I have heard good things about Tim Ferriss'
The Four Hour Chef, though I have not read it myself. What I like about it is that it seems to focus on the process of cooking, rather than giving you a list of recipes. It's about turning you into "someone who cooks" rather than documenting such and such recipe.
The rules of thumb, which I am paraphrasing from secondhand discussions about the book, are as follows:
1. Buy good ingredients.
2. Taste and smell as you go.
3. Herbs and spices are your friends.
4. Don't overcook.
I agree with all of them.
Here's the thing: cooking is a skill, like juggling or programming. Just knowing all the rules (techne) doesn't suffice to actually perform the act. You need to spend some time applying the principles to concrete situations (metis). The good news is that if you follow the above rules, you'll basically never make something inedible.
Another tip I can give you is to get familiar with substitution ingredients. Don't have any sour cream? Yogurt is probably fine.
Now, in direct contradiction with what I've been saying so far, let me share with you one of my favorite recipes that got me through my PhD. Cooking time: 10 mins.
INGREDIENTS:
1. 1 or two whole leeks, depending on how hungry you are
2. Sour cream (or whatever)
3. Bacon (or lardons, if you can find them, but seriously... whatever)
4. White wine (optional, but _really_ makes a difference. Prefer dry wine, but whatever.)
PREP:
1. Cut your leek in 1cm rings. Throw away the dark green part.
COOKING:
1. Cook your bacon until crispy, then crumble it and set it aside.
2. While the bacon is cooking, put some butter in a pan and cook your leeks until they're soft and slightly translucid (kinda like you would cook an onion). Don't sweat it; it's hard to fuck up.
3. Add bacon and sour cream. Stir.
4. Add white wine. Stir until you're happy with the consistency
Boom. Done. Keeps well in the fridge, to boot.