateriness, and another 5 out of 5 cupcakes for detailed recipe instruction.

Wild Sweets: Chocolate

This phenomenal and cutting edge cookbook features the best of the best when it comes to sweet & savory cuisine. World renowned chocolatiers Dominique and Cindy Duby present mind-blowing, awe-inspiring creations that will leave you convinced chocolate and pork are a winning combination.
Christy loves this book so much, she gives it 5 out of 5 cupcakes!
To get to know the Duby's and what they do better, check out the following youtube clip!