Oh, bagels. When done right, they’re so simple, yet so satisfying and delicious. Both my husband and I are huge fans of these carby, doughy rings of goodness, and since great bagels aren’t as easy to come by in LA, we always have to get our fix when back in NY. And yes, I did see the recent (albeit controversial!) New York Times article claiming that the best bagels are in California. I agree, you can definitely find good bagels on the West Coast. However, I think the big difference is that you can’t just walk out of your apartment and grab a delicious bagel down the block like you can so easily in many neighborhoods of New York City. Plus that New York water has to play a part, right?!
Anyway, Bagelsmith was our go-to neighborhood spot when we lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s simple, no frills, but always busy for a reason. Bagels are baked fresh throughout the day, and they have pretty much every flavor you could want. Not to mention endless options for schmears and toppings! For breakfast, I love a whole wheat everything with egg, avocado, fresh veggies, and hot sauce. But the sweet tooth in me also loves a cinnamon raisin bagel (how pretty is that swirl though?) schmeared with almond butter! Just depends on my mood I guess! The hubby’s order is typically what he calls a “double double double” – double sausage, double egg, double cheese on an everything bagel, and loaded with sriracha when eaten. Plus another everything bagel with sun-dried tomato cream cheese for later. The boy can eat! We always get a few bagels to take home as well, and then you can fix them up however you like. The more the merrier!
clark street bakery
Some of y’all might not know, but I was actually born in Sweden! Although my family is not technically Swedish (my parents were just living there while my dad was doing his fellowship to become a doctor), I always say we are “wannabe-Swedes”. My parents speak the language, my brother just did a masters program there, and we’ve been back to visit numerous times over the years. Plus, we all tend to thoroughly enjoy Scandinavian cuisine! That’s where Clark Street Bakery comes in- it’s been one of my absolute favorites since coming to Los Angeles, and I love the nod to my “homeland”.
Clark Street was started by Zack Hall back in 2014. After spending the summer at his wife's family's town working in a wood-fired bakery in the Swedish countryside and falling in love with the craft, Hall returned home to become a full-time bread baker. Clark Street has since grown into a full fledged bakery offering plenty of Swedish delights in addition to more traditional French pastries, as well as freshly baked sourdough. I love stopping by for breakfast or lunch, or simply a quick coffee and pastry to-go. Offering everything from kanelbulle (Swedish cinnamon buns) and kouign-amann to seasonal salads and sandwiches, you’re sure to find something up your alley. I personally can’t pass up the perfectly spiced Swedish cardamom bun nor the totally flaky almond croissant (just look at those layers!) whenever I’m there. The dark rye brownie is hard to beat as well- OMG so fudgy! I’m happy to report my toddler is a huge fan as well- can you tell by the photos?!- so visits to Clark Street may just become our new favorite mommy & son activity. PS- Any local, aspiring bread bakers out there? Clark Street offers free sourdough starter with any purchase so you can bake fresh bread at home! Our starter recently died after being neglected during our move (RIP Gustafson), so I plan to pick up a fresh starter soon. I’ve been missing homemade sourdough like woah!
seed + mill
This should come as no surprise to anyone by this point, but I have an obsession with tahini. The smooth and creamy paste (akin to nut butter) made from ground sesame seeds is truly one of my favorite things! I love baking with it and eating it in all the ways, any time of day- whether it’s in my tahini chocolate chip blondies or made into a simple salad dressing or spooned into medjool dates with chocolate, I am here for it!
No surprise then that I am a huge fan of Seed + Mill, a cute tahini and halva focused shop in New York City’s Chelsea Market. They make some of the best, smoothest, and creamiest tahini around (luckily you can order this online), and not to mention delicious halva as well! For those of you who don’t know, halva is a traditional Middle Eastern fudge-like confection made with tahini (sesame seed paste), sugar, spices and nuts. In fact, the Arabic word halva translates to “sweetness.” It’s sweet, but not obnoxiously so, and delightfully nutty, fluffy, and crumbly. Seed + Mill whips up some seriously delicious halva flavors at their store- Toasted coconut dark chocolate? Pistachio? Date walnut? Ginger? Yes please, my mouth is watering already! These are sold by the slab, so pick a few to take home and try out. You won’t be disappointed.
Perhaps even more exciting for me was the tahini soft serve ice cream that Seed + Mill churns out. It’s made with goat milk, so perhaps less irritating for those with lactose sensitivities, and oh so creamy and delicious! It’s finished with crumbles of halva and a generous drizzle of tahini – so heavenly I can hardly stand it! Now that I’m back in New York next week, I cannot wait to return soon to get my fix.
healthy nut & seed granola
Granola makes for a delicious breakfast or snack anytime of day, am I right? I’ve been known to enjoy it dry on its own, in a bowl with almond milk or Greek yogurt & fresh fruit, and even sprinkled on top of chia pudding or açaí bowls! And I have to say, it always hits the spot! Although it’s easy to buy granola pre-made, many store-bought versions are loaded with sugar and other unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients. At our house we tend to go through Costco-size bags of grain-free granola at a pretty rapid pace (it’s so addicting), and as I was finishing one off the other day, I decided to make some myself for a change!
This recipe is super adaptable, so feel free to swap out other nuts and seeds if you prefer, or use what you have on hand. But do make sure to use plenty of them since they are the star- and super important for that tasty crunch! No one in my household avoids grains, so I did include rolled oats as well, since they make such a good base for granola. If you’d like to keep things gluten free, just make sure your oats are certified GF! My healthy nut & seed granola boasts a pretty impressive nutritional profile thanks to superfoods like chia & flax seeds, fiber-rich oats, and an extra dose of healthy fats from coconut oil. Plus, it’s lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup, which is much lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar and corn syrup, so it won’t spike your blood sugar! I definitely recommend adding pure vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for some added depth of flavor, but feel free to skip these if you prefer. You can also toss in some dried or freeze dried fruit after baking, if that’s your jam, as well. The options are endless! Homemade granola is so easy y’all- I don’t know why I haven’t done this more often, but I definitely will going forward! Not to mention it leaves your house smelling oh so delicious and fragrant! Enjoy!
Healthy Nut & Seed Granola:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if preferred)
1/2 cup pistachios, rough chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts, rough chopped
1 cup almonds, rough chopped (or slivered)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or shreds
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan or large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt (keep coconut separate for now). Set aside. In a separate bowl, heat the coconut oil and maple syrup until melted. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well until oat mixture is completely coated.
Spread the granola on the baking sheet in an even layer and press down evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top, and return to oven for a few more minutes, until just toasted. Granola should be nice and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to set. Feel free to break it into clumps or clusters if you prefer. Transfer to an airtight container or large mason jar.
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tahini chocolate chip blondies
I’m obsessed with any and all things tahini. I eat it multiple times a day, whether it’s drizzled over roasted veggies and lamb meatballs for dinner or spooned into Medjool dates with chocolate chips for a sweet treat, tahini is the jam. It also makes for a delicious baking ingredient! Its creamy, fatty, smooth texture makes it a wonderful butter, oil, and/or nut butter alternative in many recipes. Plus, tahini and chocolate is such a tasty combo. This recipe uses wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients, but still tastes oh so rich and decadent. Tahini chocolate chip blondies that are gluten & grain free, paleo, and refined sugar free as well? Sign me up!
Tahini Chocolate Chip Blondies:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup tahini (plus extra for drizzling)
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)
flakey sea salt, for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan (double recipe for 13x9 inch pan) with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl or base of a stand mixer, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, tahini, and vanilla extract until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just incorporated, careful not to over mix (it will be thick!). Fold in the chocolate chips. Add batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 25-26 minutes until edges are just slightly golden, but center may seem slightly underdone. Check using a cake tester- if it comes out mostly clean, they should be ready. Don’t overbake as grain-free baked goods will continue to set in the pan. Let blondies cool in pan for about five minutes before removing and allowing them to cool completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and drizzle with tahini, if desired. Cut into bars and enjoy!
*Adapted from Paleo Chocolate Chip Tahini Blondies by Ambitious Kitchen.
sweet laurel bakery cake shop
I had been plotting my visit to the Sweet Laurel Bakery Cake Shop over in the Palisades for quite some time now. I’m a huge fan of Laurel herself (and her cottage is to die for), as well as her delectable baked goods! But as well all know, the pandemic hit, and so I really haven’t been out & about all that much. In the meantime, I’ve been baking up a storm from the cookbook, and boy are there some tasty recipes to be had! Sweet Laurel recipes are all gluten, grain, and refined sugar free, and many are also vegan as well, making them a great choice for anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions. My bestie Rachel McConn (an amazing nutritional therapy practitioner & natural foods chef, by the way) came up from San Diego to hang for a night, and since she has Celiac Disease, the bakery has been on her must-visit list as well. We headed out on a (safe & socially distanced) mission for sweets, and we were not disappointed.
The star of the show was the ice cream sandwich- snickerdoodle cookies with chocolate ice cream. This was so delicious, not to mention all vegan & gluten free! It totally hit the spot on a hot summer day. I can never say no to carrot cake, so had to get a slice of that as well. This one is lightly sweet, and studded with walnuts and raisins. The probiotic cashew cream frosting is super unique and provides such a nice tang! Even my one year old got in on the sampling, and he was definitely a fan. I can’t wait to return to try some of their super food lattes and keto frappes- yum! And lastly, don’t miss Laurel’s new savory cookbook, which is now available for preorder!
