December 23, 2014
(last updated May 6, 2023) 
Heirloom Bean Bourguignon with Celery Root Mash From At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen (plus a giveaway!)
It isn’t often that I truly rave about a cookbook. When you spend as much time as I do immersed in the world of food–blogs, books, photographs, not to mention one’s own recipe development–it’s easy to become a little numb to the beauty of what you see. There is so much talent out there, and we foodies get exposure to a lot of it.
But Amy Chaplin’s At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, which I’ve had since earlier this fall, has rocked my world. I’ve been waiting to spend some time with this gorgeous collection before I wrote about it, because it’s truly a cookbook to savor, to read page-by-page. But with Christmas and New Year’s Eve upon us, I’ll submit that, if you decide to treat yourself to one food book for the holiday season and the new year ahead, it should probably be this one.
Amy Chaplin has worked as a vegetarian chef for over twenty years. Most famously, she’s the former executive chef of Angelica Kitchen, one of the most renowned vegan restaurants in the country. She’s worked as a recipe developer, a teacher, and a private chef (to such notable clients as Liv Tyler and Natalie Portman), and her work has appeared in all sorts of prestigious food publications. Amy’s also the author of a pretty gorgeous food blog/website, where she posts her creations regularly, and an equally lovely Instagram account.
If I had to sum up Amy’s culinary style, I’d say that it’s hearty, wholesome, and flavorful. Reading through her book (and knowing about her culinary heritage and training and experience), I see macrobiotic influences, as well as a familiarity with global cuisine. But her book isn’t a macrobiotic book, nor is it limited to one culinary perspective. In its pages you’ll find everything from chia pudding to tempeh burgers to kitchari to cashew cheese. The book is not 100% vegan, but I’d guess that it’s easily 92% vegan, and every recipe that calls for goat cheese or the like can be modified easily to be vegan.
A legume primer from At Home in the Whole Foods Kitchen
One of the first passages I read in Amy’s book was about the beauty and heartiness of whole grains. She called them her “desert island food,” which made me smile. I have similar feelings about a warm bowl of rice or quinoa, and in our grain-phobic, carb-phobic (everything-phobic?) health food culture, it’s so refreshing to see a food writer who can cut through the noise and appreciate these nourishing foods, which have sustained human populations for millennia. She also knows how to do wonders with beans, another food that is sometimes irrationally feared these days. For grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and numerous other ingredients, Amy provides detailed information on soaking, cooking methods, storage, and selection. At Home is a cookbook first and foremost, but it’s also a rich and textured resource on how to stock, care for, and use a whole-foods-oriented kitchen.
Another thing I appreciate about Amy’s book is that it’s a perfect marriage of health-minded and food-celebratory. At the risk of dwelling on some of the food alarmism that I see poisoning the health world these days, I’m finding that it’s harder and harder to find titles that celebrate good health while also celebrating the joy and taste and experience of great food. Amy is of course trained in preparing food that has healing properties, but she also celebrates delicious desserts, morning baked goods, and other treats.
Amy’s Spelt Almond Waffles and Vanilla Chia Pudding
The result is a collection that feels nourishing for both the body and the spirit. Roost book’s copy for this book seems to sum up its spirit in even more evocative language:
Imagine you are in a bright, breezy kitchen. There are large bowls on the counter full of lush, colorful produce and a cake stand stacked with pretty whole-grain muffins. On the shelves live rows of glass jars, all shapes and sizes, containing grains, seeds, beans, nuts, and spices. You open the fridge and therein you find a bottle of fresh almond milk, cooked beans, soaking grains, dressings, ferments, and seasonal produce. This is Amy Chaplin’s kitchen. It is a heavenly place, and it is this book that will make it your kitchen too.
That’s about right.
From the book: Herbed black quinoa muffins with sweet potato and caramelized onions
The book is divided into two parts. Part One walks you through setting up a pantry, finding common ingredients, picking appliances, and making weekly menus. It also provides a bastion of simple, basic recipes that are essential to a plant-based and whole foods diet. Part Two is where the magic happens: well over 200 pages of recipes, from black rice breakfast pudding with coconut and banana to beet tartlets with poppy seed crust and white bean fennel filling to a roasted fig and raspberry tart with toasted almond crust. It’s a challenge not to want to make each and every item right away.
Beet tartlets with poppy seed crust and white bean fennel filling
The folks at Roost books and Amy have generously agreed to let me share a recipe from the collection. It was hard to choose, but the one I selected is a recipe that I think captures the spirit of Amy’s food: satisfying, wholesome, close-to-the-earth. It’s Amy’s Heirloom Bean Bourguignon with celery root mash, and it is a feast for both the eyes and the tastebuds.
Heirloom Bean Bourguignon with Celery Root Mash From Amy Chaplin's At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen
Author -Ingredients
Roasted vegetable stock:
- 1 medium onion cut in 1-inch dice
- 2 large heads garlic separated (about 20 unpeeled cloves)
- 2 large carrots cut in 1-inch dice
- 2 medium parsnips cut in 1-inch dice
- 2 medium turnips cut in 1-inch dice
- 6- inch piece burdock root cut in 1-inch dice
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs sage
- 2 large sprigs rosemary
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 cups filtered water divided
- 4 stalks celery with leaves chopped
- 4 bay leaves
- 6 large sprigs parsley
- Stems from 2 pounds crimini mushrooms from the bourguignon
Bourguignon:
- 1 cup Christmas lima beans sorted and soaked 12-24 hours in at least 3 cups filtered water
- 2- inch piece kombu
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cups + 2 tablespoons filtered water divided
- 15 sun-dried tomatoes not oil packed--about 1/2 cup
- 1 cup boiling filtered water
- 1 1/4 cups full-bodied red wine
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon tamari plus more to taste
- 2 pounds crimini mushroom caps stems removed and used above, cut in 1/4-inch slices (about 10 cups)
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 medium shallots cut in 1/4-inch slices
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 2 medium carrots roll cut in 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons kuzu or arrowroot
- Chopped fresh parsley to serve
Celery Root Mash:
- 2 large celery root 2 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
- 5 large waxy potatoes 3 pounds, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch dice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the stock:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place onion, garlic, carrots, parsnips, turnips, burdock, thyme, sage, rosemary, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl; toss to combine. Divide between two baking dishes and roast for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle each pan with 1/2 cup water to deglaze. Scrape vegetables and any juice into a large pot, and add celery, bay leaves, parsley, mushroom stems, and remaining water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat, strain stock, and compost vegetables. You should have 5 cups stock. Set aside, or if you are making this ahead of time, allow it to cool, pour it into jars, and then refrigerate until you're ready to use it. Stock will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
Make the bourguignon:
- Rinse and drain beans. Place in a medium pot with kombu, bay leaves, and 4 cups water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until beans are soft and creamy in center but not falling apart. Check beans at 45 minutes, then every 10 to 15 minutes until they're cooked. Remove and compost the kombu and bay leaves. Drain beans and place in a medium bowl; set aside.
- While beans cook, soak sun-dried tomatoes in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Add to drained beans along with red wine, mirin, and tamari; stir well. Set aside to marinate while you roast the mushrooms, or if you are making this ahead of time, allow to cool, and refrigerate until you're ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place mushrooms in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper; toss to combine. Divide mushrooms between lined baking sheets and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, stir, and continue roasting for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until all liquid is released and mushrooms begin to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Warm remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, and saute for 5 minutes, or until golden. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and reduce heat to low; cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove lid, stir in garlic and thyme, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add carrots, beans, sun-dried tomatoes with their marinade, and reserved stock; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add roasted mushrooms; continue cooking uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until the flavors have married and bourguignon tastes rich and flavorful.
- Dissolve kuzu in remaining 2 tablespoons filtered water and slowly drizzle into simmering stew. Stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly and begins to simmer again. Season to taste and remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with Celery Root Mash (method below).
To prepare the celery root mash:
- Place celery root, potatoes, and salt in a large pot. Add enough water to cover vegetables, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes and celery root are soft but not falling apart. Drain of all cooking liquid, and return celery root and potatoes to pot. Add olive oil and mash with a potato masher till completely smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.
From At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin, © 2014 by Amy Chaplin. Photographs © 2014 by Johnny Miller. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston, MA. www.roostbooks.com
No, this isn’t a simple nor a quick recipe, but Amy explains that it’s a celebratory dish for her–an offering for, say, Christmas Eve dinner (how appropriate!). The book’s headnote also specifies that the vegetables should be scrubbed but not peeled to retain nutrition, that a large, ceramic or glass rimmed baking dish is best for roasting the vegetables, and that any large, creamy bean in fine in place of Christmas limas. The stock can be prepared three whole days in advance. This is the sort of recipe that I can assure you is worth the work it demands: hearty, complex, and beautiful, it is the epitome of whole foods cuisine.
At Home in the Whole Foods Kitchen is a treat for the eyes and the soul. And because I’m so smitten with this special book, it is my special pleasure to share a copy with all of you as part of a giveaway. Enter below to win your own copy of this gorgeous collection! (US residents only, please).
Good luck, readers!
Tomorrow, I’ll be checking in with an easy, make ahead breakfast option for Christmas morning (or any wintery morning). Till soon.
xo
All images in this post from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin, © 2014 by Amy Chaplin. The photographs are © 2014 by Johnny Miller. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston, MA. www.roostbooks.com
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Categories: Recipes,
Main Dishes,
Stews
Method: Stovetop
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Method: Stovetop
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Leave a Comment
I made this today, and it’s definitely a production, but so, so amazing! I made quite a few modifications to make it more affordable and to accommodate the ingredients available to me, but it’s the technique and layering of flavours that makes this dish great…so it can certainly hold up, even with many modifications. Thank you for sharing this recipe…I will check out the book now!
ahhh i cant pick a fav!! hm. right now, Dal ๐
Any soup is my favorite!
My dinnertime favorite food is a comforting and hearty tagine made with chickpeas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and dried apricots and a lot of spices and herbs (cinnamon, cumin and cilantro) and served with couscous.
it is not light dinner but it is divine and warming ๐
I absolutely love salads with grains, all kind of veggies and light homemade dressing!
I’m definitely making this soon!!
Yummmmโฆ.the blackbean stew with crispy polenta and guacamole!
chili!!
I love any form of vegan pizza.
Anything I throw in a casserole dish. Brown rice, crispy tofu, mushrooms, green veggie and a vegan cheese sauce. I make a large batch of rice to have with several meals and freeze the remainder. Thanks
Mmm roasted cauliflower with quinoa, chickpeas, and a yummy sauce drizzled on top!
Roasted Butternut Squash soup is a staple in our house at this time of the year. My family is always so surprised at how easy it is to make and how few ingredients you need!
Fried kale with red pepper and cashew cheese
My favourite whole foods dinner has to be a hearty bowl of lentil soup. Its truly heartwarming <3
A veggie noodle bowl with peanut sauce!
A bowl of brown rice with tamari toasted sunflower seeds.
Looks amazing!
I love sweet potato black bean enchiladas.
Amy Chaplin’s cookbook sounds amazing! I can’t wait to make the stew,
It sounds absolutely delicious!
Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Happy Holidays,
Bobbi
I love bean stews–one standby is a garbanzo curry with tomatoes and spinach–and I’d love to make this bourguignon. (Though I wonder where to find burdock and how to sub for it if I can’t.) Thanks for posting and offering the giveaway!
My favorite whole-foods dinner is sweet potato curry. So much flavor!
I love mac n cheez with good ground made with onions & peppers, and grated carrots mixed in before baking. Delicious flavor and great textures.
I love a warm & seasonal kitchari for dinner. So nourishing!
Love roasted veggies + avocado!
Love miso soup with greens!
This book is definitely on my short list!
This cookbook sounds awesome! I love beans, add some greens, a little pico, some rice, delish.
Wow, this looks like an awesome cookbook! I would say my favorite whole foods recipe right now is roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts!
I bought this book online recently and I’m going to sell it at the neighborhood used book store. Although I rarely use recipes when I cook and bake, occasionally I will buy a cookbook for beautiful photos and inspiration. This cookbook is very elitist, beans or not, and Amy Chaplin is happy to promote goat cheese (her belief is that there is no good vegan cheese) and honey for her own personal reasons. I’ve come to realize that I have had it up to here with fancy foodie nonsense. I hope we can all embrace a simpler, more accessible and welcoming way of eating. This book would scare regular non-veg folks away. My motto is “JUST EAT FOOD”. For me this means being a grateful and mindful whole foods vegan.
Her kitchen sounds amazing and so inspiring!
My favorite whole foods recipe would be a huge salad with lots of veggies and greens and a homemade creamy dressing with nuts or beans.
This cookbook sounds amazing!
roasted sprouts or squash!
My favorite dinner is home made soup and a giant home-made salad with homemade salad dressing. Pretty basic but oh so good!
There are just too many good whole foods options to choose from, especially from choosing raw! A case in point is the gingery carrot almond pate. Spread on a collard leaf with lentils or over a slice of Ezekiel bread — so tasty!
Roasted. Sweet. Potatoes.
roasted or saute’d Brussel sprouts are my favorite!
roasted vegetables for me…. brussel sprouts, delicata squash, broccoli, turnips……..
this just moved to the top of my cookbook wish list… thanks for the giveaway.
I love focusing on a beautiful veggie spread – roasting carrots, brussels sprouts, squash, and potatoes
Our latest whole food favorite dinner is a sweet potato and black bean dish with a homemade mole type sauce on top with avocados on the side. What’s you favorite recipe from Amy’s book? I’ve had my eye on this book!
Lime cilantro quinoa with avocado sauce, spiced chicken.
I love fennel and arugula in my salads! Recipes look really intriguing in her cookbook!
Mediterranean freekeh salad with rosemary sage crackers
I really like spiralized zucchini served with cashew cream & sundried tomatoes
Anything combining green lentils and walnuts. I love the earthy flavor!
Warm salad with the lovely escarole from our CSA.
I love a good buckwheat ramen (king soba makes the best gluten free ramen noodles!) with veggies and miso in the winter. Really warming and santisfying on a cold day.
We love a bowl of brown rice topped with lots of veggies and a homemade peanut sauce.
Go-to whole foods meal is Tempeh with Kale and Garlic.
anything with roasted squash.
I’m gonna agree with everyone else – roasted brussel sprouts!
I love roasting brussels sprouts with oregano and rosemary.
Right now, I’m all about roasted Brussels sprouts and a great big spinach salad, with walnuts and chickpeas!
YUMMY! it all looks amazing–i’m especially captivated by the beet tartlets above! just subscribed to her recipes. thank you for this find!
This book looks fabulous. I need to get my hands on a copy ASAP. My favorite would have to be a fresh salad with warm roasted garbanzos and a sprightly vinaigrette.
I’ve really come to love brussels sprouts!
I think I like a summertime salad!
I love a green salad. I would love to try those quinoa muffins. Yum!
My favorite right now is roasted sweet potatoes with Cuban black beans.
i love celery
I’m not entering the giveaway. I just had to comment: how on earth did beans and lentils become so maligned? I find it mind-blowing that people think our current health problems are related to a love of legumes. Those evil little plants…they are trying to kill us!
I like barley, chickpeas, and veggies!
A nice hearty salad!
It is so hard to choose!! We eat a lot of mexican food and I love it, but I would have to say that Thai lettuce wraps served along side a veggie-noodle bowl with lots of peanut sauce is definitely up there with my top favorites. We will probably be eating that on Christmas actually. ๐
My favorite whole food dinner is roasted Romanesco tossed with pasta & a little oil, good balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper.
Curry vegetables w/chickpeas or lentils, served with coconut rice or millet
Such a great book, this one is on my list too. Merry Christmas and thanks for another great year of blogging!! X
Lately my favorite meal has been persimmon, hazelnut and chard salad!
Veggie and bean soup. =)
Amy’s work always looks classic and filled with heartfelt, joyous love. Such incredible food–hard to choose just one recipe! Maybe veggie burgers or veggies marinated in yummy sauces.
Thanks for giveaway ๐
My favorite whole foods recipe is roasted brussels sprouts.
We love to oven roast a big pan of fresh vegetables for veggie fajitas.
Sweet potato, veggie burger (homemade is best), greens or some other veggie sautรฉed on the side, topped with tahini lemon ginger sauce. It’s basically one big, delicious bowl.
I love to saute red onions and garlic in coconut oil; scramble up 2 eggs, hot chili flakes, oregano and thyme; then dump that into my pan and cook to set, then flip. I usually eat it with a nice, simple arugula salad. Excellent, quick, and easy!
Anything green is a winner in my book.
baked sweet potato topped with cinnamon and a touch of maple syrup, and roasted veggies
Roasted butternut squash & kale
wow this looks beautiful! I can’t believe I’ve never read her site, I only have about 100 food blogs I follow haha. I’m pretty simple usually, a big Buddha bowl or macro plate style. I cook beans and grains in bulk then add roasted veggies and different sauces.
My favorite is a lentil loaf!
Beans and rice and fresh salsa and avocado–so simple and tasty!
Love a big fresh salad filled with a variety of greens and veggies!
I love making a roasted tomato and white bean soup with farro and basil. Served with a side of greens, it’s a well balanced, delicious, nourishing meal.
any soup or stew!
that dish sounds divine! actually those muffins are calling my name!
my fav whole foods dish is stewed greens, cooked beans, and roasted veggies.
I’m always up for a hearty bean soup with fresh bread and salad. Or any combination of those elements!
Definitely hoping for this in my stocking!
Chickpea burgers! They are a labor of love, but taste so good!
I always love a good salad with loads of colorful plants ๐
Gorgeous. Any cook who puts beans front and center seriously wins my heart.
I’ve been trying to convince myself I need to go on a cookbook freeze, but Gena, you’ve made both this and the Candle Cafe holiday book look entirely necessary. You’re bad for my wallet! But good for my spirit.
Wishing you (and all CR readers) a merry week.
My favorite whole foods recipe is roasted brussels sprouts.