Cookbook author June Hersh says her latest book, Iconic New York Jewish Food could have also been called, “Iconic New York Food That Happens to be Jewish.”

“When I was beginning to write the book I realized that … most of the dishes that are the most crave-worthy in New York – that people travel across the country to sample that line up on a weekend to to taste and savor – happen to be Jewish foods,” Hersh says. “These are not just Jewish foods; they’re foods that really everybody loves and associates with New York lifestyle and New York culture.”