I divide my home cookbook shelves into groups that likely make sense only to me. There are sections for current flames and sentimental oldies, a big one for cuisines of the world, and smaller nooks for fermentation, slow cookers and pressure cookers, grilling, and cocktails. But the section where the books are clearly the most loved and well worn is an entire shelf that could be labeled “techniques for good cooking at home.” They are the rock-solid books I turn to again and again, the ones that I give as gifts, and those that make up a big part of what I’ve come to understand about cooking. Here are a few favorites.

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