Booze by Bear is Here!

Humans,

Booze by Bear has arrived, and it turned out pretty fantastic if I may say so myself! Designed like a notebook that fits in your paw, this 72-page book includes cocktail recipes with full color photos, a complete index, a notebook for bartender words to come and - true to Cow by Bear form - a few surprises along the way. It costs 10 bucks and makes a great gift for all the cocktail lovers in your life.

Order by December 15th to ensure Christmas delivery, or if you're in the San Diego area choose the "Pickup" option at checkout. We'll be having a pickup event on Saturday, December 19 at Alexander's on 30th in North Park between 12:00pm - 1:30pm. I'll be there for a socially distanced bear hug and book signing.

I'm really proud of this book and can't wait for you to have it. Thank you from the top of my head to the tip of my furry paw for your support!

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Fiona's Apple Cider

If you're wondering what cocktail Osa and I are consuming these days, this is the one. My absolute favorite when the temps start dropping.

• 2 oz. Hard Apple Cider

• 1 tsp. brown sugar

• A couple drops of Angostura Bitters

• 2 oz. Bourbon

• Apple slice, to decorate

• Cinnamon stick, to decorate

1. In a lowball glass, combine the hard apple cider, brown sugar, and bitters. Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the bourbon and stir again.
3. Drop in a few ice cubes, and decorate with the apple slice and cinnamon stick.

BOOZE BY BEAR

Humans,

Bear here. In my decades of throwing thousands of dinner parties all across this great earth I've learned a few things. As a wild animal, I've always lived by the seasons. But to drink by the seasons is what separates cubs from boars. That's why I'm happy to present to you Booze by Bear, a little book of 25 cocktails for seasonal living.

Designed like a notebook that fits in your palm, this 72-page book includes cocktail recipes with full color photos, a complete index, a notebook for bartender words to come and - true to Cow by Bear form - a few surprises along the way.

Booze by Bear is at the printers now and we expect to have it by December 15, in your paws for Christmas (U.S. only). It makes a great stocking stuffer for all the cocktail lovers in your life. The book is $10. Standard shipping applies, but if you're in the San Diego area we'll have a pickup option available for no charge.

This book is limited in print so please make sure to get your order in right away. I hope you enjoy these 25 cocktails for seasonal living!

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JON BEAR JOVI (SHOT THROUGH THE HEART)

NOW BOOKING LIMITED HOLIDAY HOUSECALLS

We are happy to offer our (un)traditional Cow by Bear five course plated dining experience with fine wine pairings in your home. This run of our Housecall experience is limited to intimate gatherings during the month of December only, and where we're able to follow CDC standards to ensure your event is safe and fun.

Be it a celebration dinner with quaran-teammates, a small corporate holiday party, or a simple night off with your household, we're game. Please send an email to info@cowbybear.com for availability, pricing, and more information. We look forward to spending an evening with you.

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Pandemic Potions

Humans,

Last week was one that we have been anticipating for months. 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 black pepper buttermilk panna cotta and twelve wheels of perfectly stinky French cheese as a job-well-done. Hopefully it arrives before his winter nap.

Huge congratulations to 747 and all the bears who participated in Fat Bear Week. And thanks to all you humans who voted, bearing witness to our ursine achievements.

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BEET IT, 2020!

For the Fat Bear occasion, I foraged some root vegetables, herbs and nuts from our yard for a lovely fall salad. Though I do love observing my heroic fat bear friends, I myself won't be going into hibernation this winter on account I already took an unconventional summer snooze. Thus, we are enjoying a lighter fare and hoping to lose some of that Quarantine Fifteen or, ahem Fifty, if you know what I mean. And maybe, just maybe, we'll be putting on a run of December 🐄x🐻 dinners.

serves 4

• 2 c arugula

• 1/4 c maple syrup

• 1/2 c yogurt

• picked cilantro leaves

• salt & pepper

• aleppo 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

• 1 c blanched 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!

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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!

A Taste of Haiti

Humans,

How's everyone holding up? It's all good here with your favorite Bear family. We're taking this time to really slow down, find our bearings and focus on each other and our passions. Osa has been tending to the garden and pickling her little bear heart out (everything from eggs to octopus), Lil' Osito is back in school, and I've been trying my paws at crochet between bouts of writer's block with the cookbook.

Before the world changed we were prepping our next menu for the Food by Bear series. We'd planned on sharing with you a taste of Haiti, a magical - though often misunderstood - place. Haiti is where the value of culture and of community really connected for me. After the massive earthquake of 2010, I arrived in Port-au-Prince at the request of an old friend, Max Beauvoir, the "Supreme Master" of Vodou. Max and I had met decades earlier when he was a biochemist and I was studying the scientific aspects of my cooking.

Max introduced me to various houngans (priest) and mambos (priestess) and gave me one very clear job: I was to cook up the sacrificial remains of Vodou ceremonies and serve these meals throughout the suffering communities. I was nervous at first. Certain exotic words are charged with evocative power. Vodou is one. It usually conjures up visions of mysterious deaths, secret rites - or dark saturnalia celebrated by "blood-maddened, god-maddened" humans. But very quickly I learned that Vodou is a beautiful and vital tradition completely intertwined with the Haitian culture. A combination of Catholicism and African rituals, its devotees ask of it what humans have always asked of religion: remedy for ills, satisfaction for needs and the hope of survival.

What I witnessed during these ceremonies and spending time with my new Haitian friends was more powerful than I can properly put into words, but the experience has been a spiritual guide for everything I've tried to do since. I hope you enjoy a taste of Haiti, and if you ever have the chance, GO!

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LEGBA THE TRICKSTER

Papa Legba is a loa, or spirit, thought to stand between human and the spirit world. He's usually the first to appear in a ceremony, often appearing as an old man with a cane wearing a straw hat and smoking a pipe (pretty much the look I strive for in old age). He can help to remove obstacles that lay in a person's way, but he has also been portrayed as a trickster and one to be wary of. In culinary affairs, he can be hard to please. Legba demands food be grilled, so make sure that butternut squash goes on the BBQ.

serves 8

• 1.5 large yellow onions, small dice

• 8 cloves garlic, minced

• 3/4 c butter

• 2 c arborio rice

• 5 ripe plantains, small or medium dice

• 6 cups stock

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tsp celery seed

• 2 tsp thyme

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• 2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1/2 inch slices

• 12 oz sliced prosciutto

• 4 slices pumpernickel bread

• salt and pepper

• melted butter

• olive oil

for the risotto:

1. In a large pan on medium heat, sweat onions and garlic in butter until translucent.
2. Add rice, and toast for two minutes.
3. Add plantains, bay and spices. Stir.
4. Reduce heat to medium/low. Add stock slowly, 1 cup at a time. Before adding the next cup of liquid, be sure that the rice has absorbed the liquid it is already cooking in. Risotto will be rich & creamy when finished. If you can still see the nucleus of the rice grain and it is crunchy, more liquid is needed. If rice looks/tastes done at 5 cups, do not add the 6th. This can vary depending on the altitude of which you are cooking.

for the grilled butternut squash:

1. Heat your grill to medium heat.
2. Brush olive oil on each side of squash, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place directly on hot grill. Cook on both sides - a couple minutes each - until tender. Remove and allow to cool before cutting.

for the crispy prosciutto:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Lay prosciutto flat on a sheet tray with a rack.
3. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until prosciutto looks leathery. Remove from oven.
4. Meat may still look bendable while hot. Once cooled, it should break if you try to bend it. If it doesn’t snap, cook again for another 10 minutes or so until crispness is achieved.

for the pumpernickel crumbs:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lay bread on a sheet pan and toast in the oven until 100% dried, about 10 minutes.
3. Once cooled, pulse crumbs in a food processor until it is the texture of sand.
4. Place crumbs in a bowl. Stir in melted butter until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper.

to plate:

Shingle 1/4 inch sliced butternut squash in a circular motion. Divide risotto among plates, scooping into the center so that it is partially on top of the grilled squash. Gently stick crispy prosciutto into the risotto, opposite of the squash. Garnish with herbs (parsley/chives), and sprinkle pumpernickel crumbs on top.

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OLOFFSON RHUM PUNCH

Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince is one of my favorite places in the world. From Graham Greene's 1966 classic novel The Comedians: "We entered the steep drive lined with palm trees and bougainvillea. With its towers and balconies and wooden fretwork decorations it had the air at night of a Charles Addams house in a number of the New Yorker. You expected a witch to open the door to you or a maniac butler, with a bat dangling from the chandelier behind him. But in the sunlight, it seemed fragile and period and pretty and absurd, an illustration from a book of fairy-tales."

The Oloffson has been serving its famous rhum punch since at least the 1940's, but the recipe is "a world of secrets" according to current proprietor, Richard Morse (also the frontman of RAM, quite possibly the most fun live band I've ever seen and which plays at the hotel most Thursday evenings).

Here's my best stab at reconstructing the drink. One sip and I'm immediately whisked back to a place I hold near and dear.

• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2.5 oz rhum barbancourt (five star)

• 1/4 oz maraschino liqueur

• 1.5 oz fresh orange juice

• 1/2 oz myers's dark rum (to float)

In a cocktail shaker, stir together the sugar and lime juice until the sugar dissolves. Add ice, rhum, maraschino liqueur and orange juice. Shake well and strain into a tall glass filled with fresh (crushed, if possible) ice. Pour Myers’s gently over the back of a spoon to float it on top.

The Quiet Season

Humans,

I want to say thank you. This has been a challenging time for everyone, but for us it's been your love, support, and company that has kept us strong. You showed up for our virtual Wine by Bear event, the 9-week run of Bear's Night In, and our first Stay by Bear experiment. You picked us up during these strange times. I hope we've helped put a smile on your face as well.

Over the past few weeks, however, I've been in a bit of a fog. The state of the world caught up to me and it's been a struggle to get much done. I'm sure you can relate. While I'm now coming out of that figurative hibernation, I’ve decided to enter a literal one. Those who know me know I’m not typically one to hibernate, but these aren’t typical times. “Isn’t the summer a weird time to hibernate?” I can hear you ask. Yes, but I’m a bit of a weird bear, so that’s just what I’m preparing to do.

Right now I’m working on consuming my 50,000 daily calories (a side benefit to being a bear chef) to gain the “torpidity thirty” for a season of cave relaxation. I just wanted you to know all this, in case anyone checks on me in my hole during this time and notices my heart-rate is down to eight beats per minute. I’m very much still here, but in a quiet season of dreaming, planning for the future and finishing the Food by Bear cookbook.

Osa and Lil' Osito are carrying on, working on some exciting new experiences we hope to roll out in the next couple months. Watch this space for upcoming announcements. Before everything shut down we were working through the Food by Bear: Germany menu at our dinners. Below is a favorite dish from that menu, with what feels like an apt name in these days of ups and downs.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and have some fun with our bear friends back in Alaska.

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THE BEST OF TIMES, THE BRATWURST OF TIMES

4 oz. bratwurst per person
2 cans medium lager beer
1 tbsp heavy dijon mustard per person
micro greens (optional)
grainy mustard (optional)

*for the parsnip cakes (makes 12 cakes)
3 large parsnips, peeled & shredded
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp celery seed
2 tbsp chives
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt
1 c heavy cream
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 c chickpea flour
peanut oil (or blended canola/olive oil)

*for the pickled apples (makes apx. 1 quart)
5 granny smith apples, peeled & diced
2 c champagne vinegar
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp citric acid
3 star anise
10 allspice berries
2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 tbsp kosher salt

For the Bratwurst: 

1. In a medium pot, place brats and just enough beer to cover them and/or allow the brats to float just slightly. Simmer on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes. When the brats reach internal temperature of 165F they are done. Remove from heat and allow to rest.

For the Parsnip Cakes: 

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Oil a large sauté pan with about 1/2 inch of oil. Heat on medium-high.

4. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium. Divide the mix into twelve patties, and drop individually into hot oil.

5. Brown each cake on both sides. Push the cakes down with your spatula for a thinner, crispier end product.

6. Line a sheet pan and finish the cakes in the oven for about five minutes to make sure the parsnips and eggs are fully cooked.

For the Pickled Apples:

1. In a saucepan, bring all ingredients - minus the apples - to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer on low for 5 minutes.

2. Allow liquid to cool completely, then pour over diced apples.

3. Put a piece of plastic or parchment paper over the apples so that they are submerged in the liquid while stored. Store in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

To Plate:

1. Drop a dollop of heavy dijon mustard on a plate. Using the back of a spoon, twist your wrist in the same direction as how the plate curves for a swoosh effect.

2. Place a parsnip cake (or two) in the center.

3. Slice bratwurst on a bias (45 degree angle), and shingle its pieces around the cake.

4. Strain a spoonful of apples from the pickling liquid and sprinkle atop the cake and brat.

5. Optional: Decorate with a grainy mustard, a pinch of chives and/or micro greens. Enjoy!

Stay by Bear

Humans,

It has been a real pleasure getting to see so many of you during our run of Bear's Night In meals. I know we needed it, and I hope the experience has helped bring a little extra joy into your world as well. This Friday's meal will be the last in the series, so please check out the new menu and place your order.

While one good thing comes to an end, another begins. It's with the friendliest of roars I announce Stay by Bear, a socially distanced overnight experience for two that includes a night at boutique San Diego hotel Abpopa Hillcrest, an intimate three-course dinner with fine wine pairing prepared and delivered to your room by me, a light breakfast from Lil' Osito Bear the next morning, and a pawful of thoughtful surprises along the way.

The first Stay by Bear will take place on Friday, June 12th (with an option for a second night). Only 16 rooms available. With all that is going on in the world, we are really excited about this offering; to be together but distanced, and to have loads of fun in the Cow by Bear spirit. We can't wait to spend an evening with you.

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LIVIN’ ON A PEAR

serves 4

2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, diced
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cauliflower, broken into florets
5 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled

to garnish: 
2 tbsp créme fraîche
white balsamic vinegar
toasted pecans
petite bitter greens

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallots and celery and cook for 5 minutes until starting to soften.

2. Stir in the pears and cauliflower, toss together and pour over the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat.

3. Blend the mixture with most of the blue cheese until smooth and pass through a strainer. Test for taste, add salt or more blue cheese if needed.

4. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with a dollop of créme fraîche, toasted pecans, petite bitter greens and white balsamic vinegar. Serve with a crusty bread to take it up a notch.

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Bear's White Negroni

1.5 oz gin (plymouth)
1.5 oz lillet blanc
.5 oz suze
lemon twist

It's no secret I'm influenced by Europe's cultures and flavors. This drink is made with one my favorite ingredients: suze. Suze is a pleasantly bitter aperitif made from the gentian root, which grows in the mountains of Switzerland and France. I love sipping it straight with ice on a warm afternoon. It can be hard to track down, but worth the hunt.

1. Combine gin, lillet blanc and suze in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish and enjoy!

Letters from Great Aunt Sally

Humans,

I'm a little sheepish to share, but maybe you've already heard. My bear kin were discovered partying and roaming the streets of Yosemite National Park, while you humans have been graciously sheltering in place. While Osa, Osito and myself have been practicing social hibernation in our San Diego cave, I've learned the global pandemic has been a boon for bears.

I received a letter yesterday from my Great Aunt Sally up north. She mentioned quite a few of my cousins have had surprise litters of cubs this spring and that our population has quadrupled since the parks have been closed off to humans (though she is known to be a bit of a rumor monger). Also of note, my god-nephew Hubert caught a bit of national attention when he climbed a tree in the Yosemite Valley and couldn't get back down. He's a rascal.

She also shared stories of my family members gloriously out in the open valley, grazing on the springtime grass. I could only sigh; they have no idea what kind of human grub they're missing out on. I wish I could paw deliver some of our Bear's Night In to-go meals to them, but park rangers declared that since I can walk, talk and cook, I'm not allowed. Their loss is your gain, however, as we're back with Bear's Third Night In. If you haven't heard, Bear's Night In is our new 3-course to-go experience with an optional wine pairing, available for pickup every Friday evening in Little Italy.

This week's menu is below. There are still a handful of meals available if you'd like to get in on this week's offering. Check back every Monday at cowbybear.com for the new menu. We're limited to only 50 meals per week, so I suggest booking early. We'd love to see you and give you a bear hug from six feet away.

Stay safe and be well,

Bear.

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Puff Puff Pass

I apologize in advance for this one, but if I'm going to gain 200 pounds in quarantine then I need some humans right there with me. These gluten free Brazilian cheese puffs are straight up delicious.

makes about 35

2 c tapioca flour
1 c milk
1/2 c butter
1 tsp salt
1.5 c sharp shedder cheese
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a sauce pan, bring the milk, salt and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly add tapioca flour, combining with a wooden spoon or mortar handle. Don't be afraid to get your paws dirty if needed (careful, it's hot).

2. Add the cheese and eggs to the mixture and mix until smooth.

3. Scoop the mixture into nickel sized balls (use a pastry bag if you have one to form better shaped balls).

4. Line a pan with parchment paper and bake for about 20 minutes.

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A Virtual Wine by Bear

Humans,

I was in my bear cave working on our next Bear’s Night In menu when Osito came busting through the door. He was the most excited I’ve seen him all quarantine. Apparently, he had spent the day brainstorming ways that we could be ‘together’ but ‘apart’ with our Cow By Bear family – he’s always been quite the sentimental cub.

Of the dozens of ideas Osito had come up with, he was most passionate about hosting a virtual Wine by Bear. Since our days living on a vineyard in Sicily, Osito has always had a keen interest in wine (and quite a refined palate, I might add). So, the two of us journeyed through the depths of our expansive underground wine cellar and selected three of our most exquisite. We had a ball that evening reminiscing about our visits to each of the vineyards as we put together tasting notes on our selections.

For those who have been to our in-person experiences, you know that we work exclusively with boutique wine producers to source unique, small-batch, grower-producer wine from around the world. The selections we made for this virtual Wine By Bear are not to be missed.

These wines are begging to be enjoyed alongside expertly paired cheese selections, so we arranged for that as well.

Osito is head over heels ecstatic to clink glasses and break bread (virtually, of course) with our human family again. He even volunteered to hand-deliver this experience personally to your doors.

Our virtual Wine By Bear experience will be held this Saturday, May 9 from 6:00 - 7:15pm. Osito will join all of you as we’re guided through tasting each of the wines (and optional cheeses) by our expert sommelier, Kaitlin Brooks. We’ve also got some tricks up our sleeve to create space for you humans to hang out and connect with each other virtually throughout the tasting. 

On Saturday, you may choose to pick up your wine and cheese between 4:00 - 5:00pm in Little Italy, or Osito will be delivering to any San Diego address between 11:00am - 3:00pm.

As they say in Italy, amici e vini sono meglio vecchi – old wine and friends improve with age. We can’t wait to indulge in both this Saturday.

Cheers,

Chef Bear