Cooking has long remained one of the most elegant pastimes and an art form that is respected the world over. Few have the ability to successfully cook professionally, but all have the opportunity to perform as a chef at home in the ultimate pursuit of perfection. It has never been clearer that the home cook is capable of earning the respect of the professional chef.

From television shows like MasterChef and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that celebrate the home cook going pro, it is finally understood that a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu or the CIA isn’t a guarantee you’ll be successful. Today, home cooks are inspiring the world, and many are taking their culinary skills as seriously as the restaurateurs of the world. It must be beautiful. It has to have panache; it has to be artistic and ideally, there should be some showmanship involved. After all, food is art.

As with so much in barbecue, there are striking regional differences. Sweet & Garlicky Pork Chops This Thai-style barbecue uses a sweet marinade to counterpoint the richness of the meat. Grilling on a Plancha The plancha gives you a different sort of sear and crust than you get with straight grilling.

It must taste phenomenal. If it’s not perfect, don’t serve it. Anything short of perfection is an insult to the ingredients, so it’s important that every piece of food served to a guest be perfectly cooked, taste appealing and compliment the palate. It must be special. No longer is serving a T-bone steak sufficient. There must be something that lends to the artistry of the food. There is no honor in mediocrity.

Whether that means using a unique salt to season the meat or creating a spectacular glaze to serve with it, there must be something exceptional done to elevate the ingredient. Granted the ingredients should speak for themselves and be the star of the show, but in the same way women wear makeup, it should accentuate their beauty rather than masking it.

It is these three factors that I also consider when buying a cookbook. Sure a basic cookbook is important to have on hand, but it’s the ones with passion that really speak to me and inspire me to be better. Here is the list of the twenty cookbooks I think are worth having in your kitchen. Whether you follow the recipes exactly or just use them for inspiration, the choice is up to you. But, I guarantee you’ll find each of these is worth every penny. The Professional Chef by the CIA The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America A textbook for the chef, this is an excellent source of fundamental techniques that every cook should know.

From learning how to make a roux to essential information on safe food handling practices, this is one of those books that will continually come off the shelf when you’re in need of a quick refresher. In addition to being an excellent guide, it also has almost 1000 recipes that cover contemporary and classic recipes. No kitchen is complete without this book, and it’s often referred to as ’the bible’ by professional chefs.