Humans,
Happy Spring! I have an extra spring in my step because everywhere I turn it's pure beauty. The sun's out, cherry blossoms are in full force, birds are singing my favorite tunes and we have so much delicious, fresh produce to look forward to. It's also the time of year many of my bear friends come out of hibernation. I've been hearing lots of chatter about bear safety, and while it's true most bears aren't as acclimated to the human world as I am, we're friendly folk at heart. Pro tip: just carry some bear spray. You don't even have to spray it, just give the bear a quick flash and be on your way. If all else fails, tell it you're friends with Chef Bear.
Food by Bear: Only 1 Week to Go!
Another beautiful thing is the support we've received for the Food by Bear cookbook. Only 1 week remains in our Kickstarter campaign to help bring the book into the world. We've had pledges from not only San Diego, Seattle and Savannah, but also from far away places as Germany, Australia and Nova Scotia. Many of you have already graciously made a pledge, but we still have a good ways to go to reach our goal. With fine humans in the Bear family like you I know we can do this together!
I am humbly asking for your help. This book means so much to me. I'm putting absolutely all of my fuzzy self into it. It's an exciting culmination of my entire journey, and I'm sharing everything I've learned along the way. I can promise it will be special and unlike any other cookbook on your shelf.
I hope you'll take a look at our campaign and consider making a pledge (anything helps!) or sharing the project. It would truly mean the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my big bear heart!
Limited Ticket Availability
We have released a small handful of tickets for May in both San Diego and Seattle, as we've continued to hear from gift certificate holders and other special requests that are important for us to accommodate. Click the button for your city below to check availability. We hope to see you!
(No) Spring Chicken
This is a simple dish to make, but it can take upwards of five hours and you'll want to stick around to keep an eye on the ice melt. You can increase the heat a bit if you're short on time, but the slower you cook the more flavorful it will be. I picked up this ice braising technique during my time in Thailand, and in all my travels I've found no better way to pull out these deep flavors I'm always seeking. You're gonna love it!
feeds 4+
special equipment:
2 large pots, one of which sits snugly on top of the other
4 chicken quarters (preferably all leg/thigh)
2 inches ginger (sliced)
1 inch galangal (sliced)
1 stalk lemongrass (smashed & rough chopped)
5 kaffir lime leaves
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 shallot (halved)
4 birds eye chilis (chopped)
3 tbsp lime juice
1 red onion (julienned)
2 c coconut cream
~9 quarts ice cubes
~1 tbsp oil
cilantro (garnish)
fish sauce (to taste)
Toss the chicken, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaf, garlic, shallot, two of the birds eye chili, fish sauce and oil together, and arrange on the bottom of a large pot. Place the pot over low heat. Take the second (just slightly smaller) pot, add 1/3rd of the ice to it and place directly on top of the other pot.
Let the pot cook until the ice is melted and water is no longer cold. Empty the water from the top pot and repeat this step two more times.
Once all the ice is gone, discard the top pot. In the chicken pot, add the coconut cream until it comes up to just the side of the chicken. Stir in the lime juice, the rest of the chilis and more fish sauce of desired.
To serve, spoon the chicken and sauce into a bowl and top with cilantro and red onion. Other optional but tasty garnishes are: egg noodles or fried egg noodles, pickled cabbage, or chili oil.