Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with baking parchment or with aluminum
foil, shiny side up. In the large bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter
until soft. Add the salt, vanilla, and both sugars and beat to mix. Add the
eggs and beat to mix. On low speed add about half the flour and, scraping
the bowl with a rubber spatula, beat until incorporated.
In a small cup stir the baking soda into the hot water, then mix into the dough. Add the remaining flour and beat only until incorporated.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in the walnuts and the chocolate.
Spread out a large piece of aluminum foil next to the sink. Use a rounded tablespoonful of the dough for each cookie and place the mounds any
which way on the foil. Then wet your hands with cold water, shake off
excess, but do not dry your hands. Pick up a mound of dough and roll it
between your wet hands into a ball, then press it between your hands to
flatten it to about a 1/2-inch thickness.
Place the cookies on the lined sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake two sheets at a time, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back as necessary to ensure even browning. Bake for about 12 minutes,
until the cookies are browned all over. (If you bake one sheet alone, bake
it on the upper rack.) The cookies must be crisp; do not underbake.
Let the cookies stand for a few seconds, then transfer with a metal spatula
to racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Note: If you use 16 ounces of chocolate (see introduction to recipe) you will
think it is too much to be incorporated into the dough. Just be patient. It's
not too much.

P.S.  I was told that this is a big secret. Mrs. Fields refrigerates her chocolate
chip cookie dough before shaping and baking. (Actually, Ruth Wakefield,
who created this recipe at Toll House, did also.) The dough should be cold
when the cookies go into the oven. I tried it. It's great. The cookies have a
much nicer and more even golden brown color.