One of my favorite podcasts is The Splendid Table with Lynne Rosetto Kasper. Listening to this is like being a party to a great conversation about food - the culture of food, its preparation, restaurants, what it means to different people and how food expresses who we are. I listen to it while I cook and it's like having your best foodie friend there with you.

From The Splendid Table I've learned to trust my instincts and to enjoy everything I make.

Learning how to properly use a knife was easily the best investment I ever made. It's allowed me to work much faster in the kitchen, never becoming overwhelmed by the amount of preparation required for a recipe.
I use a Santoku style knife by Global, sharpening it every two or three weeks for optimum performance.

King Arthur Flour presents catalogs - online and print - that compel you to baking. You will want to try their mixes, use their gadgets and create great homemade baked goods that have only the ingredients you want. No 12-syllable ingredients that you can't pronounce. Honest whole grain breads, scones and incredible cake mixes.

Alain Ducasse is a successful French chef who presents incredible food. This book truly does make his recipes simple enough for the home cook. You can reasonably replicate what Ducasse creates with a staff and loads of time. Sophie Dudemaine has created a really fun cookbook that makes me feel like a genius.