< Previous30 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2024 her Betty Crocker cookbook, and Southern Living magazine are other sources of inspiration, she said. Her mother was another source of inspiration but not for the usual reasons, she said. “I don’t want to get in trouble here, but my mother was not always the best cook,” she said. “One Thanksgiving, she forgot to put the sugar in the pies and did something else, so it wasn’t the best meal. My brother and I decided we needed to step up and learn how to cook. He always brings the pies, and I take care of the turkey.” Besser’s roles within the Methodist Church has taken her all over Texas, but four years ago she returned to Galveston Island, purchased her childhood home and renovated it. “I grew up two blocks from the beach and two blocks from Moody,” she said. “I would walk to church as a child and now I can walk to work. How great is that? I just love it. I feel so lucky to live in and be a part of this community.” ALICIA’S CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE Yields: 2¼ cup 1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries Zest and juice of 2 oranges ½ cup sugar 1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon nutmeg Dash of salt Combine water and sugar in a me- dium saucepan. bring to boil, add cranberries and return to boil. reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cranberries burst. Add addition- al orange juice or water if needed. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. refrigerate until serving time. THE BEST SPINACH SALAD WITH MAPLE DIJON DRESSING Based on a Julie Hession recipe Serves: 6 For the salad: 10 ounces baby spinach 1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced A sprinkle of feta cheese or blue cheese crumbles Small cubes of roasted butternut squash A sprinkle of dried cranberries or dried cherries, if you prefer For the candied pecans: Nonstick spray 1 cup pecans, chopped 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 tablespoon granulated sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch cayenne pepper For the dressing: 1 ⁄ 3 cup pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped 3 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon ground black pepper For the candied pecans: Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Combine pecans with all of the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet. bake until the nuts are golden brown and the sugar mixture is bub- bling, stirring occasionally to break up clumps, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then crumble into small pieces. For the dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, whisking well. Or transfer dressing to a mason jar or covered container and shake it well to thoroughly combine. To assemble the salad: Place spin- ach in a large serving bowl. Add apples, candied pecans or any of the other toppings suggested, then toss with the dressing. DOWN HOME “Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year ... It is about good food and people coming together to celebrate community.” ALICIA BESSEROur clinicians can provide care for: •Wellness exams & diagnostic testing •Minor illnesses & injuries •Preventative care & education •Management of chronic conditions •Vaccinations & prescriptions •Referrals to specialists Here to keep you and your family healthy Having someone in your corner when you’re sick is vital to your health and recovery. That’s why it’s important to not just have, but regularly see, a primary care clinician. UTMB Health primary care clinicians are there for you when you’re sick and work to keep you healthy throughout every stage of your life . Our team of primary care clinicians are dedicated to easing your concerns, delivering unparalleled care, and providing you with genuine peace of mind. Call our 24/7 Access Services team at (800) 917-8906 , visit our website at utmbhealth.com/primary-care , or scan the QR code to find a primary care clinician in your area and schedule an appointment today. SCAN TO LEARN MORE The University of Texas Medical Branch is in-network for most major insurance plans. knows Primary CareSOUTHERN-FRIED CORN ½ pound bacon, chopped in ½-inch pieces ½ sweet onion, chopped in ½ pieces 4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels 1½ teaspoons salt 1½ teaspoons pepper ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon seasoning, your choice ¼ cup chopped cilantro or green onion ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes Place the bacon on a large griddle or pan/skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. Remove bacon from pan or slide to a cooler part of the griddle. Remove excess grease, add on- ion and cook until translucent. Add corn, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Creole seasoning to the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes stirring, occasionally, until corn starts to caramelize and brown on the edges. Stir the bacon back into the corn, top with cilantro, or green onion. Variations: You can add diced red bell pepper, fresh tomatoes or a can of green chilis. You also can add fresh herbs such as basil or thyme. Or, use taco seasoning as a substitute. 32 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOVeMbeR 2024 TASTE OF TEXAS SWEET AND SMOKY This combination of bacon and corn is hard to top story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS S outhern-fried corn is a sweet and smoky side dish featuring crisp bacon and sweet corn sautéed in bacon drippings. In this recipe, Southern fried doesn’t mean battered and deep fried. With this dish, you can use a flat-top griddle or your trusty cast-iron skillet, fresh or frozen sweet corn, bacon and seasoning for the ultimate side dish. The combination of sweet corn and bacon is hard to top. Depending on the meal you’re preparing, just change the seasoning to match — Cajun, Tex-Mex, Southern or Asian, it doesn’t matter — the cooking technique will be the same. Crisp up the bacon and remove it from the skillet or griddle, leaving a small amount of the bacon fat in which to cook the corn. Although best with in-season sweet corn straight off the cob, it also works with frozen for those times of the year fresh isn’t available. Southern-fried corn works great as a make-ahead dish. It’s an easily reheated recipe and can be scaled to fit the occasion. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.AIR-FRIED GAME BIRD MORSELS Serves: 4-6 30 deboned dove breasts or 12 deboned teal breasts 1 (22-ounce) box Louisiana Fish Fry Products Seasoned Chicken Fry mix (standard flour can be substituted) Avocado oil cooking spray 16 ounces zesty Italian dressing Salt Pepper Place the pieces of deboned game bird breast meat into a large bowl. (If you’re using teal breasts instead of dove, you’ll need to slice the deboned breast meat into bite- sized pieces.) Pour the zesty Italian dress- ing over the pieces of breast meat. Toss the meat around in the marinade throughly, until every piece is evenly coated. Allow the meat to marinate in the bowl for 1 hour in a refrigerator. Roll each piece of meat in the seasoned fry mix, coating each piece evenly with the batter. Season each battered piece with salt and pepper to taste and spray with a light coat of avocado oil. Cook the meat in an air fryer at 375 F for about 10 minutes, until golden brown in appearance. (Flip each piece about halfway through, and spray them with a light coat of avocado oil after flipping.) Serve with mashed potatoes and cream gravy. 34 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMbeR 2024 GAME ON AIR-FRIED AND TRUE These game bird morsels will melt in your mouth story, recipe and photo by CAPT. NATE SKINNER I f you’re a fan of hearty meals like chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, then this recipe is perfect for you. Instead of beef, the breast meat from doves or small ducks, such as teal, becomes the protein of choice. I like to marinate the breast meat from the game birds with a zesty Italian dressing. I’ll let them soak in the marinade for about an hour, before rolling them in batter. A standard flour batter will work, but I have become partial to using the Louisiana Fish Fry Products Seasoned Chicken Fry mix. It has a nice, subtle kick to it I really like. For this dish, I used an air fryer rather than the traditional method of dunking the battered pieces of meat in hot grease. It’s a healthier option that also creates less of a mess in the kitchen. The key to air frying the pieces of game bird breast meat to absolute perfection is spraying them with a light coat of avoca- do oil before placing them in the air fryer. You’ll want to cook them for about 10 minutes or so, flipping them about halfway through. I like to spray them with a light coat of avocado oil after flipping them, too. When you’re finished, you’ll have a pile of golden, fried game bird morsels that will melt in your mouth. Tender and full of flavor, these bite-sized nuggets won’t last long. Serve them with mashed potatoes and cream gravy and prepare to dig in. COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2024 35PAN DE ELOTE 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons baking powder 6 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature ½ teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat eggs and set aside. Add corn kernels, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla to a blender. Purée until mostly smooth. You can remove ¼ cup corn for pre- sentation and add back in just before serving. Add eggs and pulse a few times, add in remaining ingre- dients and blend until smooth. Fold in reserved corn. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan and pour in the batter. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan. Put leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. 36 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMBeR 2024 DESSERT ISLAND DISH DIVERSITY This cornbread can serve as a holiday side or dessert story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS P an de elote, or Mexican cornbread, can be served as either a dessert or a side. It’s very different from Southern corn- bread, with the batter being a very wet mixture. Although pan de elote translates to cornbread, its moist texture and sweetness makes it much more akin to corn cake. This recipe calls for only a little flour and sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar. Sweetened condensed milk is used in many Central and South American desserts. Because of its thickness, it imparts a moist texture and a sweet, milky flavor to baked goods. After it’s baked, pan de elote should cool in the pan for several hours before it’s served. This allows it to settle into itself and achieve a balance of density, fluff and a hint of crumbliness. Served as a dessert, it benefits from a dusting of powdered sugar. As a side, it works well with most savory dishes and is popular at Thanksgiving. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.•Book Your Holiday Events Now •Catering •Event Venue •Personal Chef •Your Diet is Our Specialty (Including Vegan, Vegetarian, & Gluten Free) Chef Alena Pyles Order Thanksgiving Dinner Now! y Crostini & Tomato Spread y Roasted Turkey Breast with Giblet Gravy y Texas Cornbread Dressing y Maple Whipped Sweet Potatoes y Buttermilk Scallion Mashed Potatoes y Fresh Green Beans with Sauteed Mushrooms y Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie 408 25th Street Call (409) 248-4500 www.eatceteratx.comH istorians have through careful study surmised what Pilgrims might have eaten at their famous Thanksgiving dinner 400 years ago — venison, fish and corn. But less known is what they drank. Those English settlers who in 1620 founded Plymouth Colony in Massa- chusetts might have been Puritans, but they enjoyed a tipple or two. While it’s unlikely they set out to get snockered, the Pilgrims believed alcohol was safer to drink than water because it kept well and had anti- microbial properties, according to historians. Water in England often was unsafe to drink, especially in cities. Though faced with many hardships, fretting about which chardonnay or sauvignon blanc pairs best with green bean casserole wasn’t among Pilgrim problems. What is certain is the Pilgrims imbibed in an apple-based alcohol known as applejack to toast at the first Thanksgiving. That celebration came after a year of scarcity and sick- ness when they shared a harvest feast with the Wampanoag people. “Harder than cider and sweeter than Calvados, applejack is a hard liquor made entirely of apples,” according to Edible Manhattan, an American food magazine and website. “It originated in the colonial era and was one of the most popular forms of alcohol among the Pilgrims.” 38 COASTMONTHLY.COM | NOveMber 2024 DOWN THE HATCH PARTY LIKE THE PILGRIMS Pay tribute to the founders of Plymouth Colony with this applejack cocktail story by LAURA ELDER | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS Colonists discovered a process that would come to be known as “jack- ing” — freezing fermented apple cider, then siphoning the liquid that remained, according to the magazine. Such history makes the Jack Rose cocktail the perfect adult beverage to serve this Thanksgiving. And with just three ingredients — applejack, grenadine and lemon juice — it’s as simple as that first-feast menu. Not much is known about the ori- gin of the aesthetically appealing Jack Rose cocktail, but the name is thought to come from applejack and the rose color from the grenadine. JACK ROSE 1 1 ⁄ 2 ounces applejack or apple brandy 3 ⁄ 4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1 ⁄ 2 ounce grenadine Garnish: lemon twist or apple slices Add the applejack, lemon juice and grenadine into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Fine-strain into a glass and gar- nish with a lemon twist. – Recipe courtesy of liquor.comHelping you fi nd your place in Galveston and beyond. Embark on your real estate journey with a local agent. Kristi Buehring REALTOR® 713.480.3042 kristi.buehring@compass.com kristibuehring.com Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. 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