I don’t often dive fully into a cookbook the way I have with Peas Love & Carrots by Danielle Renov. My friend Robyn sent to it me because she knew I’d love it, which put a smile on my face for days before I even started going through the recipes. So really this is a cooking AND a friendship story. Anything that can inspire such joy during this unseasonably freezing (even for Minnesota) October in the middle of this 2020 pandemic and two weeks before a tense election is worth noting. Thank you, Robyn!
Let me say first that Peas Love & Carrots is a kosher cookbook, meaning any recipe with meat will not have dairy ingredients included. Danielle has a small section in the book of dairy recipes (ones that use milk, butter, cream, etc.), but 90% of the recipes are dairy-free so this would work great for anyone avoiding dairy for non-religious reasons.
And now this is probably obvious, but . . . you don’t have to be Jewish or keep a kosher kitchen to appreciate a kosher cookbook. Danielle’s recipes have influence from her mother’s French Moroccan background, her father’s Eastern European and American background, and her past decade-plus living in Israel. I’ve used a lot of recipes and cookbooks in my day, and there’s something about Danielle’s that make me excited to experiment. I find myself eager to get into the kitchen and make a mess.
I ended up taking the book on our family road trip last week and reading it word for word like a memoir. I flagged everything I wanted to make and got to work as soon as we returned. Below is what I’ve made so far with my top five favorites starred*.
- Creamy Greeny Dressing
- Shuk Salad*
- Burnt Cauliflower and Herb Salad*
- Artichoke and Arugula Salad
- Spiced Nuts for a salad topping
- All Purpose Poultry Marinade
- Shabbos Chicken
- Sriracha Lime Drumsticks*
- Hamburger Roll
- Meme’s Crack String Beans
- Moroccan Stewed Chickpeas*
- Artichoke Chicken
- No Cream Cream of Broccoli Soup*
- Slow Roasted Deckle (Edited 1/7/21 to say I’ve made this at least four times. It’s by far my family’s favorite brisket.)
That’s A LOT of cooking in a week and a half, and I have many recipes left I’m excited to try. I won’t keep up this pace, but it’s been warm and fun in my kitchen while I’ve been in this frenzy. I’m grateful to Robyn’s gift and Danielle’s recipe-writing flair! Danielle has a website with recipe links, but I’ve only used the book so far. I also love her instagram stories, which Robyn introduced me to as well.
Let me know if you’re a Danielle Renov fan or if you end up getting the book and trying her recipes.
See all cooking posts here. Current very short book reviews here. Friendship advice here.
*I normally send all book links to bookshop.org, but Danielle’s book isn’t available there or even at Barnes and Noble right now. Amazon seems to be the place. This makes a great gift, as you can see!
Let’s connect over all things friendship!
My Substack newsletter about friendship & more
A guide to pitching yourself as a guest
Instagram , TikTok, Twitter, Youtube, Threads
JOIN the Dear Nina Facebook group
Latest posts by Nina Badzin (see all)
- #129 – Do you know how your friends like to be comforted? - January 16, 2025
- #128 – Your Friends Won’t Always Say the Right Thing When You’re Struggling - January 9, 2025
- #127 – See a Friend in Person This Month - January 2, 2025
- #126 – Is it Time For a Friendship Cleanse? - December 26, 2024
2 Responses
Love, love, love this! As you already know, I’m a BIG Danielle fan and can’t get enough of her IG Stories. I made her ‘Better Than Shake-n-Bake’ chicken tonight for Shabbat dinner and it’s going on the repeat list. Time to order the cookbook and #cookthebook! 🥕
You are my hero. Not only do you cook, but you cook with RECIPES. Not sure how I can possibly elevate you more but your pedestal just went up a notch. 🙂