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===Other aspects of society===
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The author presents us with a detailed picture of life in India prior to the Mutiny, as gleaned from the writing of over eighty women of the period. Ranging from the wealthy and influential, through to intrepid travelers and missionaries, these women often challenge the traditional idea of the memsahib. Raza has based this fascinating book on research done for her doctoral thesis. A full review by Penny Brook, Head of India Office Records at the British Library, is available on pp. 46-47 of FIBIS ''Journal'' no. 17 (Spring 2007).
''The Raj at table''. London: Faber, 1994
This book is a delightful blend of the culinary and social history of the Raj period. Although it contains over sixty authentic Anglo Indian recipes, it cannot be regarded as a mere recipe book but rather as an, often most amusing, observation of the changing habits of British India. There are descriptions of formal dinner parties accompanied by an order of precedence, hilarious attempts by Indian cooks to prepare anglicised dishes in deference to the fair ladies that arrived with the fishing fleet, food enjoyed by travellers travelers in tents or dak bungalows, and offerings that ensured the army marched with a full belly!
In addition to examining the impact of the British (and other Europeans) on the cuisine of India , the book also presents the way in which returning nabobs impacted on the palate of England. Worcestershire sauce, for example, is based on an Indian recipe and the emergence of an interest in curries resulted in Queen Victoria employing two Indian cooks.
