< Previous80 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 GAME ON SWEET AND SAVORY This flavorful duck recipe works as an entree or appetizer story and photo by CAPT. NATE SKINNER S weet and savory flavor combinations are a favorite of mine when it comes to wild game. They work particularly well when preparing waterfowl like ducks and geese. This recipe calls for duck breast meat. I prefer the breast meat from teal. For this dish, I used green-winged teal breasts, but any species of duck will work. Wood duck, pintail and mallard also are great duck options for this recipe. The savory part of this dish comes from the bacon that will be wrapped around each half duck breast, while the sweet addition is brown sugar. I also like to incorporate some sort of sweet and tangy barbecue sauce into this recipe. After the duck breasts have been seasoned and wrapped in bacon, spread your favorite sweet and tangy barbecue sauce over them using a basting brush. Then, sprinkle brown sugar on them to provide the final sweet touch. You can grill the breasts or bake them in the oven. Duck is best when served more on the rare side, as opposed to well done. So, try to cook this dish long enough that the bacon begins to get crispy edges, without overcooking the duck breasts. When it’s done, you’ll have a flavorful dish that can serve as a tasty entrée, with sides of your choice, or as a standalone, delicious appetizer. BACON-WRAPPED DUCK BREASTS WITH BROWN SUGAR BBQ GLAZE Duck breasts, deboned and cut in half Bacon Salt Pepper Barbecue sauce Brown sugar Season each half duck breast with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap a slice of bacon around each duck breast half. Spread your favorite sweet and tangy barbecue sauce all over the bacon-wrapped duck breast using a basting brush or mop. Sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar over each duck breast. Cook the duck breasts on the grill or in an oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the bacon start to get crispy. remove from the oven or the grill and serve as a meal or appetizer. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 81 GALVESTON 222 Kempner 409-763-4641 GALVESTON - WEST END 13680 FM 3005 409-737-1488 TEXAS CITY 905 Logan 409-948-1771 SANTA FE 13227 FM 1764 409-925-3800 FRIENDSWOOD 281-819-4280 LEAGUE CITY 281-332-3521 82 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 DESSERT ISLAND CONVENT OR CONCUBINE? The origin of the cannoli inspires competing stories story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS C annoli is a Sicilian dessert believed to have come from Italy’s Palmero and Messina regions, where the pastry is serious business. Some bakeries are judged solely on the quality of their cannoli. The history of the cannoli is a reflection of the variety of cultures and people who have inhabited Sicily. Two cannoli origin stories have consistently been cited. One story claims it was the concubine of an Arab prince who created it for his pleasure. The other gives credit to nuns at a convent. Whether nuns or concubines can take credit, historians mostly agree it was made by women using ingredi- ents of Arab origin, such as sugarcane and almonds. Italian immigrants to America adapted the recipe to accommodate the lack of sheep-milk ricotta, using mascarpone instead. Still popular today in Italian restaurants and delis, the dessert even made cinema history, referenced in the most quoted line in the “The Godfather:” “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” CANNOLI Servings: 12 1 quart ricotta 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1½ cups amaretto liqueur ½ cup chocolate chips 12 cannoli shells (homemade or store-bought) Optional garnishes: Crushed almonds or pistachios Drain the ricotta in a colander for about 1 to 1½ hours. Place cheese in a large bowl and sift powdered sugar on it. Add vanilla extract and blend for about a minute. While still blending, begin slowly adding the amaretto until the cheese is creamy. Stir in the chocolate chips. Stuff the shells and garnish with crushed almonds or pistachios and sprinkle with powdered sugar. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 83 Gay Fundling gay@galvestonRE.com 16602 San Luis Pass Road, Galveston, TX 77554 409-737-1430 • 409-737-2020 www.galvestonislandRE.com www.galvestonislandresortrentals.com GALVESTON ISLAND RESORT RENTALS WE OFFER SOME OF THE FINEST RENTAL PROPERTIES ON GALVESTON’S WEST END CALL ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY RENTAL AGENTS !84 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 DOWN THE HATCH MEET JENN SCHWEIZER ‘Car bombs’ are this Irish pub bartender’s specialty story by TRACE HARRIS | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA F or a little piece of Ireland on the island, locals and visitors know to visit O’Malley’s Stage Door Pub, 2002 Postoffice St. in downtown Galveston. The watering hole has been a favorite haunt since its inception in 1988, when owner Mike Daly opened the doors. Among O’Malley’s fixtures is bartender Jenn Schweizer, who has been slinging Guinness and cocktails pretty much since the bar opened. Each month, Coast Monthly chats with mixers and shakers on the local bar scene. Jenn Schweizer has been a bartender at O’Malley’s Stage Door Pub in downtown Galveston for 30 years. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 85 When did you start bartending? About 30 years ago, and I’ve been at O’Malley’s the whole time. I’m originally from Waco, but I came to the island for college, studying marine biology at Texas A&M-Gal- veston. Why the transition from marine biology to bartending? After I graduated, I got married and moved to Houston. Ended up moving back and working a few nights a week, then decided to stick with it. Have you had any visitors from Ireland? What do they think? We have had a lot of visitors from there and they say it is just like home. What do you enjoy most about bartending? I love the interactions with the customers and hearing their stories. It must be fun working at an Irish bar. Does it get crazy around St. Patrick’s Day? It gets wild! We have bagpipers come in and there is a St. Patrick’s Day Barcyle Pub Crawl with 275 people. We also have green beer and cabbage, but the most popular part is the Reuben, it’s delicious. What makes this bar unique? It’s haunted. We’ve had the TV fly off the wall, hear footsteps when alone and strange movements. What is the most popular drink and what is your specialty? Customers love to get Guinness, but the Irish Car Bomb is a staple. Does anybody, especially the Irish customers, take offense to that? No, it’s all in good fun. JENN’S IRISH CAR BOMB ½ pint Guinness ½ shot Jameson Whiskey ½ shot Baileys Irish Cream Drop the shot with the whiskey and Irish cream into the beer and serve. “I love the interactions with the customers and hearing their stories.” JENN SCHWEIZER The Irish Car Bomb is a popular drink at O’Malley’s. It’s made by dropping a shot of whiskey and Irish creme liqueur into a half pint of Guinness.86 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 87 presents88 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 Each spring, wild turkeys live out their love story across Texas, as strutting gobblers try to attract a mate during breeding season. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 89 FEATURE TAKING UP THE CALL It’s seldom too soon or too late to chase thunder story and photos by CAPT. NATE SKINNER T he piercing gobble from a fired-up long beard echoed through the draw. It was a calm, sunny afternoon. My son Waylon and I waited, concealed in a pop-up blind shaded by oaks. I made a few short yelps with my slate call and the gobbler responded immediately with another bellowing gobble. This time he was a lot closer. It was clear he was headed our way in a hurry. Our hearts began to pound as we scanned the gently sloping hill before us. “There he is, Daddy,” said the voice to my right, trembling with excitement. Waylon had spotted the boss bird first. The tom was at full strut at the top of the hill, slowly walk- ing in our direction. We hoped he would eventual- ly make his way toward our decoys. Our goal was for Waylon to harvest his first turkey. The gobbler took his time, and gobbled five or six times as he descended the hill. He was within about 65 yards of us when a hen appeared from the brush to our right. She immediately began calling at him, which quickly turned our excitement into frustration. We watched as the long beard followed the hen off into the woods. Unfortunately our calls and decoys were no match for the real thing. I could tell Waylon was a bit deflated, but we still had plenty of time before sunset. A few min- utes later, I made another round of calls, mimick- ing a lovestruck hen. To our surprise, my calls re- ceived a loud response that sounded like multiple birds and they were close. Just a few moments later, three jakes, or young toms, came running out of the brush and began strutting around the decoys. With this being Way- lon’s first opportunity at a turkey, I wasn’t going to be picky about him shooting a mature long beard over a jake. You’ve got to start somewhere. He got steadied behind the .410 shotgun my dad Next >