The first lines appear to be a manumission document. Also included are expenses, presumably for Margaret Smith and paid by a third party. The recipes then commence, written in a different hand. These consist of recipes written in and laid in, as well as clippings pasted in and laid in. There are also drawings and poems laid in.

Contents includes, but are not limited to: The Science of Fruit Syrups, To Can Peaches, Dover Cakes, Water Sponge Cake, Liquid Yeast, Jelly, Cucumber Catsup, Cocoa Nut Cake, Soft Jumbles, Chicken Salad, Olio, Meats, Corn Meal Sally Lunn, Devilled Tomatoes, Oatmeal Porridge, and Corn Flour Bread. These recipes are all in the same hand and written into an index at the beginning.

Other recipes are laid in and included in the book in another hand. There are medical recipes here, as well as soap recipes and uses for salt, among other advice.

Gift of Ann Ziegert, from the estate of Minor Myers.