Horst Scharfenberg (1919–2006)

I learnt how to cook with this book (thirty odd years ago) - it's very complete and gives excellent instructions for inexperienced cooks, plus an indication of the time, cost and calories involved with every dish. I still use some of this books instructions to this day (such as frying in a mixture of oil and butter). And for the record: people generally seem to enjoy the meals I cook :)