The problem with “The Food Lab” is that by the time you get to it there is virtually no chance it’s your first. Compare to something like “The Joy of Cooking” or “How to Cook Everything”.

The latter are considered normal & good gifts for kids living on their own for the first time. With the former, it might be one I’d keep if I were only allowed 1 with my experience now, but it’s certainly not the one I’d go with if I knew I could only ever be exposed to 1.

I’d definitely include the food lab in such a list but I think it likely resonates with the tech/science crowd a bit more than say the general public. Kenji is really thorough and at times scientific in his explanations. I could see it being off putting to someone who just wants to know what works or doesn’t.

In a similar case of you recalling him mentioning the food lab, I believe it was his mentioning of the podcast “Cooking Issues” that made me a subscriber.

Although not a cookbook, McGee's On Food And Cooking certainly improved my ability to cook.