Gastro Gastronomy Gastronomique

Definition, gastronomy: The science, practice or art of good (fine) eating. Cooking, preparation, enjoyment of well-prepared food. From the Greek, gastr or gastro, meaning of the stomach.

In French, gastronomique, as in the Bible of (mostly) classic French cooking, the Larousse Gastronomique, the encyclopedia of food (terms, methods, style, etc.). Since 1938 it's been a cooking school in a book, a very heavy book. If you're obsessed by classic techniques in cooking, this is the book for you.

This is my edition of this cooking Bible. It's over 30 years old.

Another highly respected book, which is also in my kitchen library, is Jacques Pepin's "Techniques," previously called "La Technique." It's a more modern approach and seems better suited to home cooks.