Peas Love & Carrots: Newest Cookbook Obsession

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!


 

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

2 Responses

  1. 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! 🥕

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

Get The Newsletter

I send an email once or twice a month with the latest friendship letters, podcast episodes, book reviews, recipes, and more.

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