< Previous40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 DOWN THE HATCH why would there be so many brands? What is true is all vodkas have subtle differenc- es in smoothness, texture and nuances of flavors. Those flavors run from teasing tastes of flowers and fruits to slight hints of nuts, peppers or other spices. These flavors aren’t there from infusions — another whole facet of the vodka industry — but from the mash. For a taste of tradition, one still can find multiple brands using potatoes, including the premium RWB Vodka, which is very specific in touting it uses only potatoes from Idaho. Or one can sip the recently launched General Orders No. 3, named as a tip of the hat to the 1865 federal order issued in Galveston freeing Texas slaves and creating the national holiday of Juneteenth. This Houston-based vodka uses russet potatoes, but then goes a little Southern by mixing in sweet potatoes as well. What sweet potatoes are to Texas, apples are to New York, and it was with that in mind New York-based Rootstock Spirits acquired its own apple orchard and created Tree Vodka made from the fruit. Another New York distiller, this one in the Hudson Valley, created Comb Vodka, which, as the name implies, is made with honey. What does one think of when one thinks of Vermont? No, no one is making vodka out of Bernie Sanders. Vermont is known for its maple syrup. A company there called Vermont Spirits has taken the same maple sap used in making the syrup and used it to make Vermont Gold Vodka. Grains have been a base for making vodka for as long as potatoes, but even the variety of these has expanded. France’s Fair Vodka is made with quinoa grown by Andean farm- ers in South America. Rye is something con- sidered a base for whiskey, but it’s the key grain in Poland’s famed Belvedere Vodka. And Poland isn’t alone in taking some- thing from the whiskey maker’s silo. Galveston’s own Texas Tail Vodka, which earlier received double gold awards at the San Francisco and New York International Spirits competitions, as well as being named Texas Vodka Distillery of the Year for two years in a row, has been making field trips all across Texas. “The base ingredient for Texas Tail Vodka is a blend of corn and wheat,” said Nick Droege, one of the owners and founders of Texas Tail Distillery, 2416 Postoffice St. in the island’s downtown. “We chose grains for our vodka as blind taste tests have proven a smoother finish than when using only one, such as a corn only, a grain only, or a potato only.” Hand to forehead, it was a long and ardu- ous process to find the perfect blend. “We absolutely did investigate and had many sampling parties with our friends to determine which overall was the favorite blend,” Droege said. “We tested everything from single ingredients to blends to various levels of blends and thoroughly enjoyed the process in finding the best flavor.” All in a day’s work. So it is, despite social media posts on the power of the potato, the spud isn’t alone in seeing to it the world has an ample supply of vodka. One can take a glance at any farm- ers market or grocery store produce section and be inspired to exclaim, “Distill my heart!” Drink your vegetables. This cocktail from Texas Tail Distillery in Galveston is perfect for sipping through the heat of September while waiting for the first cold front of October. TEXAS HEAT 1½ ounces Texas Tail Vodka 2-3 slices fresh jalapeño, seeds removed* ½ ounce fresh lime juice ½ ounce simple syrup 2½ ounces Simply Watermelon juice Garnish: Slice of watermelon and jalapeño Add the Texas Tail Vodka and the jalapeño slices to a cocktail shaker and muddle the jalapeños. Add the lime juice, simple syrup and watermelon juice with ice and shake. Strain over ice in a cock- tail glass. Add garnish to the rim of the glass. *The jalapeño slices can be substituted with a ½ ounce jalapeño-infused vodka. Reduce Texas Tail Vodka to 1 ounce. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 41 Texas Tail Distillery General Manager Lani Wilson pours the spicy Texas Heat behind the bar at the distillery in Galveston.SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE AUG 15! TheGrand.com | 409.765.1894 THE GRAND 1894 OPERA HOUSE 2022–23 PERFORMING ARTS SEASON Yamato — The Drummers of JapanRenée Elise Goldsberry Fiddler on the Roof The Midtown Men Welcoming Artists • Engaging Audiences • Celebrating HistoryWelcoming Artists • Engaging Audiences • Celebrating History In the heart of Galveston's Downtown Cultural Arts DistrictRELAX. We’ll handle everything. ©2022 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated. 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NATE SKINNER photos by STUART VILLANUEVA H olly Hearn is a wild game chef who has found her niche by preparing gour- met meals in the galley of sport-fishing yachts. She spends a lot of her time aboard a 72-foot Viking named Wrapped Up that runs private offshore fishing trips out of Pelican Rest Marina in Galveston. Hearn grew up on the northeast side of Houston, where her earliest memories of the outdoors — boating and fishing — began on her parents’ boat on Lake Houston. “My dad was always into big boats, hunt- ing and the outdoors,” Hearn said. “I grew up around boats, fishing and hunting, and I became passionate about the outdoors at an early age.” While pursuing an engineering degree in college, cooking became an outlet for her to decompress, she said. “The engineering program I was in was de- manding and stressful, and cooking allowed me to escape the pressures and stressors from school,” she said. “I had always enjoyed cook- ing and eating fish and wild game, because those were things we always had in our freez- er growing up. When cooking became a way for me to de-stress, it only further deepened my passion in the kitchen.” When she graduated with an engineering degree, a weak economy made it difficult for Hearn to find an engineering job, she said. “I was disappointed that I couldn’t seem to find an opportunity for a career using my degree, even though I tried for months on end,” Hearn said. “Cooking really helped me cope with that. Now I realize that this was COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 45 Chef Holly Hearn prepares a meal aboard the luxury fishing boat Wrapped Up at Pelican Rest Marina in Galveston. Hearn, owner of private chef business Game Girl Gourmet, cooks aboard boats as well as in hunting lodges.46 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 FEATURE really a blessing in disguise.” It was during this time her chef business was born. And, not surprisingly, it all started with an adventure on an offshore fishing boat. “Back in 2020, a friend invited me to go on an offshore fishing trip,” Hearn said. “The captain agreed to let me tag along for free if I would prepare a few meals while we were out on the water. After the trip, he encour- aged me to consider being a chef full-time, and to offer my services to other sport-fish- ing operations. That really got the wheels in my head turning, and I began to start think- ing about what that business model might actually look like.” “The local love here is huge,” Hearn said. “The people are extremely supportive and the culture is just incredible.” Along with being a chef on offshore fishing vessels, Hearn also offers private chef services for dinners, events and special occa- sions on Galveston Island and the surround- ing areas. Her services aren’t limited to the upper Texas coast region either. She regular- ly travels to private ranches, and has put on cooking classes for organizations and events across the state. Her chef work also includes out-of-state travel for outfitters in destina- tions like Alaska, and she has aspirations of producing some cookbooks in the future. One of Hearn’s favorite aspects about her business is it has given her opportunities to introduce folks to the outdoors, she said. “Outside of seafood and wild game, there’s a large population of folks within the food and culinary industries that either have never been introduced to the outdoors, or are not the biggest fans of anglers, outdoors- men and sportsmen,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to open the eyes of some of these people, and it’s all because of our common interest in cooking and food.” Two of Hearn’s favorite recipes include a risotto dish, and blue crab rolls. “It’s impossible to be sad when you’re eating one of these dishes,” she said. “I’ve also successfully prepared them in the galley of a boat in rough seas, so I know that the average cook can make them at home.” (From top) Chef Holly Hearn hands a meal up to the top deck aboard the luxury fishing boat Wrapped Up at Pelican Rest Marina in Galveston; Hearn slices green onions for her blue crab rolls; Hearn uses an electric skillet to sear brioche rolls. The compact skillet is a must for prepping meals aboard a boat, she said. (Opposite) Hearn’s blue crab rolls are a favorite among anglers on offshore trips. “Outside of seafood and wild game, there’s a large population of folks within the food and culinary industries that either have never been introduced to the outdoors, or are not the biggest fans of anglers, outdoorsmen and sportsmen. I’ve had the opportunity to open the eyes of some of these people, and it’s all because of our common interest in cooking and food.” HOLLY HEARN About a month later, Hearn established her business and brand, Game Girl Gourmet, and the rest is history. Hearn is relatively new to the Galveston area, having moved here in the fall of 2021. But she has quickly developed an intense fondness for the locale, its people and the cul- ture, she said. She lived on the island for sever- al months and now resides in Bayou Vista. The abundance of local seafood options the Galveston area has to offer is one of the things Hearn loves most about living on the upper Texas coast, she said. “I locally source 100 percent of the sea- food ingredients for my recipes,” she said. “Being able to cook with seafood that’s straight from the waters surrounding Galves- ton is something that I think is special, and it’s very important to me.” What Hearn also appreciates about Galveston is they way locals support small businesses, she said. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 47 OURITALIANFAMILYTRADITION AuthenicScratch-MadeMeatRavioli WhileIrishbloodrunsintheDoylename,thebetterhalfof PresidentPatrickDoyle'sfamily(wifeStephanie)ispure Italian.TheSunserifamilytraditionofmakinghand-made meatravioliandtomatogravyfromscratchcontinueseach year.Thefamilyrecipehandeddownforgenerationslives onbecauselafamigliaetutto.Weinviteyoutobepartof theSouthLandTitlefamilywhenthetimecomestoclose yournextrealestatetransaction.BecauseFamilyreallyis everythingtousandwewouldlovetobepartofyourfamily memoryofanewhome! EXPERIENCEMATTERS! www.SouthLandTitle.net 409.744.0727-6710StewartRd.,Ste200,Galveston,TX77551 BEST TITLE COMPANY|BEST LAW FIRM 2021 & 2020 BLUE CRAB ROLLS Recipe courtesy of Holly Hearn, Game Girl Gourmet Servings: 4 4 split top New England-style brioche hot dog buns 1 lemon, juiced 1½ teaspoons fried garlic (see recipe) 3 green onions, finely sliced 1 pound blue crab claw meat 1-2 tablespoons Kewpie Mayonnaise ¾ tablespoon blackening seasoning (Hearn uses A Cajun Life) Coarse salt to taste Clarified butter For the fried garlic: ½ cup neutral oil 16-20 cloves garlic, minced For the fried garlic: Heat oil over medium-low heat to medium heat, add minced garlic and cook until garlic is brown and crispy but not burned, strain oil through a fine mesh strainer into a jar and reserve for later. place crispy garlic on a paper towel and dry before placing in an airtight container. Mix crab meat, blackening seasoning, Kewpie mayonnaise, lemon juice, fried garlic, green onion and a little salt in bowl. Taste as you go. “I prefer mine to have a little spicy kick and more garlic flavor, so I usually taste the mix as I go and adjust accordingly,” Hearn said. Heat clarified butter in a small skillet over low to medium-low heat. Toast both flat sides of the roll until golden brown. place crab mix in the roll and serve. You can keep up with Hearn’s adventures and her recipes by following her Instagram account — @gamegirlgourmet.For the drizzle: 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons each chopped parsley and dill 2 tablespoons capers and 2 teaspoons caper brine 1 thinly sliced scallion 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon lemon zest For the fish: 3 ⁄ 4 pound fish fillets 8 ounces each snapped asparagus and sliced potato, about 1 ⁄ 4 -inch thick 2 teaspoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste For the drizzle: Place all ingre- dients in a bowl, stir together and let sit until needed. Rub olive oil over sheet pan to coat. Lay fish, asparagus and pota- toes in a single layer, sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper. Set pan on lowest rack of a cold oven, then turn heat to 400 F and cook for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven and plate. Drizzle caper-lemon sauce over fish and vegetables. Serve immediately. 48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SePTeMbeR 2022 TASTE OF TEXAS EASY DOES IT All you need is an oven and appetite for this quick and easy fish dish story by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS C rockpots, slow cookers and air fryers all are technical innovations designed to make meal preparation easier, more hands-off and more efficient. Such innovations benefit the harried home cook. But they have a couple of drawbacks, including expense and storage. All can be costly for high-quality versions and they take up counter space when being used and cabinet space when not. Alternatively, a full meal for two to eight people can be done with an oven and a couple of sheet pans. In less than 30 minutes, it’s possible to make a full meal for the family or even a small gathering. Any white, flaky fish will do, including snapper, grouper, flounder or tilapia. This recipe features asparagus, but Brussels sprouts or broccoli can be substituted. Red potatoes work best, but for variety, try a bag of the multi-color fingerlings. Any driz- zle left over can be used on another day’s meal. This recipe contains adequate servings for two people, so multiply for more people. A half sheet pan — 12-by-18 inches will serve four people. QUICK ROAST FISH WITH ASPARAGUS AND POTATOES WITH LEMON-CAPER DRIZZLE PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. 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