Authentic Mexican (1987)

The subtitle says it plainly: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico. Bayless published it in 1987 after more than six years of culinary research in Mexico, and it still reads like a patient teacher walking you through the pantry. It is the best book here for learning how dried chiles behave and how the basic cooked salsas and moles are put together, with clear notes on what each step is for. A 20th anniversary edition followed in 2007 and is the easiest copy to find.