My Life in France relates Julia Child stay in France. Julia is one one of my all time favorites for her no-nonsense, colorful approach to cooking. This is not a cookbook, but all about food, cooking and France.
Jacques Pepin is a big inspiration for me. He has a way on combining flavors without requiring hours of cooking to make it tasty. And when I catch him on TV, I find him very entertaining.
I love recipes from Italy, and Lidia brings it to you in a very easy to do way. No need to get fancy in the kitchen to create a masterpiece. You can smell the garlic!