It is evident that Original Cooking Recipes targets Canadian women because the preface opens by stating that the "modern housewife" understands the importance of planning meals that are economical and nutritious. Since this cookbook was released a few years after the conclusion of the First World War, women were used to stretching budgets, rationing, and getting creative in the kitchen. Grocery shopping and cooking had long been considered part of women's daily responsibilities. The author of the cookbook discusses how it can be hard for housewives to plan meals for the family when individual needs vary. It also recommends serving plain and wholesome food in order to create a balanced diet. Since the author explicitly mentions "she" and "housewife" several times, it is clear who the book targets.

Many of the recipes listed in the book, such as the Lady Baltimore cake, are artifacts of the period during which this book was created. This cake was said to have been created in the early 20th century at Lady Baltimore’s Tea Room in Charleston, South Carolina. Other sources argue it was actually invented in the later 19th century. It soon became one of the most popular cakes for a housewife/hostess to make. Allegedly, a southern belle named Alicia Rhett Mayberry baked and served the cake to a popular novelist named Owen Wister in Charleston. Wister became so enamoured with the cake that he used the name as the title of one of his novels in 1903. The release of the book contributed to the popularity of the Lady Baltimore Cake as many North Americans scrambled to find the recipe. Since Original Cooking Recipes was published during the post-First World War era, a time often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties" and characterized by lavish spending and socializing, the Lady Baltimore cake would have been a popular dessert to serve. It was considered an ideal dessert for get-togethers, parties, and large dinners. As the cake is rather difficult to make and contains some pricey ingredients, it was likely saved for special occasions. 

Original Cooking Recipes also addresses the topics of health and nutrition. At the time the book was published, it was the housewife’s responsibility to purchase foodstuffs and prepare recipes that were considered healthful and wholesome. As the book indicates, a healthy lifestyle also included the purchase and consumption of CARNOL, a medicine produced by the book's author/publisher. Interspersed throughout the recipes are comments and testimonials about CARNOL's benefits. The alleged testimonials come from both men and women who claim the tonic can treat a variety of maladies, including loss of appetite, colds and coughs, ageing, influenza, and bronchitis. Before prescription drugs became common, patent medicines like CARNOL were popular among Canadians. These products could be purchased locally and did not require a physician's referral. However, these tonics could be dangerous to consume and often did not offer any sort of curative properties. With advancements in medical science throughout the 20th century, tonics like CARNOL were replaced with more helpful and regulated medicines.