< Previous20 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 FEATURE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY The mother-daughter duo of Francesca Hall and Kimberly Hall Joyner, who live near each other in League City with their significant others, are exceptional hostesses with lots of helpful Friendsgiving sugges- tions. Anyone who is invited to a meal of any type at the home of Hall or Joyner is in for a treat. Hall was raised by her grandmother in Oklahoma after her mother died in child- birth. Her grandmother ran a boarding house and served meals to the guests many decades ago. This upbringing and being hos- pitable shaped her home entertainment style. Hall creates a special experience for any of her holiday meals. “My silver is polished and gleaming for my guests,” she said. “The table-setting has to be eye-catching and stunning. I love to use silver goblets, beautiful fresh flowers, crystal wine glasses with crystal decanters and tall candlesticks. I also like to add a small favor at each place setting — a small piece of chocolate or a tiny flower vase.” Joyner, who graduated from what was The Art Institute of Houston, has extensive culinary experience and has catered many parties and events. She and Hall often team up to host holiday meals. 8 HOSTING TIPS FROM KIMBERLY HALL JOYNER 1. Determine whether the theme of the gathering is casual or formal — email invitations are suitable for casual events. but a more formal gathering is better served with traditional invitations. 2. A color scheme or the holiday can define the menu. 3. remember the whole experience: What music will you have in the background? Will you offer a signature cocktail, an open bar, a variety of drink options that are non-alcoholic, or flowers to fill empty spaces? If children are invited, what activities are you planning for them to keep them busy? What foods will you serve that are kid-friendly? 4. Start planning the menu weeks ahead if possible to buy key recipe ingredients for the meal when sales are likely to be happening. by defining the menu early, you keep yourself from over purchasing or overcooking. 5. Offer a variety of food and drinks, being cognizant of the typical allergies and sensitivities to liquids and solids, such as milk, flour, wheat, nuts, shell- fish, soy or spices. 6. Consider laying out a charcuterie board with cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts, olives, pickles and other easy-to- grab snacks. Offering a crudités basket, with fresh-cut vegetables and dips, can bring height to the dining table or side- board. Appetizers encourage eating earlier in the day, averting starving and then feasting, and offer opportunities for conversations. 7. The menu should be diverse enough to offer a protein, starch, vegetable and possibly a salad. Plan to serve 4 to 6 ounces of protein and 2 to 3 ounces of each side dish per person when prepar- ing food. All items should be prepared the day before and ready for heating up once the dinner party begins. For instance, vegetables all can be pre-cut and held in ice water in the refrigerator until you’re ready to plate them. 8. Always offer a dessert. It’s a great way to close the party and can always be sent home as gifts for guests. A birthday afternoon tea held in July for Francesca Hall (pictured above seated at the head of the table). COU r T e SY PHOTOSHungry for more? 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Held Over By Popular Demand Spicy Ham Sandwich with Goat Cheese Mayo, Arugula. and Chef Lena’s Secret Spicy Fig Spread on a Fresh-made Cuban Loaf. Served with Bowl of Cream of Poblano Soup. Our October Coast Magazine Chef Special was so popular that we are continuing it through November.24 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 FEATURE ‘VERY REWARDING’ League City baker has sweet solution for food allergies story by JOHN DELAPP | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS P lanning for a big holiday meal can be difficult, to say the least. But when food allergies and dietary decisions come into play, things can get really complicated. Gluten allergy, or celiac disease, is when a per- son is allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. It affects about 1 percent of the U.S. population, which might not sound like much, but that translates to about 3 million people, according to the foundation. Gluten allergy also is ge- netic and it’s estimated that 60 percent to 70 percent of those who have a gluten allergy have gone undiagnosed. Jodie Liwanag got into glu- ten-free baking when she was working at an organic co-op. One day, the owner asked her whether she could make gluten-free bread for her be- cause she had Celiac and she had customers who also avoided consuming gluten. “It was kind of a challenge for me, because I had never done gluten-free before,” Liwanag said. “I enjoyed the chal- lenge of making something just as good as you would find somewhere else.” Liwanag soon progressed from making gluten-free bread to assorted other bakery goods. In April 2022, she opened her bakery, Food of Life, 2500 Marina Bay Drive, in League City. “We are a dedicated gluten-free kitchen and specialize in allergy-friendly baked goods,” Liwanag said. “Everything is gluten-free, but we also do a lot of vegan items and dairy- free items and we can customize special orders, so we get to make a lot of birthday cakes and we really work around specific allergies. “For the majority of things we have, the recipes are set,” she said. “But if someone wants something without a certain ingredient, we are definitely capable of doing that.” Liwanag is a San Diego native and is a trained chef via The Art Institute of Houston. That background enables her to find substitutes for ingredients that might give her customers some problems. “The majority of the items that we substitute for dairy are coconut products, like coco- nut milk or coconut oil,” she said. “For eggs, we use a lot of aquafaba, which is the juice from garbanzo beans.” She enjoys being able to make baked goods for people with food allergies, she said. “A lot of people can’t have a birthday cake or have never had a birthday cake or they don’t get to experience having a doughnut and I wanted to make it so they could enjoy those things, too,” she said. Food of Life has a number of standard items, such as cinnamon rolls, scones and cookies, but there are a couple of wild cards. “A lot of people can’t have a birthday cake or have never had a birthday cake or they don’t get to experience having a doughnut and I wanted to make it so they could enjoy those things, too.” JODIE LIWANAG COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 25 Jodie Liwanag owns Food of Life, a gluten-free bakeshop in League City. She enjoys being able to make baked goods for people with food allergies, she said.26 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2023 FEATURE The bakeshop offers cheddar biscuits only on Wednesdays and doughnuts are a Saturday special. Savory items, such as shepherd’s pie and black bean and Spanish rice bowls also can pop up on the menu. Aside from her storefront, Liwanag’s products also can be purchased at Houston-area Black Rock Coffee Bars, several local farmers markets and Natural Living in League City. Liwanag has gone all in on autumn. “We’re going to do lots of apple products and some pears, cranber- ries and lots of things with pumpkin,” she said. Pumpkin spice bread doesn’t stay on the shelves long, she said. Liwanag enjoys being able to offer items that people with food aller- gies can enjoy. “That’s really exciting for a lot of people and it’s exciting for me, too,” she said. “It’s very rewarding to know that not only can they eat it, but that it tastes good, too.” JODIE LIWANAG’S MAPLE PECAN PIE (GLUTEN-FREE AND VEGAN) Yield: 1 single-crust pie 1 prepared gluten-free pie crust (frozen) 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and cooled 3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (Miyoko’s is best) ¾ cup brown sugar 6 ounces maple syrup 9 ounces full-fat coconut milk 5 tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place prepared pie crust on a sheet pan. Sprinkle pecans inside the empty crust. In a bowl, whisk together all of the remaining filling ingredients. (Liwa- nag prefers to use an immersion blender for this because it helps to incorporate the starch well. Hand beaters or a traditional blender also work.) Pour the filling over the pecans until it’s ¼ inch from the top of the pie. bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling appears mostly firm when you gently jiggle the pan. In Independent Living you can be who you were meant to be.... It’s never too late to discover new hobbies, start an exercise program, and make new life-long friends. Choose The Meridian Independent Living and let us take care of the little things ~ so you can live big! Enjoy our fine dining, coffee bar, on-site library, fitness room and movie theater. Spend some quiet time in our chapel. Participate in scheduled activities. Take a walk on the beach. Your days can be filled with all of this and more! 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