The question of what a manuscript cookery book is or can be is still far from settled. Based on detailed archival research, this book establishes a basic typology of manuscript cookery books, with a focus on the function they served in the life of their owners: memory aid, manual of practical instruction, book in its own right, and showpiece. The author also investigates the work situation of women through an analysis of the educational role of the manuscript cookery book and its function as a tool for the professional cook. It represents a substantial contribution towards closing gaps in knowledge and material relating to reading and writing in eighteenth-century Austria.