In this fractured world, where people are becoming increasingly divided and polarised, two women have made it their mission to bring people together.
It was in lockdown when I first saw videos of Ronnit Hoppe and Delia Baron and rustling up fabulous-looking fresh salads and meals. The pair, who are based in Melbourne, Australia, were making recipes they had published in their two cookbooks, Better Together Kitchen (BTK) numbers 1 and 2. Now, they have released their third cookbook, which, they say, promises more of what they are known for: “simple, tasty and honest” food. A quick look through the index of the third book and I’m salivating – dishes include baked quinoa pilaf, sticky salmon bite bowls and oven-baked crispy chicken.
Delia tells me the attraction of their recipes is their unfussiness – but make no mistake, Ronnit and Delia are extremely exacting. “The reason the books have been so successful is that every recipe is tried and tested a million times and they actually work,” explains Delia. “They’re recipes you’d want to make every day – they’re very user friendly and simple but really delicious.”
Their audience is predominantly women, and many BTK cookbooks are bought as gifts for their children who are at the moving-out-of-home stage. “They [mothers] want to nurture them to make food that is wholesome, honest and tasty and is also good for them. They really appeal to the home cook who wants a variety of tasty food, from all genres – and there’s usually something that’s just a little bit special about each recipe that makes it really good – for example the pickled onions or the toasted nuts – and it’s not boring.”
The duo are inspired by food from their travels and meals out, which they often emulate. Delia’s daughter, when in Israel, tasted a ceviche on labneh and wanted them to try to make it. “She sent us a photo saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten. You have to work out how to make it!’ so I got her to write down everything that was in it and we recreated it, using our own spin.” If you get the latest cookbook, a version of it is in there.
Their Jewish identity is also very important to them. “We do Shabbat dinner every Friday night and we celebrate all of the High Holy Days. We’re always cooking [Jewish food], whether we’re making honey cakes or doughnuts – we do every chag; we’re very traditional.”
But it’s not just about the food, Delia stresses. “We love eating, but we also love gathering around the table – for us, that’s a non-negotiable with our families. We sit at the dinner table every night; it really is about being together as well.”
Tzedakah is another significant principle for Ronnit and Delia. Each purchase of the cookbook supports a box of fresh produce for an Australian family in need. “We’ve got four pillars, which we’ve adhered to since we started running cooking classes together: connect, inspire, nourish and give back. Every time we do something – and it could be a charity function or we could be guest speakers at an event – we always make sure we hit those four pillars.”
The pair met about eight years ago – Delia was teaching children to cook alongside another business and Ronnit ran cookery classes and was behind the Balaboosta recipe website – and collaborated on salad-making workshops. Their first book was published in 2018 and was followed, three years later, by the second. Delia is no stranger to cookbook publishing; 20 years ago, she published three volumes of Cooking with the Raizons, with her mother Sandi and sister Lana, as well as another with Lana on lunches.
The BTK books are dedicated to “all the amazing women who have nurtured and nourished their families for millennia – we see you, we are you”. Delia and Ronnit both learned to cook from their mothers and grandmothers and want to honour these women they cherish. “Cooking is the way we show our love for our family and our friends. And that’s what we women do, don’t we? Our love language is food, and nothing makes us happier than really taking the time to make a beautiful meal and sitting around the table – the simple things really.”
The pair have 25,000 Instagram followers and, while they have a very loyal Jewish audience, Delia says they also have a strong following in the non-Jewish community, with people “coming from all over Victoria to meet us” at the book launch pop-up shops.
Unsurprisingly, Delia and Ronnit are already working on their next book and planning cooking classes. There is also another project, which they are keeping under wraps, but it will be accessible worldwide.
“We’ve got a vision of really uniting the community worldwide – we’ve wanted to have a conversation around food, traditions and community for a long time, and we’re trying to find the right platform to do that. ‘Better together’ is our mantra and our motto, because we all are better together. Ronnie and I are better together. We’re better together with our community and we’re better together with the world, so we really want to hone in on creating more community.”
Given the fabulous feedback they have received for their cookbooks, we are convinced their next venture will be equally inspiring – and tasty!
Better Together Kitchen 3 by Ronnit Hoppe and Delia Baron is priced £37 and is out now. bettertogetherkitchen.com
