< Previous40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 CURRENTS | ART grotto that also features an interactive element. The October opening was a relief for Wood who spent the past two years work- ing on her installation pieces. Because of a non-disclosure agreement, she wasn’t able to tell anyone what she was doing. It was challenging to keep such exciting news to herself, she said. ‘“When people asked what I was working on, I had to be non-committal and say ‘oh you know, this and that.’” Born and raised in Northern California, Wood has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing from California State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio. It was there she met her husband, medical researcher Jeff Temple. They’ve lived in Galveston for decades rais- ing their college-age children. Wood has exhibited in galleries and insti- tutions across Texas and the United States, garnering accolades and positive reviews for her work. In 2018, her exhibition “Quick and Quiet” at the Big Medium gallery in Austin was on art magazine Glasstire’s list as one of the top five exhibitions in Texas for 2018 and the Austin Chronicle named it a Top 10 art event for Austin. Meow Wolf is known for making maxi- malist art spaces and it’s an aesthetic shared by Wood who is known for creating large, intricately embellished installations inspired by both traditional baroque and rococo artworks and craft store kitsch. Her sculp- tures have included everything from artificial flowers, animal forms and artificial hair, to embroidery, glitter, poured foam and resin. Glasstire described one of her exhibitions as “entertainingly grandiose.” Island residents and visitors soon will be able to see another example of Wood’s work closer to home. The Galveston Cultural Arts Commission has awarded her a grant to cre- ate a public artwork for Kempner Park, 2704 Ave. O in Galveston. Using techniques honed while making her Meow Wolf installations, Wood will create five sculptures of large animals atop ornate Romanesque urns. The sculptures will be made with aqua resin, commonly used in the marine industry, and garden topiary. Inspired by baroque and rococo formal gardens such as the Gardens of Versailles in Paris, the animals will feature plants and flowers that change with the seasons. Wood, who grew up on a flower farm in California, also is using her childhood as in- spiration. Both her mother and grandmother had very green thumbs and grew flowers for the San Francisco Flower Market. Wood laughs she can’t keep a pot plant alive and will be working with plant experts for the foliage side of the sculptures. The sculptures represent another import- ant milestone in Wood’s career as an artist. “This is my first-ever outdoor public art- work and I’m really excited for that,” she said. Wood, who teaches art at Galveston College, hopes both of her Meow Wolf art installations and Kempner Park sculptures connect with people who don’t normal- ly interact with art. She hopes people get inspired to see more art and visit a local art gallery, she said. Ann Wood with a large mixed media piece she is working on in her studio.W hen we think of wassail, we tend to conjure wholesome scenes of car- oling revelers holding wooden goblets filled with the hot spice drink going door to door to spread Christmas cheer. So, it might be surprising for some to learn was- sail’s origins can be traced to a high- stakes game of seduction that led to 1,000 years of tradition. “First, let’s rewind to a castle in fifth-century Britain, where Rowena — the beautiful daughter of a Saxon leader — seduces an incredibly inebriated King Vortigern with a goblet of spiced wine, giving the first recorded toast in history to his good health by crying out, ‘Waes hael!’” according to Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. “Taken by her beauty, he immediately beds then weds the girl after ordering her to drink of the same cup and exclaiming, ‘Drinc hael!’ — ‘drink, and good health!’” Although no one really knows what was in that goblet from which King Vortigern drank, the point was the salutation — Waes hael! Wassailing became a Christmas tradi- tion as a way to combine the celebration of Christ’s birth with the hope for a good harvest in the coming year, according to historians. The tradition has its origins in pre-Christian times when farmers would gather in or- chards to pour cider on trees and shout to ward off evil spirits. Wassailing is popular tra- dition in Brit- ain, Scotland and Northern England and is celebrated on Twelfth Night, which is Jan. 5. Want to throw a wassail party here? It might in- volve traditional carol singing, but with a more festive and boisterous element, often involving singing songs while going door- to-door, drinking a warm spiced cider from a communal bowl, and banging pots and pans to “wake up” the trees and probably the neighbors. Here’s the perfect wassail recipe for your party. 42 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 DOWN THE HATCH WAES HAEL! DRINC HAEL! This Twelfth Night, enjoy a 1,000-year-old tradition story by LAURA ELDER| photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS WASSAIL Servings: 12 6 apples, cored 2½ tablespoons light brown sugar 15 allspice berries 15 cloves 6 sticks cinnamon 1 cup Madeira 1 cup unsweetened cider 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon ground ginger 3 (16-ounce) cans ale 1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry hard cider Peel of two oranges Heat oven to 350 F. Place apples in baking dish; place light brown sugar in center of each apple. Pour 1 cup water in dish; bake 1 hour. Toast allspice berries, cloves and cinnamon sticks in an 8-quart saucepan over medi- um-high about 2 minutes. Add Madeira, unsweetened cider, nutmeg, ginger, ale, dry hard cider and orange peels and bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium and simmer 1 hour. Add apples and any liquid; cook 10 minutes. Ladle wassail into mugs and enjoy. – Recipe from Saveur magazine (Above) An engraving from Harper’s New Monthly Magazine Volume LXL June to November 1880 depicts villagers wassailing apples, dancing and celebrating the Yuletide season. COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 43 ILLUST r ATION: COU r T e SY G e TTY IMAG e S44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 DOWN HOME WORLD IS HIS OYSTER The Fancy’s new executive chef serves up a perfect dish for holiday gatherings story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA D ecember means festive eating. And whether you’re looking for an appetizer to dazzle or a delicious addition to your Feast of the Seven Fishes, this roasted oyster dish is a party on a plate. Created by Executive Chef Matt Sweeney from The Fancy restaurant at Hotel Lucine in Galveston, the dish started wowing cus- tomers in September when he first intro- duced it to the menu. “I was really inspired by the Italian Christ- mas Eve Seven Fishes tradition,” Sweeney said. “It is not something I grew up with, but something I like to do for the holidays. I wanted to create an oyster dish that could be part of a Seven Fishes celebration.” The dish calls for freshly shucked oysters and roasting them in a smoky and sweet guajillo butter. Sweeney recommends Mer- maid Tears oysters from Lone Star Oyster Company because they have a mild, sweet flavor and uniform shape. To balance the rich decadence of the Executive Chef Matt Sweeney, from The Fancy restaurant at Hotel Lucine in Galveston, is wowing customers with his Roasted Oysters with Guajillo Butter and Salsa Criolla. The dish features Gulf Coast oysters and can win over most naysayers, Sweeney said. COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 45 butter and oyster combination, Sweeney adds fresh cilantro and a dollop of salsa criolla, a type of sauce or relish found in Latin America. He credits his colleague Chef de Cuisine Daya Myers-Hurt with creating the salsa recipe. Myers-Hurt added it to the crunchy fish tacos served in Hotel Lucine’s more casual dining option The Den, and Sweeney soon realized it was the perfect final touch to the oyster dish. “The oysters needed acid and the salsa is perfect,” Sweeney said. “Being pickled vege- tables means you can make it in advance as it only gets better over time.” Sweeney recommends serving the oysters with garlic bread or a plain crusty loaf. The bread can be warmed in the oven at the same time as the oysters and both can be served on a shared plate. It’s an irresistible combination, he said. While he understands some people don’t like oysters, he believes the high quality of Gulf Coast oysters wins over most nonbelievers. “If you say you don’t like oysters, I say have another martini and try again,” he said. Sweeney’s passion for the perfect oyster extends to all the vegetables, seafood and meat served at Hotel Lucine’s restaurants and bars. Sourcing exceptional local products from local producers has been a driving force in his restaurant career. He has fond memories of gathering fresh herbs, tomatoes and lettuce from the restaurant garden of Coltivare, an Italian restaurant in the Heights in Houston, known for its seasonal menus, where he worked for a decade. At Aus- tin’s Lenoir restaurant, he’s proud of working with local ranchers, producers and farmers to create an infrastructure that worked for every- one. And at Houston’s Georgia James Steak restaurant, he was able to extend the menu to feature multiple Texas ranchers. “I’m trying to do something similar in Galveston,” he said. “I recently met with Galveston Greens to see how we can work together, and I’ve got the Jolly Farms people to add Galveston to their route.” For someone so passionate about food, it’s surprising Houston-born Sweeney didn’t plan on being a chef. “Originally, I was studying sound engi- neering at Texas State in San Marcos,” he said. “I was in my third year when I realized I’d taken something I loved — making music — and turned it into a chore. I got a job in a restaurant to make some money. I don’t think I’m the only failed musician to end up working in restaurants.” He’s happy to bring his skills to benefit Galveston. He developed an affinity for the island over fun holidays at his uncle’s Galveston beach house and even rode out Hurricane Allison in 2001 on the island. ROASTED OYSTERS WITH GUAJILLO BUTTER AND SALSA CRIOLLA FROM THE FANCY For the guajillo butter: 10 guajillo chiles 1 clove garlic 3 inches fresh ginger 2 pounds unsalted butter 1 teaspoon salt For the salsa criolla: 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1 serrano chili, de-seeded and finely chopped ½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano 16 ounces white vinegar 1 teaspoon salt For the oysters: 1 dozen fresh oysters (we use Mermaid Tears from Lone Star Oyster Co.) ½ cup guajillo butter 1 cup salsa criolla Fresh chopped cilantro 1 loaf crusty bread To make the guajillo butter: De-stem and de-seed guajillo chiles. Toast in a dry pan over medi- um-low heat until slightly darkened and aromatic. Set aside to cool. Finely chop ginger, garlic, guajillo chiles (we use a food processor), and large dice the butter. Put everything, including salt into a cold saucepan over a medium-low heat and gently cook until gar- lic and ginger are soft and sweet. Let cool to room temperature and blend everything together. To make the salsa criolla: Mix everything together in a bowl, let sit for at least an hour. (It only gets better with time!) To make the oysters: Preheat oven to 440 F. Shuck the oysters and lay them on a sheet tray lined with either salt or crumpled up foil. You want the oysters to remain upright, so the liquid doesn’t drain out. Add a fat dollop of guajillo butter to each oyster, and roast in the oven for about 5-6 minutes. While you’re at it, put the loaf of bread in the oven too, so it heats up. After 5-6 minutes, the bread and oysters should be ready to go. remove from oven, garnish each oyster with salsa criolla and fresh cilantro. For the chili: ½ pound chopped bacon 1 pound breakfast sausage 1 onion diced 5 jalapeños, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon chili powder ½ tablespoon cumin 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 cups chicken stock For the pancakes: 2 cups cornmeal 1½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter To make the chili: Cook bacon to brown, stirring often. Remove from pan leaving the rendered fat. Cook sausage until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan. Cook onion and jalapeños until softened, about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Lower to medium heat and add garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes. Add meat back in and cook for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock, oregano and salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer, cooking until thick- ened to your desired consisten- cy. This can be made ahead and stored for reheating. To make the pancakes: Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Whisk the wet in- gredients and add to the dry. Add more liquid if needed. Griddle the pancakes a few at a time on both sides to lightly brown and cook through. Store in the oven set at low while you cook remaining pancakes. Serve topped with chili and preferred toppings. 46 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMbeR 2024 TASTE OF TEXAS CHILI AND CORNBREAD It’s what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS M ashup is a popular phrase in our modern lexicon. Movies, television, music and dance mashups are pop- ular on YouTube and TikTok. This is a food mashup that came about from making chili with cornbread and coming across an old “Joy of Cooking” recipe for cornmeal waffles with bacon. It was a popular recipe I used to make regularly. It occurred to me that I could combine the two concepts into one breakfast, brunch or breakfast-for-dinner recipe — a mashup of cornmeal pancakes topped with a chili made from bacon and breakfast sausage. It’s the breakfastication of chili and cornbread. Serve with eggs if you like. Add toppings like sour cream, cheddar cheese, chopped chives or sliced jalapeño. CORNMEAL PANCAKES WITH BREAKFAST SAUSAGE & BACON CHILI PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.GAME BIRD & RICE 1 pound deboned dove or duck breast meat 2 cups long grain white rice 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of mushroom condensed soup 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken con- densed soup Cooking spray Salt Pepper Worcestershire sauce 4 cups water Slice the dove/duck breast meat into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a large bowl. Douse with Worcester- shire sauce. Preheat oven to 350 F. (Allow the dove/duck breast meat to marinate in the Worcester- shire sauce while the oven is preheating.) Coat the bottom of a large pan with cooking spray. Put rice, soups and water in the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir thoroughly. Lay the marinated dove/duck breast meat evenly in the pan with the rice mixture. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the rice is completely cooked. Serve and enjoy. 48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 GAME ON ‘SIMPLY DELICIOUS’ There’s nothing wild or gamey about this dish story, photo and recipe by CAPT. NATE SKINNER W hen it comes to the holidays, or just the winter in general, I like to create meals that stick with you. This dish will do just that. It will leave you full and satisfied, while fueling your wintertime and holi- day activities and adventures. If you’re a fan of a traditional chicken and rice casserole, you’ll love this recipe that incorporates the breast meat from game birds or waterfowl and long grain rice. The best part is, it’s super simple to prepare. Then, all that you have to do is throw it in the oven until it’s done. The key to perfecting this recipe is allowing it to bake long enough for the rice to finish cooking. Once the rice is cooked and tender, you can pull it out of the oven and get ready to dig in. Another trick with this recipe includes marinating the wild game bird breast meat with Worcestershire sauce. It adds a slight extra flavor to the meat and ensures it will come out nice and tender. Both dove and duck breasts work great with this recipe. And for anyone who says the meat from those game birds is too rich or “gamey,” challenge them to give it a taste test. There’s nothing wild or gamey about this dish. It’s simply delicious. COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2024 49 SEATURTLES.ORG/TA T ScantheQRcodetotaketour #TurtlesAboutTown|@tirn.gulf SELF-GUIDEDTOUR SELF-GUIDEDTOUR AcommunityartprojectthathighlightstheCityof GalvestonandtheconservationeffortsofTurtleIsland RestorationNetworktoprotectendangeredseaturtles ontheupperTexascoast. BRINGINGTOGETHERART,AWARENESSANDADVOCACY. Lady Gem’sTea bytheSea Unna med - A l o h a H o n u T i m m y C o a c h M e l v i n M o o d y Sc oop U n n a m e d Oh ana Mystiq ue TouristTed Lucky B i g L o u ie S e r e n i t y N o w C h e f M a m a c i t a W A G S R i d l e yNext >