A "classic text of French home cooking",[2] it is a highly detailed work documenting the cuisine bourgeoise of early 20th century France, including technical descriptions of the kitchen equipment of the day.

[3] Before writing La bonne cuisine, the author had written a cooking column in her husband's magazine Le Pot au Feu for twenty years, and much of the content is drawn from that magazine.

[3] The book was originally published as Le livre de cuisine de Madame Saint-Ange: recettes et méthodes de la bonne cuisine française; the current title was drawn from a later abridgement, and was retroactively applied to a modest updating of the original work by the publisher in the 1950s.

Many American chefs and cooking teachers working in French cuisine have cited it as a significant influence, including Madeleine Kamman, Julia Child,[1] and the co-founder of Chez Panisse, Paul Aratow, who translated it into English.

[2][4][5] Though the book reflects the equipment and the tastes of the 1920s, reviewers have found it useful for cooking today: Its recipes work; the dishes they produce are delicious; the extensive advice is empowering.