MAPLED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

It was my birthday earlier this week. It was smushed in between two trips to New York (Hugh has a wedding in Brooklyn this weekend), just after Mother's Day, the same week as my nieces birthday and nearly every female on my mom's side. I worked at Trader's most of the day and we had an excellent dinner in LA at Baco Mercat. I didn't need a bunch of celebration this year, there has been plenty going on and I just wanted to take account for the last 29 years. It kind of snuck up on me. My "twenties" have been abundant in experience - so many milestones and lessons and challenges and rewards and love and growth have been a part of this decade. I know I still have a year left, and not for a second do I believe my life is dramatically changing at the turn of a number, but still, there's only one year left! It has been so quick - but not - and somehow completely sufficient. I probably say this every birthday, but time fascinates me. How change is so sweeping in retrospect, but most of the time, you don't even notice the evolution of it.

These cookies actually don't have the slightest thing to do with my birthday but they need to be shared and we are celebrating. Ashley makes incredible cookies, and when I want to play around with a cookie combination or in this case, add something for my maple-loving husband, I use her recipe as a base and go from there. You really must try the original, but with the little bits of oats, tenderness from almond meal and the gentlest nudge of maple, I think I am calling this the "house cookie." I picked up some Valrhona feves, saving them for cooking glory, and they make the most gorgeous streaks through the cookies once baked. If you do try them, and even if you make a change of your own, just stay close to the oven. There is a time and place for a crispy cookie, but these babes are best consumed warm and just barely underdone.

PS. If you are in New York City this weekend, we will be at Posman Books in Chelsea Market on Sunday around 1pm signing cookbooks. It isn't an organized event, but we're signing their stock while in town so stop by and say hi if you'd like!

MAPLED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES // Makes 18 small cookies

An adaptation of Not Without Salt's Almond Chocolate Chip Flax Cookies

Don't going searching high and low for chocolate feves, but I will say that they melt gorgeously in the dough. A chopped up bar of good-quality chocolate should work too.

If you need the cookies to be free of the glutens, a GF blend will work in place of the ww flour. Ashley's original gives you the option without the egg. I know maple extract isn't a pantry staple, but it's pretty fantastic and makes these cookies have a carmely-maple hint. This batch was made with maple flakes as well if you prefer a crunchy bit along with or instead of extract.

• 1 stick/ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup muscavado sugar
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. maple extract
• 3 T. maple flakes (optional)
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
• pinch of cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips/chopped chocolate

Heat the oven to 350'.

Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, sea salt, vanilla and maple extracts and mix again to combine well.

In another bowl, mix the almond meal, oats, white whole wheat flour, pinch of cinnamon and baking soda together. Add the dry to the wet mixture and stir until almost combined, being careful not to overmix. Add the chopped chocolate and give it one more stir to combine. Allow the mixture to chill for at least 20 minutes, or covered overnight. 

Place your cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet or silpat, leaving space between for them to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until the centers are barely set. They will appear underdone, this is good. Allow them to cool and enjoy. 

BAKED HERB + PISTACHIO FALAFEL

We ate our last lunch of a quick trip to NYC at Carnegie Deli. There was a line outside, which I'm guessing is due to an Anthony Bourdain or Seinfield episode because I know there is better food in New York. My dad, as you'll gather from a few headnotes in our cookbook and snippets here, likes his food straight forward (although, I did bring raw chia date brownies for plane snacks and he LIKED them! Heavens to Betsy). A few days in New York for this man necessitates pretzels, pizza and a hot pastrami sandwich.

My dad was my date to the James Beard dinner in town - an event I attended hesitantly seeing this month is more travel heavy than average. Thanks to a few friends coaxing me, I knew I would regret it if I didn't make it happen - something I may get to experience once in a lifetime. We shopped around to find me a new dress, he found a bagel, I found a salad bar (and a dress!), we communicated mostly in sarcasm and jest, as my family does, and the day was really nice. That evening, I sat around a table of collegues from my publishing house, amid a room full of cookbook and journalism professionals. I was taking it in, but mostly just nervous, my legs shaking in high shoes I couldn't walk far in. I knew my odds were quite slim, but when you are the small fish in a big pond, the magnitude of the pond itself is enough to make your legs wobbly. Regardless of what is even happening in said pond, but you just swim anyway. Winners gave a little speech, think of a food version of the Acadamy Awards. It crossed my mind for a split second, what would I say if I did win? Every underdog has their chance, right? The people who build me up: My husband who had slipped a homemade card in my purse reminding me, albeit humorously, how proud he was, my mom checking in all day wanting the details, my sister responding to my dozens of picture texts helping me choose a dress, my dad who had made the trip across the country to go with me, and a complimentary and supportive publisher. I had encouraging notes and emails from long time friends and blog friends alike. You know the phrase moms say about raising children, "it takes a village"? I felt like I had my village cheering me on. You must listen to the village. Your own voice will question and doubt and make your legs wobbly, but your village has pom poms and megaphones and big red finger sponges telling you you're great. I am so thankful for my village.

A friend and I were emailing about cookbook business and she mentioned "the ubiquity of blogger cookbooks." While there is certainly a trend to it, I find that I garner a ton of wisdom and inspiration, both personally and food wise, from blogs. It is such a pleasure to see personal work all bound up in a pretty package. I am excited to be cooking out of the new book from Green Kitchen Stories, Vegetarian Everyday. It is every bit as wonderful as their site. Filled with super gorgeous vegetarian recipes, many vegan and gluten free. I am going to try their cauliflower pizza crust and dark danish rye bread next, and the homemade vegetable chorizo sounds so unique. I really like how light these falafel taste and feel in your tum as opposed to a breadcrumb-heavy, deep fried alternative. So glad I have leftovers.

I know you worked your buns off for this, David and Luise, and the book is absolutely lovely. Many congratulations to you! 

BAKED HERB + PISTACHIO FALAFEL // Makes about 20

Recipe barely adapted from Vegetarian Everyday by David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl

David and Luise suggest a simple cashew nut dressing in their book which is a blend of soaked cashews, oil, lemon juice, and salt. I had some tahini sauce to use up, so I went that route instead. Just use half the amount of water called for. A fresh tzatziki would be refreshing here too. The original recipe uses 2 cups pistachios, I scaled it down a bit due to preference which is why mine yields a bit less than thiers. Your call. Don't be shy with the herbs, these falafels can take it. 

• 12 sprigs of mint
• 12 sprigs of parsley or cilantro
• 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts
• 2 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 T. buckwheat flour (or another flour of choice)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• hearty pinch of salt 

• / tomato chili salsa /
• 2 cups diced tomatoes (I used baby tomatoes)
• 1/2 a small red chile, seeded and finely chopped (one jalepeno works)
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T. fresh chopped oregano
• pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper

• collard leaves, cabbage or pita bread for serving
• fresh herbs for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375'. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or oiled foil. 

Pulse the herbs in a food processor. Add the pistachio nuts and pulse again to chop. Add the chickpeas, garlic, onion, oil, cumin, flour and baking soda and blend for thirty seconds, scraping down sides when necessary. You want the mixture a bit rough. 

Using your hands, form 20 small round falafels. Place them on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake them for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned. 

Stir all tomato chili salsa ingredients together in another bowl. Allow ingredients to sit for flavors to blend. 

Make your wraps with the collard, cabbage or pita with a generous spread of the sauce and the tomato chili salsa. Falafels will keep for about a week covered in the fridge. 

BEAN BOWLS WITH POACHED EGGS

I used to journal all the time. It helped me process. Especially in high school when boyfriend problems were a huge deal, you fought constantly with your mother, and who gets to ask who to the winter formal dance was high drama. A girl's got to get through those hard times. Journaling made thoughts and feelings seem legitimate once they were down on paper. Later, I started journaling in letter format, writing in a voice as though someone may read my words. This felt more natural, more "like me." I love letters. I stopped about a year after college. I know this only because my last journal is in the back of my car. I keep wanting to throw it away because it makes me feel awkward when I flip through and read old stuff, but that awkward feeling may turn to endearment one day. Which is why it lingers somewhere between a box of keepsakes in the garage and the trash... my car.

Writing here has taken the place of the writing I used to do for me. At least for the time being. I think I always wanted someone to read what I was thinking, even if it wasn't fully fleshed out, emotional stuff, just the casual chatter. We've been journaling on Sprouted Kitchen, by way of recipes, photos and stories for almost four years, and much like personal journals, I don't really go back and look at older stuff. I know I will at some point years from now, so I try to weave our real life into this space as to have memories within the collection of recipes. Our first book was nominated for a James Beard award a few weeks ago, and I want to mark here how honored I have felt because of that (hey, future self reading this, this was/is a big deal!). I have wrestled with myself about food writing being "my career" and the timing of this nomination marked the first time in a while that I felt I didn't have to defend my work to myself. Writing a blog and book and working at a market and teaching classes and infrequent catering is a long answer when someone asks "what do you do?" Long answers aren't such a bad thing. It would have felt wonderful at any time, but there was something really special about it coming during this season for me. I'm humbled and grateful, and I do a happy dance when I think about it. I know this nomination is a high honor, and I won't forget it. 

This is a simple, modest bowl of a meal. Made of very affordable ingredients, delicately spiced, and pretty easy to tweak to your tastes. Clearly I am still clearing out my pantry. It is not the most creative recipe that's come out of my kitchen, but sometimes it's the less fussy stuff that is quietly satisfying. Leftovers nest well in a burrito with melty cheese. A comfy, warm meal before we roll into a season of salads and fresh fruits and tender asparagus. 

P.S. I forgot to mention last post that Hugh is planning on doing a few portrait sessions while we're away. He says he has to work to keep his croissant budget in check. If you happen to be in Paris, Antwerp or Amsterdam, he mentions the dates on his site.

BEAN BOWLS WITH POACHED EGG // Serves 4

The texture comes out like a stew and you want some of the liquid to be in the pot. Once you break the yolk from the egg, it makes a sauce with the bean broth. Add more broth to the pot if needed, it absorbs moisture as it cools, and adjust the spices to your liking.

I cooked my beans from scratch and drained off the excess liquid before adding the broth from there. They don't need to be completely drained by any means, but I wanted my broth flavor to not taste too strongly of bean. I'd guess you could use canned beans in a pinch, the texture will just be a bit less substantial.

• 1/2 lb. dried black beans (rinsed and soaked overnight)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp. chile powder
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced in 1'' cubes
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste
• 4-8 eggs (use 1-2 eggs per person)
• cilantro and hot sauce to finish
• cotija, queso fresco or goat cheese optional

Drain and rinse the beans from soaking. Place them in a large pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans are cooked through and just tender (one to one and a half hours depending on freshness of beans), avoid overcooking. They should still have a tooth to them. Remove from heat, add a pinch of salt. Let the beans cool for about ten minutes before draining. Add the cumin, cinnamon, garlic, chile powder, hearty pinch of salt and broth. Bring the mixture to a low simmer.

Add the sweet potato to the warm beans, give it a stir and cover the pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the tomato paste and olive oil and taste for salt, you'll likely need another pinch or two, and spices. You could add heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes or chipotle. Cover and keep warm until ready.

Bring a large pot of salted water with a splash of vinegar to a low boil. Poach the eggs to desired doneness (two eggs at a time is what I can manage. I deliver the eggs to the water in a ramekin, seems to help them stay together well).  For a medium poach, simmer them 2-3 minutes. If you like the yolk more firm, take them 4-5 minutes. Serve each portion with a hearty scoop of the beans and poached egg on top. Finish with hot sauce, cilantro and cheese if using.