One glance at Danielle Renov’s Instagram page and you’ll see exactly why @peaslovencarrots feels like a community.
With her approachable yet delicious recipes, her chatty, off-the-cuff style, and her kids popping up alongside her in video posts, @peaslovencarrots (58k followers and counting) reflects a lifestyle we can all relate to.
For years Danielle has been sharing her delicious and doable recipes, lifestyle tips, and the once-in-a-while personal post on Instagram, her own website, and of course, Kosher.com. And now, for the first time, she brings all the fun to a print format with her new cookbook — Peas, Love & Carrots.
“I always love seeing Danielle’s excitement and passion to create delicious recipes in her Kosher.com videos,” says Chanie Nayman, editor in chief of Kosher.com. “In the cookbook, we’re getting more of that Danielle energy that we love on the page. Her cookbook is a continuation of the all work Danielle has done.”
“What’s incredible about working with Danielle is seeing her ideas evolve in front of your eyes,” says Jenna Grunfeld, Kosher.com’s Head of Video Production. “Sometimes a video shoot turns into a brainstorm session and the result is better than what we could have planned. Her ability to improvise and do so with excitement is a force—and she brought that same ingenuity to her cookbook.”
“Danielle doesn’t do anything halfway. If she writes a cookbook – you know it’s going to be worth having,” says Grunfeld.
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“Feels like a conversation between Danielle and the home chef” — Amazon reviewer, BD
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Do you think of a cookbook as a stuffy, formal list of recipes?
If you do, just wait till you get your hands on Peas, Love & Carrots. It’ll change your mind about what a cookbook is meant to be!
Everything in this beautifully designed book — from the lowercase letters to the clever cooking puns to the hysterically funny observations that accompany each recipe — is deliciously informal and just plain fun. Reading it through feels like cooking with a friend at your side.
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“If you like wholesome food, with a blend of Middle Eastern and American flavors, modernized for today’s palette, this book is for you” — Amazon reviewer, BB
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Raised in a half-Moroccan, half-Ashkenaz household in New York, and now living in Israel with her husband and children, Danielle’s signature style is uniquely multicultural.
Recipes from her earliest memories include the challah recipe of Rabbanit Toledano z’l, the Baba Sali’s granddaughter and Danielle’s mother’s best friend, Moroccan Harira (“It’s the soup of my childhood,” she says), and Mufletta, a Moroccan dessert crepe that Danielle’s grandmother taught her to make (“My absolute most favorite food on the planet.”)
While the Moroccan influences are strong, Danielle’s also gleans inspiration from her New York upbringing, as evidenced by recipes like Supermarket Style Fish Sticks (“I’ve been a fish sticks snob since age 8 and I didn’t even know it.”) and Fat-free Biscotti (“Are they healthy? Eh. But there’s no oil. So I feel better about eating the entire batch.”)
There’s also a sprinkling of recipes from Danielle’s travels, like Tom Yum Soup with Salmon, a kosher version of a traditional Thai soup, which Danielle adapted with the help of a local chef on a trip to Thailand with her husband. (“Every time I make it, I am instantly transported back to the land of sun, exotic animals, and the sweetest mango we’ve ever tasted.”)
Then there’s the Israeli influence, which shines through in many of the cookbook’s varied sections. Danielle writes about her everyday experiences with marketplace vendors in Israel and the fresh, seasonal, Middle Eastern-style ingredients that take center stage in many of her recipes, including Shuk Salad, Haloumi + Sweet Potato Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette, and the Tahini + Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Kadaif Topping.
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“I have never used a recipe of Danielle’s that was not thoroughly enjoyed by my family” — Amazon reviewer, AmmyR
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In addition to the more exotic fare, the cookbook contains a huge selection of family-friendly recipes, like Apples & Honey Mustard Chicken, Tiny Shnitsel, Italian Wedding Soup, Steakhouse Style Battered Onions, and 2 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse.
Bottom line is, with 254+ recipes, Peas, Love & Carrots includes something for everyone.
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“What I love most about this cookbook is I found myself reading EVERY.SINGLE.PAGE. Like a book.” — Amazon reviewer, JL
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What do we expect from a cookbook?
Fabulous recipes, obviously. Beautiful photos, of course. A well-designed index and easy-to-read design, surely. And Peas, Love & Carrots has all of those.
But in addition to all those things, this cookbook is garnished with many extras that make it ultra-special.
Some of the awesome additions to Peas, Love & Carrots:
- “How to follow a recipe” – A helpful primer for cooks, with “6 basic rules to following a recipe”
- “86 things I want you to know about this book + cooking in general” – Danielle fills this list with expert advice, handy tips, and funny tidbits. These range the gamut from how to use acid to improve a dull dish, how to remove the “plastic-y” taste from bagged tortillas, and how not to take things out of the oven.
- “Family faves” – In this brilliant diagram, Danielle uses color-coded icons to chart her own family’s favorite recipes. With a green symbol for “boys”, a purple one for “girls”, and a pink one for “Eli” (Danielle’s husband), the cookbook reader can assess how popular each individual recipe is with Danielle’s family, and use that info to predict her own family’s favorites.
- Menu suggestions – With sections for Shabbos and Yom Tov, Pesach, and weeknight dinners, this useful index will make menu planning a breeze, no second guessing required.
- Conversion charts – These additional charts will help you convert measurements, temperatures, and dried vs. fresh spices.
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“Every page is infused with her brightness, her joy, her love of life” — Amazon reviewer, NJ Mom
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Reading through this cookbook, it’s clear how much heart went into creating it. With a fantastic collection of recipes, upbeat anecdotes, and a treasure trove of practical (and at the same time, hilarious!) cooking advice, the Peas, Love & Carrots cookbook is one you’ll savor for years to come.
Check out these sneak peek recipes:
– Tahini and Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Kadaif Topping
– Apples & Honey Mustard Chicken
And head over to Amazon to pick up your copy.
