This is the best cookbook I've ever read or owned! The recipes are straightforward and delicious - with few hard-to-find ingredients or very labor-intensive processes. And while I've tried and enjoyed several of the recipes Rabbi Gil Marks includes, every time I open the book, I feel I am learning more about the ways ethnic cuisines morph as they are carried from one region or culture into another, and hugely fascinating background information about Jewish diaspora history as well.

I've beat the hell out of this book because I use it so often. For simple, healthy weekday dinners to holiday celebrations, this book has never let me down and has the added bonus of little histories of foods, cultures and dish-evolution in each section.

This book is an excellent reference for anyone interested in preparing vegetarian meals...Jewish or not. Absolutely every recipe I have tried from this book has turned out beautifully. My favorite thing about this book is the fact that all the recipes are very flexible. The book is set up to accomodate a typical home-chef who may substitute certain ingredients based on what is in season or what one happens to have in their kitchen at the time. Almost all the recipes are followed by a number of possible ingredient variations. For example, a carrot simmus recipe includes additional information on how to make a sweet potato simmus instead. There are also many listed opportunities for incorporating extra ingredients, spices, and flavorings into any given recipe, as well as the option to make a sweet or savory version of a dish. Basically, the book is designed for practical, at-home cooking and yields wondeful results on all counts. Another feature I enjoy about this book is the history surrounding the recipes. Marks has taken the time to outline the origin of every dish. He pays special attention to the use of particular ingredients in particular regions. He explains why certain components make a dish characteristically local. Marks manages to make the reader feel as if they are participating in a long line of Jewish tradition, even if he recipe originated in another country altogether. Whether you are looking to discover a world of history surrounding international Jewish vegetarian cuisine, or are simply interested in making dinner, this book is an invaluable resource. Adaptable and well researched, it will benefit anyone looking to put a delicious vegetarian meal on the table.

What I like most about this cookbook was that not a single recipe could be described as typical Jewish cuisine. It's a great book for kosher cooks who are tired of making the same old thing. The recipes are all vegetarian and are collected from around the world, though most of them are Middle Eastern in origin. The book is clearly very thoroughly researched and is very authentic to the origins of each recipe, and the author frequently offers some alternatives. For example, at the end of the recipe for pumpkin dumplings, he offers a few variations (and outside opinions) based on whether you want them sweet or savory. However, like most cookbooks, there are plenty of recipes you'll never want to try, and because it's so large and comprehensive it can be rather time-consuming to wade through all the chaff to find the proberbial wheat.