>You only need a few years of cooking as a serious hobby to make better food than the majority of restaurants out there.
I already do, but the thought that I've devoting thousands of hours of my life to this (and will devote thousands more) and there will always be someone better than me in the same small town in bumfuck nowhere is somehow quite surprising. Like yeah, the head chef at the local restaurant isn't cooking all (or any of) the meals himself, and the food that restaurant puts out is often tainted by shoddy work (due in part to high staff turnover because of rampant labor exploitation in the industry) doesn't mean he isn't a better cook than i'll ever be. probably extends to the line cooks. I'm pretty sure most of them are miles ahead of me if you put them on a home cooking schedule (as opposed to a restaurant where everything is permanently needed 20 minutes ago) and give them enough time to learn the recipes (which they will if they work at an establishment for long, but that thing about turnover).
Like, maybe i came off and somewhat dismayed or something, and maybe i am a little bit, but cooking is still clearly a really really good hobby (healthy, promotes social cohesion, makes people around you happy) and worth doing.
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as for books with techniques...
for entry level i'd recommend "food lab" by lopez-alt.
once you know the basics i recommend the textbooks published by the culinary institute of america (libgen).
i wouldn't bother with anything published before y2k unless you live on a farm, but that's just me.
i have the french laundry one but tbh i don't think most 'famous restaurant' books have much relevance to the home chef.