Humans,
This is always my favorite time of the year. Sure, everything feels way different this time around but the temps are still dropping, the leaves changing color and the smell of harvest is in the air. Nature at its finest. And while my beloved Halloween won’t be quite the same, it’s not going to stop us from dressing up, cranking the spooky tunes, dunking twilight pretzels, and (after Osito goes to sleep) riding the Inky Seas.
While we look ahead to the festivities of next weekend, we’re still buzzing from Fat Bear Week. Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating the weight-gaining prowess of the bears at Brooks River in Katmai National Park as they prepare for hibernation. Votes come in all week during single elimination challenges until Tuesday night, when the chunkiest chassis is declared.
We make it a special occasion here in the Bear household, all week looking forward to the finals. On Tuesday night Osa, Osito and I gathered around the computer to watch the votes roll in. The final round came down to Bear 32 and "The Jumbo Jet" 747. It was soon clear that the latter gentlebear was bound to be the true Earl of Avoirdupois as he received over double the votes of his foe. I don’t know ol’ 747 personally but a bear friend of a bear friend told me he spent the last few months training for the competition by eating my duck leg confit cassoulet recipe. (His grandmother was a Eurasian brown bear from the Pyrenees in south France so it was sort of a comfort-food, I guess). Upon hearing this, I promptly sent him 80 pounds of my banana brûlée with rum caramel beignets and twelve wheels of perfectly stinky French cheese as a job-well-done. Hopefully it arrives before his winter nap.
I won’t be napping this winter, on account I already put in an untraditional summer snooze to concentrate on the cookbook. And, quite frankly, I still have a lot of work to do. The process of making the cookbook I thought I was making has sent me down a long trail. Like, Pacific Crest Trail long. There’s a scent on this trail I’m following and I just can’t stop until I see it all the way through. What I’m trying to say is the book is not going to be ready by the end of the year as projected.
One of our core values at Cow by Bear has always been meeting and exceeding the high expectations we set for our experience. While I believe that will be the case with the finished product, I regret that it won’t be ready when I hoped it would. You’re likely disappointed by this news, and I completely understand. I want to thank you so much for bearing with me and allowing me the time to make something special. I’ll continue to provide updates with recipes and be back with an estimated delivery date once that’s more clear.
Be well and be safe,
Bear
BEET IT, 2020!
For the Fat Bear occasion, I foraged some root vegetables, herbs and nuts from our yard for a lovely fall salad. I'm enjoying a lighter fare these days, hoping to lose some of that Quarantine Fifteen or, ahem, Fifty, if you know what I mean.
serves 4
2 c arugula
1/4 c maple syrup
1/2 c yogurt
picked cilantro leaves
salt & pepper
4 c smoked beets*
1/2 c candied hazelnuts*
for the smoked beets
4 lbs beets
2 2/3 c long-grain rice (such as basmati)
1 shaved lemon rind
5 thyme sprigs
2 tbsp water
for the candied hazelnuts
3/4 c sugar
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
for the smoked beets:
1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Line a large sauté pan with two sheets of aluminum foil, with the edges generously overhanging the sides of the pan. Add the rice, lemon rind and thyme, and stir in the water.
3. Set the beets on top of the rice and seal the pan with a lid or slightly smaller sauté pan.
4. Draw the foil up and fold it back over the lid to completely seal the lid in foil. Gaps will hamper the smoking process.
5. Blast the heat to high and place the pan on top. Once you see a little bit of smoke coming through, about 5 minutes, leave to smoke for exactly 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. Line a baking pan with foil. Add a little bit of water and a dash of lemon juice, and place the beets on top. Discard the rice, lemon rind and thyme. Roast beets in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the side goes in easily. Let cool.
7. Once cool, peel off the skin using a rag. Cut the beets small to medium dice.
for the candied hazelnuts:
1. Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat, swirling until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling occasionally until medium amber, about 4 minutes. Add the hazelnuts and salt, and stir for 1 minute to coat.
2. Pour mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, and immediately separate nuts so that each stands alone on sheet. Let cool.
to assemble:
1. Combine the arugula, beets, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss with the maple syrup, adding more if desired.
2. To plate, spread yogurt on the plate or bowl first. Top with a handful of the beets and arugula mixture. Spread hazelnuts, cilantro and Aleppo pepper all over the plate. Devour it like you're 747!
PANDEMIC POTION
After the finals when Osito had gone to bed, Osa and I were looking for a little more fun so we made a drink we had only heard about: a Pernod and gin elixir known to have some magical powers that installs a trancelike, unblinking calm difficult to otherwise achieve. In fact, its original creator said in 1935 that it should "look like rosy dawn, taste like the milk of Paradise, and make you plenty crazy." From experience, we recommend a strict two drink limit on this one and only in times of dire emergency. Yes, we believe 2020 qualifies.
dash of grenadine
1.5 oz pernod
1.5 oz london dry gin
Into an Old-Fashioned glass, pour in this order: grenadine, Pernod, gin. Add ice and let melt for a bit to watch the Pernod cloud up. Stir and drink, but remember: No more than two!