I learned to cook out of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and one of my favorite dishes is French Onion Soup. It isn't hard to make, just time-consuming and teary, what with peeling and slicing 2 lbs of onions. But it looks just as good as it tastes when gratineed in a special, handled bowl, cheese bubbling on top of a toasted baguette crouton.