@1-Nancy
I'm a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America, class of '82. Prior to attending the CIA I worked in the hospitality industry, having graduated from the UMass Amherst Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration program. Right now my favorite cook"book" is the internet, although I have a very extensive library of cook books, many geared to the professional cook/chef. I particularly enjoy learning how things are manufactured, such as making mozzerella, marscapone,and fondant from scratch, tempering chocolate, maintaining a sourdough starter, are a few examples.