Just as with another of her books, Arabesque, with The Book of Jewish Food Roden manages to combine food writing with recipes that make this book a delight to both read and cook from. She explores her own Jewish roots and the culture and history of the whole diaspora by writing about the meals, traditions and recipes she uncovers on her search for Jewish food.

The recipes are organised in two broad sections - Ashkenazi and Serphadic - and within different food categories within these two broad distinctions. Some of the recipes are complicated or time consuming, but many are simple and plenty could be made from regular ingredients you have in the kitchen right now (though half the fun is finding out about new ingredients or new ways to use ingredients you thought you already knew about). For this household there is the added bonus that many of the recipes are vegan - especially those of the Bene Israel, the Jews of India - or are easily 'veganised', though this is more true for the Serphadic than Ashkenazi section.

I also found it very interesting to find many recipes my non-Jewish grandmother cooked, obviously influenced by her Prussian roots - much of what is perhaps now considered 'Ashkenazi food' was once just 'poor middle European people food'.

Even if you are not Jewish or even interested in Jewish culture, try and get your hands on this book. The food writing is fantastic and the recipes are worth exploring. ( )

Good reading. Good eating. What more could you want?

This is more narrative than most of Roden's cookbooks. Which only serves to make you want to cook every recipe she describes. ( )

This is a wonderful cookbook. Claudia Roden not only compiled recipes - she also compiled stories and anecdotes and historical descriptions of various Jewish communities around the world. Her book has become an essential part of my cooking routine during every major Jewish holiday, to the point that when the book was lost in my move to DC I immediately rushed to a bookstore to get a replacement... Indispensable. ( )

Far more than a cookery book, this is a beautifully presented history of Jewish life and culture, with lots of wonderful recipes thrown in.

I haven't actually cooked a lot out of it but is a fascanating read. ( )