The author, H.J. Clayton, subtitles this book, “being a practical treatise on the culinary art adapted to the tastes and wants of all classes, with plain and easily understood directions for the preparation of every variety of food in the most attractive forms, comprising the result of a life-long experience in catering to a host of highly cultivated tastes.” Recipes are presented in a narrative style covering soup to pastry, with a large section of miscellaneous recipes, tips on preparation, and a range of topics on cooking and food selection. Clayton gives a great insight into the food an cooking of the late nineteenth century in America.