SHORELINES

19 Shor e l i n e S | 2016 Vol :4 "I think it's probably the way I grew up in Charlotte and my maternal grandmother being from Virginia, but I am not a big fan of cornbread stuffing," he says. Instead, the family enjoys the traditional oyster treatment Hastings remembers from childhood. "I've modified it slightly to my taste with lots of mirepoix, oyster liquor, broth I make from the trimmings of the turkey, and then sage, thyme, lots of chopped parsley and butter – lots of butter. It's unbelievable and one of my favorite things." Hungry yet? Here come red meat moments. "For Christmas dinner I've adopted my dad's tradition of a standing rib roast," Hastings says. "I rub it with coarse salt and coarse pepper and roast until it's rare to medium-rare. The juices from the roast, once you carve it, become the jus for dipping with the bread." The beef fat candle dish at OvenBird grew from the memory of sitting to his dad's right and sopping bread with the salty, herb- infused juices from the meat. As we all do, the Hastings have their meal-day traditions. No breakfast on The Day – perhaps a bit of grazing on leftovers but "we definitely save ourselves," says Hastings. An evening meal, aiming for 7 p.m. Boys lighting the fires inside and out and tending to chores. Idie, co-owner of the restaurants and a whirlwind of behind-the-scenes energy, staying calmly on the sidelines. "She gets her dogs and her books, just reading and chilling out by the fireplace," her husband says. "I look at this day as my responsibility for everybody to have a relaxing day – especially my wife." Above: Photo by Jason wa llis – The Hastings unwind and enjoy a gourmet picnic at the lake.

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