The recipes included provide an insight into food and dining and culinary traditions in Cork in the Victorian period. A notable historical observer who provides evidence of Cork's culinary culture at the time is George Boole, (born November 2, 1815, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England—died December 8, 1864, Ballintemple, County Cork, Ireland). Boole was an English mathematician and philosopher, most recognized as the inventor of Boolean Logic, which is the basis of modern digital computer logic. In 1849, he was appointed the Professor of Mathematics at Queen's College Cork (UCC), where he taught for the rest of his life, gaining a reputation as an outstanding and dedicated teacher.

Boole wrote his observations regarding Cork's culinary culture in letters to family members. During his time at Queen’s College, food played a significant role in his social life and relationships which is also evident in his letters. For example, Boole thanks his sister Maryann for sending pork pies as gifts to his university friends and landlord. The role food played in Boole’s life extended beyond his career at Queen's College as he was a frequent guest at the homes of the Bishops of Cork and the Lord Mayor.  

Boole’s letters highlight the nature of food and culinary customs in Cork in the Victorian period of the mid-19th century in Ireland. Boole’s writings also demonstrate the role food and dining traditions played in Cork in the mid-19th century. UCC Library has a collection of recipes from the 19th-century, which reflect the culinary culture of Cork at the time. The form of a handwritten recipe book started to emerge in Ireland in the late 17th century. An example is early to mid-19th century recipes which belonged to Mary Honner who was a landowner from Rathmore in Kinsale, County Cork. Honner’s recipe book contains a collection of over 170 recipes and the majority are culinary recipes. 

Within Honner's book, traditional Irish recipes, such as soda bread recipes, make their appearance, as do recipes displaying a British influence, highlighting their imperial status and governance of Ireland at the time. An example of the British influence on Honner’s collections is the prevalence of pudding recipes. 

Mary Honner’s recipe book contains a College or Cambridge pudding recipe. An adaptation of this recipe has been made by Regina Sexton, Food and Culinary Historian, Programme Manager of the Postgraduate Diploma in Irish Food Culture and is available in this exhibit. The adapted recipe and more information about food and dining in Victorian Cork can be found in Frawley, Olivia, ed. George Boole chronicles : a selection of short essays on George Boole and his family. Cork, Ireland: University College Cork, 2015.