#2 is right on. 2 good ones, classics really might be what you're looking for: Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French cooking and (if you are really serious & can handle comprehensive detail & prose - I have the book but fall a little short on the former ...) Encyclopedia Larousse Gastromonique.
James Beard's cookbooks are wonderful reading - he has a basic cookbook that is very helpful. I also vote for The Joy of Cooking as the best basic, because it explains what all the ingredients are as well as offering recipes.