Over the monthlong course of Pop-In@Nordstrom Eats-the current, culinary edition of our always-changing Pop-In Shop-we'll be bringing you interviews and recipes from some of the best and brightest chefs around. This series is in participation with our own powerhouse restaurants division as well as Cherry Bombe magazine, the beautiful publication focused on women and food.

When you're a serious restaurateur in Chicago and it's time to trick out your menu's dessert section, you call James Beard Award-winning pastry chef and cookie master Mindy Segal. She influences the whole city with her legendary shop, HotChocolate. And rumor has it she's about to change the medibles game, with medical marijuana legal in Illinois.

Below check our interview with Chef Segal and get her recipe for ridiculously delicious Honey-Walnut Bars.

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Nordstrom blogs: If you were stranded on a desert island-a desert island which happened to have knives, fire, a stove, pots, pans, etc.-what would be the five most essential ingredients you'd want with you?
Eggs, butter, hot sauce, lox with bagels and probiotic yogurt.

If you could cook for any person living or dead, who would it be? What would you make for them?
Julia Child. I would make her a plain omelet because I want to show her my technique as a chef.

Which culinary specialty from your region do you love the most? What's another one that you think most outsiders don't know about?
I'm from Iowa, where great apples come from. We have amazing cider mills in the Midwest.

What's your single favorite vegetable?
Broccoli.

Sweet (food, not ingredient)?
Peanut butter cups.

Savory (food, not ingredient)?
Fried chicken.

How about your "I'm having a bad day, I deserve this" go-to comfort food?
BBQ pork fried rice.

Please detail for us the best meal you've ever had and what you loved about it.
Hard to say, since there's been so many. My mind flashes to 15 years ago at The French Laundry. It was magical. The longest meal I have ever eaten and in a gorgeous setting. Great company and phenomenal wine.

What's on your perfect playlist for cooking at home?
For home cooking some of my favorite artists are Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin, Twilight Singers, Neko Case and Mark Lanegan.

What inspired you to become a chef?
It was the only thing that calmed me down when I was younger. Plus, I find great joy in making other people happy.

And now it's time for the recipe... HONEY-WALNUT BARS

Shortbread:
1½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¹⁄ ₃ cup granulated sugar
¹⁄ ₂ teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Walnut caramel:
1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
¹⁄ ₂ cup Bushwick Kitchen spicy maple honey [ed note: available in Pop-In locations; see locations here (click the "participating stores" icon)]
¹⁄ ₂ cup light brown sugar
¹⁄ ₄ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¹⁄ ₂ cup heavy cream
1 cup walnut halves plus 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing 1 inch of overhang on the long sides. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the butter with the flour, sugar and salt at medium speed until a crumbly dough forms, about 6 minutes. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Bake the shortbread for 25 minutes, until golden brown; rotate the pan from front to back halfway through baking. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the walnut caramel. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Whisk in the honey, both sugars and salts and the vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add the cream and cook until the mixture reaches 238 degrees, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in all of the walnuts and cook until fragrant and toasty and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes longer.

Pour the walnut caramel over the shortbread and let cool completely. Using the parchment paper, lift onto a cutting board. Cut into bars and serve. The bars can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.