A French chef, I will never be, for many reasons. Doesn't even the concept of trying to follow fancy recipes written by a French chef seem intimidating? It doesn't have to be. World renowned chef Jacques Pepin wrote a great cook book called Quick & Simple. The recipes are a little more refined than Taco Salad, but just as the title implies, the cookbook teaches you that you can make something a bit more exotic for dinner quickly and easily.
For example, last night, I made scallops inside a dinner roll. Doesn't sound very filling, does it? It was. It took me about 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to bake in the oven. It was rich, delicious and easy! You really can do this!
From this book, i've made Black Bean Hummus (soooo good), a Creamy Leek Soup, fancy individual pizzas on corn tortillas, the best (and easiest) chicken wings i've ever had, and more.
If you're looking to up your cooking game, I highly suggest this cook book. You can order it on Amazon.