Hi Everyone,
We’ve never done this before, but… this newsletter is coming to you from we, the humans of Bear’s staff.
Usually, these letters come directly to you from Bear, but this month, he is immersed in preparation for our upcoming “Bear’s Summer Tour Around The Mediterranean” dining experiences. Currently, he’s aboard a weathered wooden boat in the middle of the Mediterranean, working alongside a local fisherman who hasn't spoken a word in forty years (but who apparently harvests the most succulent mussels on the planet).
He doesn’t have access to email, so he has been sending updates and notes scratched on parchment and scraps of paper that he’s made into a bit of a journal. It seems as though he’s working through some of the kinks of his recipes in the small kitchen of the fishing vessel as they sail.
We’ll share what we can here, but we really must insist that you come to one of our summer dinners to experience for yourself what he’s putting together.
Yours truly,
Team Bear
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May 6, 10:44 am
Just arrived in Crete. We are about to set sail. This boat is bigger than I expected. The fisherman is stern but seems to know his stuff. We will see.
May 7, 5:34 pm
Tonight he made me a meal of freshly caught mussels over a small charcoal grill on deck. Best I’ve ever had. Taking notes.
May 9, 2:03 pm
The sourdough I’m working on for the Mussel Toast tasted like the spray of the Mediterranean today. Added Chile Tomato to match the sunsets I’m seeing here.
May 11, 8 pm
Ventured on land to Heraklion to brave the markets – tracking down a very specific “7 Spice” I want for my Caulini dish. I’m moving through the stalls at dusk, my fur dusted with turmeric and sumac. I could get used to this life.
May 12, 1:03 pm
Back on board, testing a "Tomato Jam" I saw bubbling in a street stall, and a zhug I was able to taste as it was being pounded in a mortar and pestle. Only the freshest herbs will do. Still not a word from my fisherman companion.
May 13, 4:06 pm
Finally balanced the Rose Water in the ice cream. It tastes like a memory I haven't had yet. Fed some to the fisherman, who nodded his sincere approval. Had a Baklava so light and perfect that it almost made me want to stay here forever.
May 16, 9:08 am
Spent three days trying to perfect the toom for the Shawarma Filet. Failed repeatedly until I realized the secret isn't the technique, but the temperature of the air at midnight.
May 18, 5 pm
I’m about ready to come home. I’m starting to feel a little crazy without talking to anyone. I could describe the exact crunch of my crispy garbanzos to you in something bordering on poetry, but it's probably best I head for the mainland. Cannot wait to share all I’ve learned!