During the last few weeks, random readers of my cookbooks have been sharing what they've been cooking. That's always fun to hear about. Sometimes my recipes are being followed exactly as they are; other times there are embellishments or substitutions being made. And just last night one fan remembered something about a dish made with frozen peas and then asked me to email her the recipe while she was on vacation. I did.

The selections, offered below, come from a variety of sources, Little Meals, Radically Simple, Eat Fresh Food, and my new eBook: the 1-2-3 Collection.

Mod Cod: Crumbed Cod with Frozen Peas (from Radically Simple) Yep, you can use frozen peas straight from the freezer; just slam the package on the counter a few times to break them up. They provide moisture as the thick pieces of cod, topped with garlicky breadcrumbs, are roasted at a high temperature. The peas also get roasted and take on a comforting starchy texture.

10-package frozen peas 4 scallions 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup panko 1 large garlic clove 4 thick cod fillets, about 7 ounces each

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Put the frozen peas in a large bowl. Slice the scallions thinly on the bias and add to peas along with the thyme, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and salt and pepper. Spread on a small rimmed baking sheet. Mix the panko with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the garlic, pushed through a press, and salt. Season the fish with salt and pepper. To each piece add a thick cover of panko and press down firmly. Place the fish atop the peas. Roast for 12 minutes until the crumbs are golden and the fish is just firm. Serve the fish on the peas. Drizzle with additional oil and scatter thyme leaves on top, if desired. Serves 4

Pearl Barley & Tuna Nicoise (from Little Meals) Salad Nicoise is famous from Antwerp to Argentina, but no one serves it my way, tossed with barley and a Caesar-like dressing. Barley absorbs the dressing and helps to marry all the flavors. I like it with a basket of warm soft dinner rolls and a bottle of chilled Bandol rose wine from Provence.

1 cup pearl barley 13-oz. can white tuna in water 8 ounces green beans, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin 1 large tomato, cut into thin wedges 1/3 cup black nicoise olives 2 hard-cooked eggs, quartered 1/3 cup olive oil 2 heaping tablespoons freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano 4 anchovies, finely minced 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus thyme sprigs 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 cloves garlic, pushed through a press 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard wedges of lemon

Rinse barley then cook in 4 cups salted boiling water for 45 minutes. Drain well and transfer to large bowl. Drain tuna and mix with barley. Add green beans, red onion, tomato, olives, and eggs. Toss gently. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, parmesan cheese, anchovies, thyme leaves, lemon juice, garlic, pushed through a press, and mustard. Whisk until emulsified and pour over barley mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve with lemon wedges and sprigs of thyme. Serves 4

Swiss Chard with Lemony Tahina & Cashews (from Radically Simple) This is great way to serve chard (in rainbow colors), collards or kale. It contains a wealth of antioxidants, too. Note: A reader made this with kale and loved it.

1/2 cup tahina grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons 1 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 2 pounds Swiss chard or kale 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups finely chopped onions 1/2 cup roasted cashews, broken in pieces

Put the tahina in a food processor. Add the lemon zest and 1/4 cup juice along with the garlic. Process, adding 1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Wash the greens and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat the oil in a very large nonstick skillet. Add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Add the greens with some water clinging to them), cook over high heat 5 minutes. Add salt, cover, and cook the greens until tender but still bright green, 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with the tahina sauce and sprinkle with the cashews. Serves 4

Chicken Thighs with Smoked Paprika & Rosemary (From the 1-2-3 Collection)

This is among my family’s favorite emergency meals. It was inspired by my best friend, cooking maestro, Arthur Schwartz. Great on a bed of garlicky mashed potatoes and a tangle of broccoli rabe.

8 large gone-in chicken thighs, with skin 5 teaspoons smoked paprika 16 large sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven the 450 degrees. Make 2 deep slits across the width of each thigh. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Mix paprika with ½ teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the paprika salt into the slits and then lay a long rosemary sprig in each slit. Arrange the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on the top oven rack (important step!) for 40 to 45 minutes, until firm and cooked through but still juicy. Serves 4

Maple Vinaigrette (from Eat Fresh Food) This is one great dressing that everyone loves. Real maple syrup is a must. We love it with an endive salad, tossed with mesclun, walnuts and dried cranberries. To turn it into a main course, we add strips of thinly sliced turkey.

2 tablespoons real maple syrup 5 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons strong Dijon mustard 1 small garlic clove

Put all ingredients in a small jar and put the lid on tightly. Shake vigorously until emulsified. Or whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 1/2 cup

Why not try them all this week! Enjoy!

There are many nights of Passover to celebrate and time to eat more cake. No doubt many of you have had your share of sticky, wet coconut macaroons, fluffy angel cakes, chocolate matzoh buttercrunch, and flourless chocolate cakes. But here's another to try, even if you're not Jewish. Something light and nutty and perfect for Easter dinner, too, served with diced ripe pineapple and crème fraîche, or dense vanilla-flecked ice cream strewn with raspberries. Perfect little raspberries remind me of nature's gum drops. The same ingredients that go into the cake -- espresso, cardamom, lemon, and real maple syrup -- are used to make the aromatic elixir that gets poured over the cake after baking. Even if matzoh meal is not an ingredient usually kept in your cupboard, you will find it amply displayed in the supermarket. Who knows? It might even inspire you to make matzoh ball soup -- once the provenance of Jewish households -- it is a staple on many a deli menu sprinkled across America. I have always meant to try making this cake with flour, too, but have not as yet. I will let you know how to accurately swap out the matzoh meal another time. But now, do enjoy this special cake as is.

During Passover, I like a slice with my strong morning coffee and another slice with my afternooon tea. So far, this Passover, I have eaten many delicious new things, too. A fruit salad with lychees, hawthorne berry brandy, bits of sliced oranges with their rind, mango, honey and much more. I told my herbalist friend (also a bee-keeper), who made it, that I was sure these were the flavors favored by Cleopatra. The taste was something so exotic that I can't stop thinking about it! Also exciting was the Iraqi haroset prepared by my friend Debbie --made with only two ingredients, date molasses and walnuts, it brought a new dimension and conversation to the meal. Last night at our tiny Seder for three, we dribbled it on matzoh and, bereft of Gold's horseradish, we dabbed it with wasabi! New traditions begin.

Maple-Walnut Espresso Torte with Lemon-Espresso Syrup You can serve this with non-dairy whipped topping that is kosher-for-Passover and garnish with walnut halves.

2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup real maple syrup 5 teaspoons instant espresso powder 2-1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon 8 ounces walnuts, about 2 cups 1/2 cup matzoh meal 4 extra-large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Oil an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of the espresso, and 1/4 teaspoon of the cardamom. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Cool.

Process the walnuts and matzoh meal in a food processor until finely ground. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs, the remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt on high for 4 minutes. Add the remaining 4 teaspoons espresso, 2 teaspoons cardamom, and lemon zest; beat 3 minutes. Stir in the walnut mixture. Pour into the pan. Bake40 minutes, until firm to the touch. Pour 1/4 cup syrup over the cake; let cool. Serve in wedges, drizzled with the remaining syrup. Serves 8