< Previous30 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 TASTE OF TEXAS A SACRED SOUP This traditional Mexican dish is rooted in human sacrifice story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS P ozole is a traditional Mexican soup starring hominy, a processed form of corn that has undergone nixtamalization, which is a soaking and cooking process in an alkaline solution — lye or lime — that removes the hull and germ, making the kernels puffy and chewy. The soup was first documented in the 16th century by Spanish missionaries, who arrived in Mexico in 1592. But its history dates back to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, meaning it existed in the Americas before Europeans arrived. The name pozole is based on a native word meaning “foamy” to describe how the hominy looks as it cooks. Corn was sacred to the Aztecs, who used it in ceremonies and rituals involving human sacrifice with the flesh being part of the dish as an offering to the gods. Pozole was a sacred food because the Aztecs considered corn a holy plant. Post conquest by Spain, cannibalism was outlawed, with pork and chicken being used as a replacement. The combination of Aztec and Spanish influences allowed the dish to evolve to something more accessible, spreading throughout Mexico and beyond with regional variations such as blanco, rojo and verde. POZOLE ROJO 5 quarts water 3 tablespoons kosher salt 4-5 pounds pork shoulder ½ white onion 4 bay leaves 3-4 (15-ounce) cans white hominy For rojo sauce: 15 guajillo chile pods 2 ancho chile pods 2 chile árbor (optional for more heat) ¼ white onion 4 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin Optional garnishes: Lime wedges, shredded cabbage, sliced radish, chopped white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, tortilla strips or chips bring water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add salt. Add pork shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes. (You can brown the meat before if you prefer). Skim any impurities that float to the surface. Add ½ white onion and 4 bay leaves, cover, lower heat to medium low and cook for an hour and a half. Add hominy, drained and rinsed, place chile pods on top. Cook until chile pods have softened, 10-15 minutes. remove pods and place in blender cup with ¼ onion, 4 cloves garlic, chicken bouillon, oregano and cumin. blend until smooth. Pour rojo sauce into stock pot, straining if needed. Cover and cook for 30 min- utes. remove bay leaves and onion half. Serve in individual bowls with garnishes and tortilla chips. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 3132 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 GAME ON CAJUN KICK Spice up taco night with this fresh-fish twist story, recipe and photo by CAPT. NATE SKINNER T aco Tuesday just got a whole lot better. This Cajun Fish Taco recipe paired with a homemade cilantro lime sauce easily has become one of my favor- ites. It’s a straight up crowd pleaser, not to mention it’s simple to make. Planning a meal for a large group or party has never been easier. Fresh-fish dishes are perfect for this time of year, because the fall angling action in our local bays and marshes usually is pretty consistent. I like to use fresh fillets from speckled trout, but flounder or redfish will work, too. Coating the pieces of fish in Tabasco before battering and frying them gives the finished product just the right amount of kick for that Cajun-inspired flavor. Wrapped in a tortilla with some veggies and cilantro-lime sauce, the fresh fish is down- right hard to beat. Get your hands on some fresh fish fillets, invite some friends over and heat the grease. Your buds and your taste buds will thank you. CAJUN FISH TACOS Servings: 4-6 For the cilantro lime sauce: 1½ cups mayonnaise 2 cups cilantro 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce ¼ cup jalapeños, sliced Juice from 3-4 limes Salt to taste For the tacos: 2-3 pounds fresh fish fillets Tabasco sauce Louisiana brand seasoned fish fry Vegetable oil Chopped raw cabbage or coleslaw mix Tortillas Add sauce ingredients into a large blender and blend/mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add vegetable oil to a large cast-iron skillet until it’s about half-full. Heat over medi- um-high heat until the oil is about 325-350 F. Slice fish fillets into thin strips and place them in a large bowl. Coat fish with Tabasco sauce. Pour fish fry into a large bowl or bag. roll or toss each piece of fish in fish fry until completely coated. Fry battered pieces until golden brown and crispy. Allow fried fillets to drain on a paper towel-lined pan. To serve, place a few pieces of the fried fish on a tortilla. Top with cabbage/coleslaw mix and cilantro-lime sauce. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 33 ADVERTISING FEATURE: GOOD EATS34 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 DESSERT ISLAND ALMOND JOY In China, these traditional cookies are big tourist draws story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS C hinese Almond Cookies traditionally were made of ground mung bean — not almonds. The name referred to the almond shape of the cookie. Today, the cookies generally are round, contain almonds and are a standard in bakeries in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and many shops in China, where they’re called biscuits. Near the ruins of the Cathedral of St. Paul in Macau, streets are packed with up to 20 stores all selling dif- ferent flavors of almond biscuits. Hawkers line the streets pushing the merchandise. Macau’s tourism website even recommends visiting the shops. Delicious anytime of the year, these biscuits often are eaten in celebration of the Lunar New Year, which typically falls be- tween late January and early February on the Gregorian calendar. This recipe has been modified, using easier-to-find ingredients, such as almond flour, to replace mung bean. CHINESE ALMOND COOKIES For the dough: ¾ cup almond flour 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar 1 large egg ½ teaspoon almond extract For the topping: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash) 1 whole almond for each cookie In a large skillet over medium low heat, toast almond flour until golden, then transfer to a medium bowl. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine. In a separate large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until smooth. beat in egg and extract. Add dry ingredients and stir to form soft, sticky dough. Form dough into 8-inch square and wrap tightly in plastic wrap to seal. refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. remove dough from plastic wrap and divide into 18 equal pieces. roll pieces into 1- to 1½- inch balls and place on 1 prepared baking sheet. brush the dough balls with the egg wash and place an almond in the center of each. Press each to ¾-inch thick. refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in the center. Arrange 9 flattened dough balls evenly on the other sheet pan. Space out the remaining 9 dough balls on the second sheet, chill while the first tray bakes. bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, for 17-18 minutes or until light golden. Cool for 5 min- utes on the pan before transfer- ring to a rack to cool. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 35 Dixie Messner GALLERY Contemporary Art come in and shop the collection today 2218 Post Office St Galveston, TX 77550 follow our socials @dixiemessnerart Imagine your home, totally organized! Custom Closets Garage Cabinets Home Offices Wall Beds Wall Organizers Pantries Laundries Wall Units Hobby Rooms Garage Flooring Media Centers and more... Call for a free in home design consultation and estimate CM Follow us SPECIAL FINANCING FOR 18 MONTHS With approved credit. Call or ask your Designer for details. Not available in all areas. 409-904-0787 www.closetsbydesign.com Locally Owned and Operated! 2024 © All Rights Reserved. Closets by Design, Inc. 40 % O ff Plus Free Installation Terms and Conditions: 40% off any order of $1000 or more, 30% off any order of $700- $1000 on any complete unit of custom Closet, Garage or Home Office, and any other products. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any unit order of $850 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Not valid at all franchise locations. Offer expires in 30 days.36 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 DOWN THE HATCH FALL FOR IT Orange wine is a perfect autumn beverage story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA R ed, white and rosé are the most well-known types of wine. But there’s a fourth type perfect for fall thanks to its amber hue: orange wine. While not as well-known as its counterparts, orange wine has been produced in Eastern Europe for hundreds of years, and it’s now produced around the world in places as diverse as Spain, Croatia, New Zealand and California. Orange wine isn’t made from oranges but with white wine grapes. The orange color comes from the maceration process in which grape skins are left in contact with the juice, said Abigail Blaszka, food and beverage manager for COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 37 Hotel Lucine in Galveston. “Normally, with white wine the skins are removed but the extended contact with the skins is what gives orange wine its hue,” Blaszka said. “It is just like the process for red wines where extended contact with the skins adds color and flavor.” One of the most popular orange wines on Hotel Lu- cine’s list is Cortez by De Levende, a collaboration between California winemakers and The Soil Expedition, a California company that promotes natural wine making and soil health through sustain- able, organic methods, Blaszka said. “It is made with sauvignon blanc and muscat grapes and is really fall forward with yellow apple, white tea and mineral flavors,” she said. “It’s made using carbonic macera- tion so the whole grape including the skins and stems are left in.” It pairs well with cheese and poultry and won’t be overpowered by spice, she said. “It would work well with our bread, cheese and pickles plate as well as our half chicken that is served with hot sauce and a dill chimichurri,” she said. “This might be a hot take, but for a special brunch, I think it would be great with our breakfast tacos.” Originally from Houston, Blaszka has worked in hospital- ity for 15 years, including stints as a bartender and in sales. For the past two years, she has been the food and beverage manager at the hotel and has been focused on improving her knowledge of wine and wineries. She plans to begin formal sommelier training this year. Hotel Lucine has an extensive wine list with close to 70 wines, of which 21 are natural wines. Some people can be nervous about natural wines because they often have sedi- ment in the bottom of the bottle. “Natural wines can have a reputation for being funky, but I say don’t be afraid to try something new,” she said. “They are made using organic, sustain- able farming practices without sulphates and other chemicals. Some people say drinking natural wines means less of a hangover feeling the day after drinking.” Another popular natural wine on Hotel Lucine’s list is De Levende’s Mére Miroir, a fresh and fruity rosé made with blend of red grapes, including zinfandel, petite sirah, syrah and cabernet sauvignon. It’s a very versatile wine that can be paired with seafood, chicken and even raw foods, Blaszka said. Natural wines fits with Hotel Lucine’s commitment to using wholesome, local produce, she said. “We just want to make natural wines as accessible as pos- sible so we have them on our bottle menu, by the glass, and in our last-chance libation section,” she said. (Above) De Levende’s Mère Miroir rosé and Cortez orange wines are two popular natural wines served at The Fancy at Hotel Lucine in Galveston. Natural wines are made using organic, sustainable farming practices without sulphates and other chemicals. Orange wines are made from white grapes that have been fermented with their skins on, while rosé is made from red grapes with brief skin contact to achieve its pink hue. (Opposite) Hotel Lucine Food and Beverage Manager Abigail Blaszka pours a glass of De Levende rosé. “Natural wines can have a reputation for being funky, but I say don’t be afraid to try something new.” ABIGAIL BLASZKA38 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 TREASURE TROVE ‘WORKS OF ART’ Clear Lake Shores shop boasts intriguing collection of beer steins story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA A German or English beer stein might just be the perfect way to raise a glass to fall, especially for Oktoberfest, which celebrates German culture, and the launch of the an- nual Texas Renaissance Festival. At The Perfect Piece Emporium in Clear Lake Shores, owner Jessica Compeau has a collection of more than 20 elaborate beer steins and mugs. Two of her favorites are delicate white porcelain with silver decoration. When held up to the light and looked through to the bottom, a lithograph image appears. “It’s a little treat when you get to the end of your drink,” she said. Compeau likes the English mugs with their pastoral scenes Each month, Coast Monthly highlights intriguing relics or antiques on the upper Texas coast. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2025 39 and the ornate German regimental steins, which commemo- rate military service. “The painted scenes are like stories, and I like to imagine the people who owned them,” she said. The majority of German regimental beer steins, which originated in imperial Germany, were made from 1890 to 1914. Military service was compulsory and the steins, per- sonalized to military branch and regiment, were purchased as souvenirs for young men when they finished their basic training as a keepsake and way to build camaraderie. Compeau’s husband, Shane, acquired the seven steins from one collector. They range in price from $100 to $300. They’re popular with collectors, and the couple has sold a few to local renaissance festivals who use them as prizes for raffles and other competitions. “I don’t drink beer, I can’t stand it, but these steins are really works of art,” he said. (Opposite) Jessica Compeau, owner of The Perfect Piece Emporium in Clear Lake Shores, has a collection of German steins at her shop. (Above, clockwise from left) An English mug depicting a fox hunt complete with a fox head pouring spout; intricately decorated lids top German beer steins; Compeau holds a stein up to the light to illuminate the lithograph on the bottom. “The painted scenes are like stories, and I like to imagine the people who owned them.” JESSICA COMPEAUNext >