I look forward to trying a couple of the recommendations in this thread.
1)
If you want a Hazan cookbook, the one you want is Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. The other 2 came before this one, and this is basically a compilation of them and they are obsolete.
I like this book because it's pure, authentic Italian, without any American influence. (Well, how would I know? I didn't grow up cooking in Italy. But I think it's true, based on reading the book and reading what others have written about the book.) This is the sort of book that makes you feel you're learning so much more than just recipes.
Interestingly, some of the recipes are surprisingly simple. Like T-Bone steak rubbed with a little garlic and grilled over hot coals.
I feel like a cool guy after reading - I can go anywhere and if need be whip up my own pasta sauce from scratch after a quick trip to the store. Canned tomatoes, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, pepper, simmer for awhile, fresh chopped basil mixed in just before serving, and voila (bad timing for French I guess), you have a nice sauce to mix your Penne into (and that is exactly what you do - you don't just pour the sauce over the Penne.) Why buy dry pasta made with brass extruders? Might be a fine point, but she does have a point, and it does indeed make a good pasta dish (has to do with how the sauce coats the pasta.)
2)
As someone mentioned, Ben and Jerry's and a Donvier, and you are golden for dessert. Any girl will want to be invited to your house for dinner, believe me, whether dessert is Coffee Heath Bar, or Lemon Sorbet.
3)
Joy of Cooking is a classic - you will learn about cooking techniques and ingredients as well as some good recipes.
4)
Misc copies of Cooking Light magazine - you can usually find a recipe or 2 every month that you'll like.
5)
Cook's Illustrated magazine. They have an online presence as well. I'm very impressed with the quality of this magazine. Fewer glossy photos (think a little more Wall Street Journal pictures), and seemingly less content (ad free I think?), but really high quality stuff. Kind of like a high-end Consumer Reports for food and cooking utensils and techniques. There is some free content on their web site if you'd like to get a taste for it. For example
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/test...8&bdc=6336