Joy of Cooking
Joy of Cooking: member book reviews
Wonderful basic information. It's very good at step-by-step coverage of "what do I do next?" It's a good idea to read through the recipe, though - sometimes all the ingredients are called out at the beginning, but usually they're mentioned (in indented, bold type) at the point where they're added. There's also a lot of technique information - from how to get the meat out of a lobster to 'what is souffle'.
There are only about five recipes in here that I use, but I adore them and use them constantly. Unfortunately, the 1975 edition removed two of my favorites (Made-in-Advance Souffle and Eggnog in Quantity), so I had to return my new copy (first cookbook I ever bought in a store) and find this old one in a yard sale (because my mother wasn't giving up her copy!).