This essay will discuss the major historical events and gender norms that occurred during the publication of Maple Leaf Cooking School: A Complete Home Study Course for Beginners and Others in Twelve Easy Lessons.

This cookbook was written in the 1930s which was during the time period of the Great Depression. For Canadians, this time era was the most damaging decade for the past two centuries. The Great Depression was a time of great suffering and major life changes for some citizens. The country's decrease in economic, social and political structures had a major impact on employment which resulted in debt and poverty. After the year of 1929, many product and prices decreased at a fast pace and became crucial within the development. More specifically, the Great Depression was a time of food and money shortage. This undoubtedly resulted in many people being deprived of the basic commodities needed for the daily consumption and survival. The influence of the Great Depression on Canadians led to a more cautious attitude, with a low appetite for risk-taking and high propensity to save, and this carried over into social lives. Ranging from one-dish suppers to community potlucks, these behaviours became an important way to reduce their food consumption. Women were taught to expand their budget by making bigger meals that would last longer. Even though Maple Leaf Cooking School: A Complete Home Study Course for Beginners and Others in Twelve Easy Lessons is mostly teaching the basic, using the same type of ingredients and recipes to make biscuits or pies can save time and money. Low-price, health, and filling food was prioritized during the Great Depression. Canned foods and substitutions were very important during this time period. The idea of substitution and canned foods is a theme throughout the Great Depression and the cookbook discussed it thoroughly. The cookbook emphasized the benefits of using canned foods, with ranged from fruit to vegetables, and occasionally fish. The idea of canned food was to demonstrate they were better ingredients and were actually fresher than the fresh food you bought from the grocery store. An example demonstrated in the cookbook is "peaches and apricots, flavor canned pears too, make excellent shortcakes." The cookbook demonstrated that it was easier to cook or bake with canned fruit because of the taste and moisture.

The Great Depression had a huge impact on gender relations, especially the image of unemployed men. Ultimately, this led to men being unable to provide for their families. As a result, the gendered obligations of men, women, and children within the family unit demonstrated the value of women's domestic labour and familial conflicts that arose from unemployment. Maple Leaf Cooking School: A Complete Home Study Course for Beginners and Others in Twelve Easy Lessons contains lessons made for the young girl and businesswomen who need to start learning to cook for her family. There is an underlining theme where the book is only towards women in the household and not men. Why? In the 1930's, the general household works explicitly identify the gender roles of women and reassuring what they need to care about, and how to behave. More specifically, the women's concerns with cooking and household technique, including a list of good manners and table etiquette, as well as a guide to being a good host for dinner parties. Therefore, the women's connection with food is tied to their need to provide, nurture, and nourish their families. As more and more women were able to read and write, these skills were passed through the making of cookbooks. Maple Leaf Cooking School: A Complete Home Study Course for Beginners and Others in Twelve Easy Lessons is a cookbook written by women for women. Specifically, for cookbooks written by female authors, it seemed natural to go from writing to teaching at cooking schools. Cooking schools in the nineteenth century were an important part of women's education, but not necessarily as a path into professional kitchens. Women who attended culinary schools during this time period were there to learn how to oversee the kitchens in their own homes. The schools continue to this day to teach women to attain a high level of culinary skill, as well as educating entry-level professionals and continuing education classes. Many other culinary schools, and their late-twentieth-century offspring, have made their mark on the culinary work. The directors of some of these schools, most notably Julia Child, Anne Willan, and Madeleine, served as role models and mentors for many of chefs featured throughout Maple Leaf Cooking School: A Complete Home Study Course for Beginners and Others in Twelve Easy Lessons.