Francoise Bernard and Alain Ducasse make for an unusual, yet highly complementary culinary pairing. Francoise Bernard is the author of one of the touchstones of French cooking, Les Recettes Faciles, which has inspired generations of cooks. She continues to reach millions of her countrywomen with her message of economical, simple cooking via her television appearances. Alain Ducasse is a master chef and restauranteur know the world over for his three star Michelin restaurants in Paris and Monaco, and for the extraordinary experience he offers those who dine at Ducasse in Manhattan. They move in different spheres, yet are heirs to a common culinary tradition.

Bernard and Ducasse felt that family cuisine was in need of a new model. The result, The Good Cuisine, is a cookbook of their favorite dishes, with over 200 recipes for everyday and special occasions. For each of the 52 most frequently eaten foods in France, each chef has contributed two recipes, and reveals cooking secrets in the accompanying comments.

The recipes are a delightful blend of tradition with contemporary sophistication: Using oranges, Francoise Bernard's Oranges Soufflees and Crepes a l' orange are matched by Alain Ducasse' s Salade d' agrumes en gelee de sauternes (citrus fruit salad with Sauternes jelly) and Tartelettes chaudes au vin d'orange (warm tarts with orange wine). The book is organized so you can choose a dish by looking up the food you have in mind, or use the index, which clearly indicates the difficulty level of the recipe, as well as how much it will cost to prepare.