The Essential Lucky Bones Cookbook

the essential Lucky Bones COOKBOOK Recipes, Insights, Secrets & Stories from a New Seaside Classic Restaurant cape ma...

Author: Diane Stopyra

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the essential

Lucky Bones COOKBOOK

Recipes, Insights, Secrets & Stories from a New Seaside Classic Restaurant

cape may ¯ nj

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the ESSENTIAL lucky bones cookbook

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Recipes, Insights, Secrets & Stories from a New Seaside Classic Restaurant Words by Diane Stopyra Photography by Maciek Nabrdalik Illustrations by Victor Grasso

the essential

LUCKY BONES Cookbook

Copyright © 2012 Starfishery Inc. Photographs copyright © 2012 by Maciek Nabrdalik Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Victor Grasso

Book design by Jack Wright

First Edition 2012

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-9830768-5-8

Published by Exit Zero Publishing, Inc., 109 Sunset Boulevard, Suite D, Cape May, NJ 08204 www.exitzero.us

contents A smattering of background, history and assorted trivia:

Fishy Stories and Whale Tales.................................................................................... 10 Beginnings, Endings and Starting Over............................................................... 16 Legend of the Lucky Bone.............................................................................................. 22 A Brief History Lesson..................................................................................................... 28 And now for the actual food:

Soups............................................................................................................................................ 30 Shared Plates and Starters............................................................................................ 42 Salads........................................................................................................................................... 74 Sandwiches.............................................................................................................................. 92 Essential Sauces, Sides and Spreads...................................................................... 112 Pizza............................................................................................................................................. 144 Seafood....................................................................................................................................... 168 Meat and Poultry.................................................................................................................. 190 Desserts..................................................................................................................................... 220 Wine and Liquor................................................................................................................... 236 Index............................................................................................................................................ 252 Resources.................................................................................................................................. 255

Fishy S & Wha Tales

Stories ale Before Lucky Bones landed here, the old Anchorage was a legendary fishermen’s hangout, and the site of many an interesting story.

FISHY STORIES & WHALE TALES

By the time the Anchorage was built in 1927, the US Navy’s reserve base, Camp Wissahickon, had already been abandoned by the government and sat empty alongside the new restaurant.

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By Ben Miller

ape May County, at the foot of New Jersey, has a rich whaling history dating back to the earliest Dutch settlers — after Gloucester, MA, it is the oldest whaling colony in America. The 17th-century directors of the West India Company saw the island’s potential as a whaling port and Cape May’s earliest land transfer was an attempt by the company to secure the land from native Lenni Lenape Indians in early May, 1630. The two parties met and a formal land transfer document was created for “The eastside of Godyn’s

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Bay, or Cape de May, reaching four miles from the said Cape towards the bay and four miles along the coast southward and another four miles inland, being sixteen square miles.” In today’s vernacular, that is the entire area of land from Town Bank, south to the Atlantic Ocean, excluding the Wildwoods. Soon after, the West India Company decided to move up to the New York area following unsuccessful attempts at whaling. English settlers took over the port and had much more luck. Through their benefactor, Dr Daniel Coxe, who bankrolled their development of the area, a thriving whaling colony was established in Town Bank. William Penn spoke of the Cape’s whaling potential in a letter he drafted to a Quaker


FISHY STORIES & WHALE TALES Fishermen loved the inexpensive seafood dinners and plentiful spirits, but it was a tough sell to families and travelers due to the Anchorage’s reputation as a rough bar. organization known as the Commissioners of the Free Society of Traders in 1683: “Mighty whales roll upon the coast near the mouth of the Bay of Delaware… We hope a considerable profit by whalery, they being so numerous and the shore so suitable.” The mammals were harvested for their meat, teeth, bones and blubber, which was made into whale oil, used to make candles and burned in lanterns. Bones and teeth were used to create dominoes and crafts adorned with scrimshaw drawings. Successful whalers did very well financially and competition amongst rival boats was fierce. The job was dangerous and superstition was taken very seriously (as it often still is today among commercial fishermen). One of the early superstitions prevalent with whalers was the notion of carrying a lucky bone. An 1898 edition of the Journal of American Folklore lists a number of lucky bones carried by fishermen, including, “A small serrated bone, found in the head of a codfish” and “A small bone cut from a living turtle.” In the Cape May area, whalers created their own tradition — the male species of the horseshoe crab (which were and still are prevalent in the area) have a pair of claws used for attaching to females during mating. Local whalers took to carrying a set of those claws as their lucky bones. But Cape Island wasn’t known for whaling as much as fishing. Long before the Schellenger family set up their general store where the Cold Spring Inlet connected to the Cape Island Creek, near the corner of Washington and Lafayette Streets, fishermen had been harvesting the waters off the Cape. And where there are fishermen, there is a need for places for fishermen to share their tales over a drink or two.

Local couple, George and Nora Wallace, recognized the need for a new fishermen’s hangout and in 1927, they purchased a tract of land across the street from what is now South Jersey Marina. The land had previously been owned by a succession of individuals and companies, including the Atlantic City Railroad Company, but had remained undeveloped. The Wallaces took out a $7,000 construction mortgage from Cape May Building and Loan on October 1, 1928 and hired a team to build them a tavern. Their new saloon, named the Anchorage, was two stories with a bar on the first floor and living spaces on the second and third. In July of 1939, the Wallaces purchased an adjacent parcel of land from the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines and in September of 1952, they expanded the property further with another tract from the railroad, adding a dining room, and changing the name to the Anchorage Café. Fishermen loved the inexpensive seafood dinners along with the plentiful spirits, but it was a tough sell for families and travelers due to the Anchorage’s reputation as a rough joint. So strong is the loyalty to the Anchorage and fear of its former patrons that to this day some will not comment on what they have seen and heard there. More than a few Cape May locals, born and bred, refused to comment. When asked for stories about the bar, longtime resident Bill Briggs summed up the feelings of many: “What happened at the Anchorage, stays within the walls of the old Anchorage.” Ed Sherretta was equally hesitant about sharing his memories, although he did pass along this tale of a Cape May fisherman he refused to name: “A certain young local was having a drink in the Anchorage when a woman, at the time called Nada Jane, came in and began to give the young man a hard time. Having just come off the dragger he worked on, he had a bag of flounder, and he reached into the bag, pulled out a flounder and slapped it across Nada Jane’s face. The police were called and charges were pressed. In court, when asked about the fish possibly


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FISHY STORIES & WHALE TALES being evidence and what might have happened to the evidence, he replied to the judge, ‘I ate it, your honor.’ “A pretty rough bar at times, as was Mayer’s, and the Neptune,” recalls Sherretta. [Mayer’s is still in business, about a block from Lucky Bones, while the Neptune was a bar across the street from the Anchorage that featured go-go dancers.] Some locals have experienced the Anchorage’s antics without having set foot in the bar. “Before I opened Pandora in the morning, I usually got something for breakfast at the Sea Crest Bakery, next to the Beach Theater,” recalls Alexander Smida, who managed the gift shop at its previous location, next to Beach Theater. “One morning there was a very battered looking young clammer in the red geranium bed, apparently sleeping off a very big snootful. “He got up with difficulty and was holding his right arm in pain. Said he had been in major brawl at the Anchorage the night before, must have lost the fight, broken his arm somehow, and wandered from the Anchorage to the Beach Theater before he passed out in the geraniums. “He had spent his two weeks’ pay getting tanked and was desperate to get back to his boat before it sailed without him for another two weeks. He offered me a handful of change to give him a lift. His arm looked really bad, so I suggested we get him to the emergency room at BTMH [now Cape Regional Medical Center]. But he wasn’t having it, and showed me a knife to prove it, so I took him to the marina and called the Cape May Police Department to visit the boat before they shoved off.” The Anchorage was passed on to a new generation of Wallaces in 1960, and they continued the legacy of George and Nora. Fishermen were always welcome and fresh seafood from the neighboring docks was cheaper than anywhere else in town. It was still a rowdy spot in the evenings and mustering the courage to belly up to the Anchorage bar was a rite of passage for many local lads.

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The Anchorage was passed on to a new generation of Wallaces in 1960, and they continued the legacy. Fishermen were elcome and seafood was cheaper than anywhere else. Wildwood local and Director of the Cape May County Historical and Genealogical Museum, Pary Woehlcke, says of the bar, “I remember as a teenager it was not a place where you went for a meal. It was strictly a drinking bar. Even after high school, it was still a pretty rough place. Some families went there, but mostly families of people who lived in that area. It’s main attraction as I recall was that you could get seafood dinners cheap.” Families began flocking to the Anchorage and they were joined by vacationers who were discovering the area following Cape May’s Victorian renaissance in the 1970s. Business boomed and in 1992 the bar/ restaurant attracted the interest of Wally Laudeman, owner of the Lobster House across the street. The Laudeman family purchased the Anchorage and transformed it into a successful family seafood restaurant under the leadership of Wally’s wife, Sally Laudeman. Then, in late 2005, the building became available again, which alerted the Craig family, whose lease was about to expire on their Pelican Club restaurant, atop the Marquis de Lafayette hotel in downtown Cape May. An agreement was made with the owners of the Anchorage and, in the spring of 2006, Lucky Bones was born and the world was introduced to delicacies like Lil’s Last Stop Fries and the award-winning Lucky Bones burgers. As an homage to both their old restaurant and to the Anchorage, popular dishes from each were added to the menu. The Pelican Club’s house salad and a Cuban spice-rubbed pork chop continue to be big sellers, as does the Anchorage Fish and Chips dinner, as well as fresh seafood specials inspired by George and Nora Wallace’s Anchorage.


FISHY STORIES & WHALE TALES

This picture was shot in the mid-1950s, not long after George and Nora Wallace added the dining room addition and began referring to it as the Anchorage Café and advertising fresh seafood dinners. Notice the rocker on the porch and the landscaping — the Wallaces worked hard to attract families and change the reputation of the place.

The Anchorage, photographed from the site of what is now South Jersey Marina, circa late 1930s. In 1939, the Wallace family purchased an adjacent parcel of land from the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines.


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Beginni Endings Startin On New Year’s Eve of 2005, one of Cape May’s most beloved restaurants closed its doors. But it wasn’t long before the end of the Pelican Club paved the way for a new dining experience in America’s Original Seaside Resort. A new star was about to be born.

ings, s and ng Over

BEGINNINGS, ENDINGS AND STARTING OVER In 1978, Toby and Rona Craig, both educators, changed the direction of their lives. Along with their three teenage children – Michael, David, and Betsy – they moved from Delaware to Cape May, a town they’d always loved, intent on opening a restaurant. Rona Craig: In addition to teaching, Toby had been working alongside a wonderful Hungarian man at a country club. This man took Toby under his wing. He introduced him to a love for the hospitality business, especially for food service. That’s how the experience came, and it was very limited. Toby Craig: A Hungarian man I worked with inspired me. He came to America with three dollars in his pocket, and he made a name for himself. My wife and I had a beautiful house in Delaware, and we had security with our teaching jobs there, but we, too, left it all for the unknown. I’d always had the restaurant industry in my blood. There wasn’t any doubt in our minds that we were going to make it. We drew strength from each other. Rona Craig: There were no moments of doubt. Although, other people doubted for us. Fellow teachers laughed at us. They told us to send them a picture of our first restaurant. Even Toby’s father was afraid for us. But we never doubted. We bought the Washington Inn on Washington Street, which was a tea room at the time, and we moved upstairs. Five people and a dog in three rooms and a bath. The work was unbelievable, but our family was so cohesive, it was a joy. The kids all worked in the restaurant. Betsy Sole (née Craig): I was twelve when we moved to Cape May. David was thirteen, and Michael was fifteen. Eventually, I was hostessing, washing dishes, doing pantry. My brothers and I did every job. We grew up in this business. Rona Craig: At the time, the Washington Inn was one of only two or three restaurants in Cape May, and we learned baby step by baby step. We did everything. If the cleaning girl didn’t come, you were the maid. If the bathrooms didn’t get cleaned, you did that. That’s

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how it is, and that’s the only way you come to appreciate what you have. We developed as the restaurant did. It didn’t take long for the family’s hard work to inspire the hard work of a loyal staff, including Marge Megonigal, dining room manager, Marty Santry, who is everything a classic bartender should be, and Mimi Wood, the executive chef of more than 20 years, all of whom have watched the restaurant develop into what it is today. Michael Craig: Over the last 34 years, the restaurant has been reborn many times. This was one of the first bed and breakfasts to have an inn attached to it. When we took over, the formula for guests was breakfast, dinner and a room. That all changed when we got the liquor license in 1980. We went from a country inn to a busy, popular restaurant. Marge Megonigal: After the liquor license, the energy was high. We didn’t take reservations, and there was always a line. People waited for hours to get in. Michael Craig: A few years later, we had this idea to be the first place with a real wine program. Many of the restaurants in town had the same wine template, and a list that consisted of the same 25 bottles. We wanted to go beyond glasses of Chablis and Burgundy. We wanted to blaze a new trail. Marty Santry: You have to be able to adapt to change to work here, which is a good thing. It keeps it exciting. Marge Megonigal: Every winter something was done to improve the restaurant. I’ve seen many changes throughout the years — the repositioning of staircases, and the building of bathrooms so beautiful people have asked if they can dine in them. And then, of course, there was the digging out of the wine cellar. Michael Craig: David and I were the excavation


BEGINNINGS, ENDINGS AND STARTING OVER team. We tunneled under the restaurant. Marge Megonigal: They did it with nothing but a little Bobcat. Can you imagine that? Michael Craig: Three years ago, we decided to reinvent ourselves again, so we built the wine bar. Marty Santry: It was handmade by Toby Craig, and it’s got a very European feel. The energy is so high, and the people love it so much, it makes my job easy. But it isn’t merely the restaurant’s impressive wine program that’s continued, for more than three decades, to draw people in. It’s also the devotion of a passionate crew. Marty Santry: I used to come here every year to apply for a job. I knew I wanted to work here, because it’s just so beautiful. My fondest memory of my time at the restaurant is the day I got hired. I didn’t intend to stay in Cape May forever, but I love it here too much to leave. Mimi Wood: Cooking is not a glam job, by any means, but the guys who work in this kitchen, they love their jobs. They respect what they do and the product they’re putting on the plate, and that translates. I only intended to stay for a summer, but I’ve been here 20 years. Marge Megonigal: Once, as he was leaving, a gentleman said, “Marge, I go to all the high-end places in New York City, and I just want to say, this would blow them all out of the water.” Coming to the Washington Inn was one of the greatest moves of my life. In 2000, the Craig family opened another finedining, white tablecloth restaurant, the Pelican Club. Located on the sixth floor of the Marquis de Lafayette Hotel, the waterfront spot was considered a Cape May treasure by its devoted customers. After six years, at the height of the real estate market, the Pelican Club closed its doors. To the dismay of the Craigs and their staff — including bartender Patty Behrens, executive chef Wally Jurusz, and server Neringa Sabataityte — the Pelican Club would be converted into condominium units. New Year’s Eve, 2005, was the restaurant’s last day. Rona Craig: The Pelican Club was a lovely expe-

rience while it happened. Everybody loved it. It was a special place, gorgeous, and fun, fun, fun to put together. Patty Behrens: I have never felt more at home in a job than I did at the Pelican Club. If you were ever having a bad day, you’d look up and see dolphins playing in the water beneath you, and you were no longer having a bad day. It just felt like home. Neringa Sabataityte: The Pelican Club felt like home. I came here from Lithuania when I was twentyone. When I first arrived, I applied for jobs everywhere. I got called for an interview, and I went to the wrong place; I went to the Pelican Club by accident. The Craigs hired me on the spot. My first Christmas working there, I showed up for work, and there were tons of presents — more than I’d ever seen — waiting under the tree for me. The staff was a family to me and to each other. It was touching. And the view… it was amazing. You could see dolphins, and there were periods where you could see hoards of butterflies, and also sunsets and birds. It’s like they were dancing. It was all so beautiful. I have such fond memories. Wally Jurusz: I have so many fond memories from the Pelican Club. I met my wife there. And I have fond memories of the teamwork that was involved; it was a labor of love. When it closed, it was sad, sure, but I knew it wasn’t the end. I knew it wasn’t over. Michael Craig: It was tough, because we birthed that restaurant. But we needed to let go and we did, not knowing where we would land. As fate would have it, the Craigs would land just 1.8 miles away. The family found a new and exciting space


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BEGINNINGS, ENDINGS AND STARTING OVER at the foot of the Cape May bridge that had formerly been the Anchorage Inn (1939-2004) and Restaurant 1919 (2005). From the closing of the Pelican Club, the Craigs had just three months to conceive a concept, one entirely different from anything they’d done in the past, and birth a new baby: Lucky Bones Backwater Grill. Many staff members, including Carol Ridler (a server), Rachel Biondi (an assistant manager), Patty, Wally, and Neringa followed the Craigs in their new venture. New staff members joined the team as well, including General Manager, Deanna Fiocca. David Craig: We always wanted to do a pizzeria with wine and beer, because you weren’t able to get a pizza and a glass of wine anywhere down here at that time. We thought that this combination would be a good fit for Cape May. Michael Craig: No, we had never done a casual space before, but we saw that need. We wanted to change people’s habits, to give them a place they could come every day, every lunch, every late-night, all year round. We wanted a space that could become their second home. The transition to casual wasn’t a struggle. Were there times we argued over something silly, like napkins? Well, sure, I suppose. But as a family, we knew how to communicate. Deanna Fiocca: I’ll never forget the great napkin debate — seven days — over paper or cloth. I wanted to blow my brains out. David Craig: One of the hardest decisions was the napkins. Half the family wanted cloth; half wanted paper. I was on the paper napkin side, and that’s what we went with. Rona Craig: I’m sure there were debates while we were opening, but you don’t dwell on those. Although, I do remember having discussions about the napkin, whether it should be cloth or paper. I liked cloth. Rachel Biondi: Some people would say, “You have filet on the menu. How can you have a paper napkin?” The napkins sparked a huge discussion. And then there was the debate over pizza plates as well. Wally Jurusz: It took a while to find the plates.

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Metal ones were too pizzeria-ish. The bamboo ones couldn’t go in the dishwasher. Some of the ceramic ones were too expensive. And then there was the whole glassware thing. Deanna Fiocca: Rocks glasses, martini glasses, margarita glasses, high-balls… we had to go through the entire dining room with different arrangements and different fluid levels in each one. How full? What shape? Michael and I did this for two hours. David Craig: There’s a lot of pressure that comes with naming a restaurant. We probably had three pages full of contenders. We went to the Cape May Library, and I got a book... It had been maybe thirty years since anyone had checked it out. It was a narrative of the fishing industry in America. One section was about folklore, and there was one sentence about the superstitions of the sailor. The male horseshoe crab has a claw and this claw has a hook, which he uses to hold a female during mating. It was supposed to bring good luck to sailors who’d wear it around their necks. Rona Craig: Don’t you just love the name? Everyone loved it from the beginning. Patty Behrens: I hated the name. Now, I consider myself an avid boner, but at the time, I thought it sounded a little risqué. Carol Ridler: When I first heard the name, I wasn’t happy at all. I thought it sounded like a strip club. Rachel Biondi: When they first told us the name, we were, like… really? Lucky Bones Backwater Grill opened March 23, 2006. Deanna Fiocca: We did a whole week of soft openings. We were mobbed. I felt like I was floating above my body. I wear my emotions on my face, and I had a look of terror. Rachel Biondi: At one point, the chef came out of the kitchen and said, “If you seat one more person, I’m going to kill you.” But they just kept coming. David Craig: Opening a restaurant affects your sleep. You have restaurant dreams. It’s funny to sit back and listen to the staff talk about their restaurant dreams. If you’re in the business and you don’t have


BEGINNINGS, ENDINGS AND STARTING OVER “I had the same dream once a week when we opened. My bed was behind the bar, and it was four-deep and insane. I was the only bartender on and I was nude.” restaurant dreams, you don’t care enough. Rachel Biondi: I remember sitting up out of a dead sleep and saying, “Watch your step!” because that’s what we needed to say to guests entering the dining room. Neringa Sabataityte: I kept dreaming that I was getting more tables, and I would try to get drinks for them, but there weren’t any glasses. Patty Behrens: I had the same dream once a week when we opened. My bed was behind the bar, and it was four-deep and insane. I was the only bartender and I was nude. I had a huge, gray sweatshirt hanging on the back of my bedroom door, and not one customer would get it for me. I yelled: “Just get me my sweatshirt, and then I can make your drinks!” We were so busy every night, and it never stopped coming. It just took off. Customers would get snippy and it was like, “Excuse me, we’re getting spanked right now.” I didn’t even have time to look at a menu. You could have said that the burger came with blue cheese, and I wouldn’t have known. That’s probably not a good thing to say, but we were just so incredibly busy. Carol Ridler: The Pelican Club wasn’t feeding the number of people we were feeding here. When you’re dealing with this many people, it’s those little issues that sneak up on you. It was a tough adjustment for some of our customers from the Pelican Club in a lot of ways. Some of our guests were expecting a Pelican Club atmosphere. Wally Jurusz: Lucky Bones was about good, basic cooking. We got a review from Craig Laban at The Philadelphia Inquirer, and he got what we were going for. I was so stoked. We were doing fresh food inexpensively, and it was going to work.

Even as Lucky Bones came together, becoming a hot spot for tourists and locals, something felt a little… off. Patty Behrens: One night, as I was closing up the bar, the music came on all by itself. I heard, “Blackbirds singing in the dead of night.” It was the ghost. We call him George. He’s harmless. Rachel Biondi: George says my name a lot. When no one’s around, I hear my name. Most of the time, he keeps to himself, unless you get him angry. Then things start to break. We lit a candle once, George didn’t like it, and the whole computer system went down. Neringa Sabataityte: I’ve never seen the ghosts. I’ve been trying to encounter them for a while. They don’t like Lithuanians. Perhaps they can’t pronounce my name. Deanna Fiocca: One night, I was in the basement, and a fuse blew. That should have been the first clue. Then, I swear, I saw a set of eyes to the left. Rona Craig: Oh, the ghost stories. It’s imaginary, but it’s cute. It’s fun. The customers feed into it. Michael Craig: I did a big smudge. I smudged the whole place, with a bucket of Indian herbs. I opened all the doors and I went around to every area and let the smoke do a cleansing. When a space has had a lot of hands in it, it’s just good to clear the energy. It’s like resetting, so that it can grow organically, and there’s no attached energies, good or bad, hanging onto it. David Craig: Energy is important. The energy at Lucky Bones is fresh and alive. Toby Craig: The energy I get there is upbeat. It’s a local hang-out, but the tourists love it, too, and, as a semi-owner, that’s great to see. Rona Craig: Energy is so important. The energy at Lucky Bones is happening. Opening this restaurant was a meant-to-be. It’s been more joy than struggle. If I’ve learned anything, it’s to follow your dreams. Plan and execute, but always, always, whatever you do, follow your dreams.


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Legend the Lu Bone

d of ucky The little-known and barely believable story* of how the humble horseshoe crab inspired fishermen and whalers all over Cape May County with a feat of incredible courage and remarkable resourcefulness. *

If you believe a single line of this story, we’ve got a two-legged racehorse we’d like to sell you.

the legend of the lucky bone

O

ne cold spring morning in the late 1600s, when Cape Island was home to a whaling colony,

seven hardy mariners set out in search of a giant whale which was more than twice the size of their 25-foot boat. After six hours of rowing hard in turbulent seas, and only one faraway sighting of the whale’s tail, the tired seamen gave up and headed for home. But they were soon going to run into another denizen of the deep, a foe so much more

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the legend of the lucky bone formidable than the whale. The unfortunate men’s rowing movements had stirred the curiosity of the underwater world’s most ferocious, most ginormous creature... THE KRAKEN! One hundred and twenty-five foot long, the hungry kraken was capable of smashing the boat with one flick of its six giant tentacles, and then crushing the poor seamen in its demonic jaws. And that’s exactly what it was about to do, when up from the depths emerged an even larger, darker shadow than the kraken had cast...


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The cold, hungry, and terrified sailors watched with jaw-dropping amazement as what looked like one million horseshoe crabs broke through the gray waves and launched themselves at the kraken’s body. Now, the horseshoe crab is not a fearsome creature. These little guys, which have been around for 455 million years, feed on algae, worms and dead fish that sink to the bottom of the ocean. No, the horseshoe crab is not a warrior. It’s a lover. A lover of mankind. Which is why, on this day, this unfeasibly large army of horsehoe crabs used their clasper claws (found only on the male) to lock on to the bemused kraken. How the giant creature thrashed around, tentacles flailing at the brave little creatures who hung on grimly. The kraken could not move an inch and as the sailors realized what was happening they began to desperately row away from the monster. “Yo-ho, heave-ho!” cried the mariners to each other as they began to put distance between them and the kraken, which the men could see was tiring.

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Against the odds, those mighty little crabs held on for another eight hours, allowing the Cape Island mariners to safely reach harbor, a harrowing 10-mile battle through the swelling waves. That night, the men pitched camp at Higbee Beach, warming their cold bodies, and feeding themselves the flounder they had caught earlier. One of the men, Jonas Hand, went off to fetch some more firewood and stopped by the water’s edge.

The body of a horseshoe crab lay there upside down. Jonas had never paid much attention to the creatures, but he did now. The other men saw him kneel down and take off his cap in silent tribute. “Gentleman, we owe our lives to the horseshoe crab,” he said solemnly. The other men came over. Edward Leaming picked the crab up and immediately noticed the two pincer-like clasps attached to the first two legs. “This is how they did it!” he said. “Gentleman, from now on, this is our lucky bone!” The men gathered around, and noticed that several other crabs had been washed up on the beach. Every man took a claw, and that night made necklaces from each one. A necklace that they would wear every day for the rest of their lives. Word spread around the island. Next day, every mariner around headed for Higbee Beach and made themselves charms that would protect them from the waves and the wind... and the kraken. The legend of the lucky bone was born.


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A BRIEF HISTORY soups LESSON Fig. 1

How the primate evolved over the last 60 million years

Fig. 2

How the horseshoe crab evolved over the last 300 million years

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A BRIEF HISTORY soups LESSON

[Scientific conclusion: It’s hard to improve upon perfection.]


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Soups chapter one

There have been actual sightings of ghosts at Lucky Bones. We figure it’s not a bad place to be stuck if you’ve got unfinished business to take care of. We also know that there’s something satisfying about swapping ghost stories on a cold winter’s night while sipping a bowl of homemade soup. In this section, you’ll find a selection of our favorites. They’re all fairly simple to make, so don’t get spooked. Unless, of course, you spot a ghost in your kitchen.

soups Cuban Black Bean Soup This is the kind of soup that will open up your sinuses. It is not for the faint of heart but, then again, neither is cooking. If you want to seed your jalapenos, your final product will be considerably less hot, as the flesh of this pepper is mild. Just remember not to touch your eyes after doing so. Yields 12 servings. 2 pounds black beans, dry 2/3 cup Spanish onions, diced ¼ cup celery, chopped in food processor ¼ cup carrots, chopped in food processor 1 cup jalapeños, chopped in food processor 2 ½ teaspoons garlic, chopped 2 ½ teaspoons tomato paste 1 pinch cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon ginger powder ½ teaspoon cumin powder 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar ¼ cup sherry wine 3 cups water (approximately) 2 teaspoons vegetable base ¼ cup cilantro 1 ounce chipotle peppers in adobo ¼ cup lime juice 2 teaspoons Chef Wally’s Cuban Spice Rub Salt and pepper to taste

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1. Soak black beans in water overnight. 2. In a large skillet, sauté onions, celery, and carrots in canola oil until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add chopped garlic and jalapeños and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, cayenne pepper, ginger, smoked paprika, cumin, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add sherry wine and vinegar and reduce to low heat. Simmer until almost dry, but be careful not to burn! 3. Add water. Simmer until beans are tender (about 2-2 ½ hours). Be careful to not overcook. 4. When beans are cooked reserve some water and beans and let cool so it can be puréed in the blender. Purée bean liquid, cilantro, and chipotle peppers until very smooth. Add to soup. 5. Add lime juice, CWJ’s Cuban Spice Rub, salt and pepper to taste. 6. Check seasoning again. Strain and chill immediately.


soups Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Sausage Originally, this was an apple and squash soup, but we took it to the next level by adding sausage. Our cooks still think that the most important ingredient called for here is a little bit of love, though, because it can take a while to cook everything down properly. Because of the nutmeg flavor, it makes for a wonderful holiday soup, the time of year when there’s plenty of love going around, anyway. Yields approximately 2 gallons. 1/3 cup garlic, chopped 2 cups carrots, chopped in food processor 2 cups celery, chopped in food processor 2 cups onions, diced 1 cup fennel, chopped in food processor 4 Granny Smith apples, chopped ½ tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoons unsalted butter ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 medium butternut squash, rough and medium chopped 1 gallon vegetable stock 1-2 sweet potatoes 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar ¾ pound mild Italian sausage that has been skinned and sautéed into tasty, crispy bits Fresh sage, diced Salt and pepper to taste Chipotle spice to taste Nutmeg to taste Cinnamon to taste Sachet of fresh thyme Black peppercorns Fennel seeds Broken cinnamon sticks Bay leaf

1. In a large stock pot, sweat the first five ingredients until the onions become translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add in the apples, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook down until the apples are soft. 2. Now add the squash, vegetable stock, sachet, cooked sausage, and fresh sage. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. 3. Remove sachet and squeeze all of the juices from it. 4. Purée the soup with a hand blender until smooth. Add apple cider vinegar and sweet potatoes as needed. Finish by adding salt, pepper, chipotle spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg to taste. 5. Garnish with crisp chopped sausage.


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soups Seafood Bisque Some traditionalists believe that a soup can’t properly be called a bisque unless the shells of your crustaceans have been finely puréed and added. We know that the thought of eating a crab’s exoskeleton would make some of you a little crabby, so our recipe doesn’t require that step. Yields 4 servings. 4 ounces butter (one stick) 2 cups diced onions 1/4 cup flour 1 cup shrimp and lobster stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic power 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 cup sherry wine 2 cups milk 2 cups heavy cream ½ cup diced celery ½ cup diced carrot 1 cup diced lobster meat 1 ½ cups of lump crab meat 2 cups small shrimp, cleaned and peeled drizzle extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper, to taste

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1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, then add the onions. 2. Sauté onions for approximately 10 minutes, then add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 more minutes on low heat. 3. Add the flour, stock, spices, tomato paste, sherry, and bring to a boil. Mix in the milk and cream, along with 4 cups of water. Toss in the celery and carrots, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. 4. The seafood gets added last. Toss in the lobster meat, crab meat, and shrimp, and simmer for 15 minutes. 5. Adjust seasonings and then serve.


soups Short Rib and Beef Cowboy Chili It’s a good idea to let this wintertime soup, created by chef Shawn, sit for a while after it’s finished. Taste it once it’s done, and then taste it two hours after that, and you’ll see what we mean; you’ll have two totally different impressions because the flavors need some time to marry. We know patience isn’t everyone’s strong suit (we’re thinking of the customers who start asking us if it’s “time for chili yet” on Labor Day Weekend). We love their enthusiasm, of course, but good things come to those who wait. Good things will also come to those who serve this soup over a plate of macaroni and cheese. That’s a combination that’ll make even the pickiest of cowboys want to yell, “Yeehaw!” If you’d like to make the recipe vegan, you can substitute a little bit of chocolate for Guinness. Yields approximately 1 gallon. 5 slices black pepper bacon 2 pounds braised short rib meat 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 2 ½ cups onions, large dice 1 large leek, cleaned and sliced thin 3 ¾ cups celery, large dice 1 ½ cups fennel bulbs, minced 2 ¾ red bell pepper, large dice 1 1/3 tablespoons chili powder 1 1/3 tablespoons ground cumin 1 ½ teaspoons chipotle chili powder 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano 1 tablespoon smoked paprika ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup Guinness 1 cup tomato juice 1 (26-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 pound kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 bay leaf Tabasco sauce to taste

1. In a large sauté pan, over medium high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and cut into ½ inch pieces. Reserve the bacon fat for later use. 2. Sear the short ribs in some canola oil. 3. After short ribs have been braised, put the braising liquid to one side and cut the meat to a large dice. 4. In a large sauté pan, add ground beef. Cook until browned. Once cooked thoroughly, drain off fat and set meat to one side. 5. In a large stock pot, add bacon fat, canola oil, and garlic. Add onions, leeks, celery, fennel, and bell pepper. Let the veggies start to sweat and then add in all of your spices. Sweat your veggies until the onions are translucent and the spices are nicely toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes. 6. Now add in Guinness, tomatoes, and tomato juice. Be sure to scrape up all of the bits from the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the mixture. 7. Add kidney beans, ground beef, salt, pepper, bay leaf, bacon, short ribs, and their braising liquid. 8. Lightly simmer on medium-low heat until all your flavors meld together, about 15-20 minutes. 9. Adjust salt and heat (with Tabasco sauce).


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Comment Card

Anne, a teacher, on the best place to kick off a summer vacation

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I went with a date to Lucky Bones. The fresh muddled mojitos were a much better fit than he was. I teach chemistry. I always say a clean lab is a happy lab. It’s true, too, that a clean restaurant is a happy restaurant. Lucky Bones is a clean place. My boyfriend and I were on a trip to California. He’s into organic, healthy eating, and he was commenting on how all the food out there is so fresh. A lot of the food in restaurants in South Jersey tastes like restaurant food. At Lucky Bones, it tastes like mom made it. I feel like I could dress up here, or I could wear shorts and a T-shirt. Lucky Bones is where I go with three generations of my best girlfriends. I enjoy the big, round booth in the corner, because you can see everyone from there. But, if I’m on a date, I like to sit at the bar. Dining here is like taking a walk in the woods. You have a lot of choices about which way to go. You might get an appetizer and an ice cream sandwich, or you might get a whole steak dinner. One of the things I adore most is pizza and a glass of wine. There’s nowhere else you can get that. Whoever thought of that... is he single? Because I like the way he thinks. I am like the Margherita pizza. I’m sweet and light and not too dry.

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soups Split Pea Soup with Chorizo and Sage This is a common soup de jour in the wintertime. Everyone knows that South Jersey skies in January tend to be a little, well, gray, so that’s the time of year we have fun adding splashes of color to our dishes. We like the yellow split peas for this soup so that the final product is a little sunnier looking than normal. The roux that you may or may not need here, if you’re unfamiliar, is a mixture of flour and butter, equal parts of each. We hope this soup brightens your day as much as it does ours. Yields approximately one gallon. ½ pound chorizo sausage, small dice ½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes, diced ¼ tablespoon garlic, chopped 1 ½ cups onions small diced 1 1/3 cups celery, small diced 1/3 cup fennel, small diced 3/4 cup leeks cut in half then sliced 1/3 pounds yellow split peas, soaked for 24 hours ½ gallon vegetable stock (approximately) 1 1/3 cups carrots Roux (if needed) Salt to taste Pepper to taste Chipotle spice to taste 6 sage leaves, sliced

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add peeled, diced potatoes to boiling water and blanch for about 8 – 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat. After cooked though, set to one side, reserving a bit for garnish later on. 3. In a large stock pot, sweat the garlic onions, celery, fennel, and leeks until onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. After sweating your veggies, add the split peas. Add the vegetable stock, but just enough to cover your veggie and pea mixture. Next, add the sachet and chorizo (don’t forget to save some chorizo for garnish). 4. Allow pot to simmer on a medium-low heat. Once peas are almost soft about 20-30 minutes, add the carrots. NOTE: As the peas begin to break down, your soup will thicken. If it does not reach your desired thickness, add roux as need. Just be sure that you fully cook out the roux flavor. 5. Remove sachet and squeeze out all the juices into the soup. Season with salt, pepper, chipotle spice, and fresh sage. Add potatoes to finish the soup.

Sachet of... 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs parsley 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 2 sprigs fresh thyme 3 sage stems

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soups Vegetable Clam Chowder Normally, the word “chunky” does not carry positive connotations. But with a chowder, the chunkier the better. That’s the biggest difference between this type of soup and a bisque. A bisque is smooth, while a chowder is not. Just how chunky you want to make your soup is up to you — dice your veggies whatever size you’d like, and enjoy all that wonderful texture. Yields 6 to 8 servings. 4 cups chopped clams, canned is fine 8 cups fish stock or clam juice ½ pound bacon, diced ½ cup flour 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 large onions, diced 1 bulb fennel, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 2 cups dry white wine 2 tablespoons cayenne sauce 2 tablespoons cayenne sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 5 or 6 red potatoes, peeled and diced 6 cups half-and-half Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the stock to a boil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer. 2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set to one side, reserving the bacon fat for making the roux. 3. To make the roux, pour ½ cup of the bacon fat into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is light brown and fragrant, about 4 to 6 minutes. 4. Whisk the roux into the stock. Increase the heat to medium and cook 40 to 45 minutes, or until reduced by one-third. 5. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Sauté the onions, fennel, celery, and garlic until the fennel is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the wine, cayenne sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and cook over high heat until reduced by one-half. Add the potatoes to the stock mixture and simmer until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the sautéed vegetables and half and half, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.


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Shared Plates Starte chapter two

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& ers

When we opened, we added gastropub-style items to our menu. The idea is superior bar food — honest dishes prepared well and served in tavern-like settings. We wanted something that was familiar and inventive at the same time. We hope it brings out your playful side, too.

shared plates & starters Best Hummus We don’t like to brag, but this hummus has lived up to its name. Plus, there’s some evidence that the manganese of chickpeas helps repair sun-damaged skin, which is great if you’ve spent all day bronzing on the beach. Just make sure you’re using flat-leaved or Italian parsley as opposed to the curly kind; we think it tastes better. And for more freshness, just add more lemon. Yields 6 servings. 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, washed and drained 4 cloves garlic 3 mint leaves 2 tablespoons parsley tops only Tahini paste Juice of ½ lemon Pinch of salt and pepper mix 2 ½ teaspoons champagne vinegar ¼ to 1 cup olive oil

1. In a food processor combine ¾ of the chickpeas, garlic, mint, parsley and blend well. 2. Add remaining chickpeas, tahini, lemon, salt and pepper, and vinegar. 3. Process until smooth. 4. Drizzle in olive oil until you’re happy with consistency. 5. Serve with your favorite veggies and pita.

Brick Oven Shrimp It’s hard to eat shrimp off a skewer without feeling like you’re on a beach vacation. Plus, shrimp are a great example of good things coming in small packages. And don’t let the name of this one fool you — it’s easily done at home. Yields 4 servings. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined 10 10-inch wooden skewers ½ yellow bell pepper, seeded ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

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1. Ahead of time, in a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. 2. While you are heating up the grill, skewer up your shrimp making sure to leave a little room between shrimp to assure even cooking (about 3 to 4 shrimp per skewer). When the grill is hot, place the yellow pepper and the shrimp skewers in the center of the grill. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes before turning both the pepper and the shrimp. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the grill. 3. Remove shrimp from the skewers and put into a medium-sized bowl. Dice the yellow pepper and add to the shrimp. Sprinkle in the cilantro and toss. Serve immediately.


shared plates & starters Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls Some people can get through an entire order of buffalo chicken wings without getting sauce everywhere. We don’t know where these people come from, and frankly we’re intimidated by them. These spring rolls are great for those who sometimes need a bib; they’re delicious, and a great deal less messy than the wings. Yields 15 to 20 pieces. 8 cups water ¾ cup chopped celery ¾ cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoon hot sauce ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 pound chicken tenders 4 tablespoons hot sauce 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon garlic powder less than a tablespoon celery, minced 3 ½ tablespoons scallions, minced ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese 3 ½ tablespoons sour cream 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise 20 spring roll wrappers

1. Boil 8 cups of water with above ingredients except for tenders. Once the water has come to a boil turn off the heat and add the tenders. Leave in water until fully cooked. Drain and allow tenders to cool. Once cooled, finely chop tenders and set to the side to allow further cooling. 2. Combine above (except for wrappers) in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Add in chopped chicken. 3. Lay out spring roll wrappers and add about 2 ounces of filling to each wrapper. Roll tightly, until each wrapper is sealed completely. 4. Fry the spring rolls until golden brown. Serve with spicy sauce.


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shared plates & starters Cape May Steamed Clams We know that clam names can be confusing. The word “quahog” is commonly used when referring to a chowder clam (the big kind), though technically, it applies to any hard shell clam. Top necks, the second largest, are also known as count necks. Then there are cherry stones, which are followed in size by top necks (AKA middle necks). And, finally, little necks are the smallest of the bunch. Here is the recipe for our steamers, so you at least have something delicious to eat while you process all of that. We recommend either little necks or middle necks for this recipe, though any hard shell clam will do. Whatever you do, make sure you remember to dispose of any clams that don’t open while you’re steaming, unless, of course, you’re cooking at the house of your arch-nemesis. Yields 4 servings. ½ cup butter 5 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups dry white wine 1 tablespoon dried oregano ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 60 hard-shell Cape May clams in shell, scrubbed

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1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in butter, briefly. Stir in wine, and season with oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes. 2. Place clams in the wine mixture. Cover, and steam until clams have opened. NOTE: Make sure to discard any clams that have not opened.


Team Talk

Maria, superstar of salad, princess of pantry, angel of appetizers

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I am half Mexican and half Puerto Rican. I have family in both places. This means that I have two places to vacation! But I love Cape May. When I’m off, I spend all my time with my grandkids, at the beach or the boardwalk or the park. It’s beautiful here. I am one of the only women in the kitchen, and I don’t mind. The men are all very kind to me. They make me laugh. They give me energy. We help each other out. I don’t like to cook. I’m very happy doing the pantry station. I like to dance once a year... at the Lucky Bones employee party, when the drinks are free. I’ve got my dream job. Of course, sometimes I get tired. After a long shift, I watch my favorite show on the Spanish channel, take off my shoes, and relax a little bit. My kids are all grown now, so they’ll leave me alone! Actually, my daughter is a busser at Lucky Bones. On a busy night here, I might make four hundred salads. It’s good to be busy. The beet salad is the best, but the rocket salad has the most stuff. Tomatoes, artichoke, mozzarella cheese, asparagus, fennel, olives, dates, green goddess vinaigrette, everything. Everybody comes to Lucky Bones. I come with my husband on Valentine’s Day. What can I say? This is a happy place.

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shared plates & starters Creamy Artichoke and Crab Dip This is wonderful out of the brick oven, but it can easily be done at home, which is especially great if you’ve got little ones. The dip is so tasty, it’s a nice way to con — we mean coax — your kids into eating some veggies. If you’d like your dip to have a crunchy crust on top (that’s our staff’s favorite part), choose a cast-iron container that can fit easily inside your toaster oven immediately after you’re done cooking. Yields about 2 cups. 1 package cream cheese 1/3 cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard ¾ teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Using a paddle with an electric mixer, cream the first 8 ingredients together until smooth and fully combined. 3. Fold in the remaining 8 ingredients by hand. 4. Transfer mixture to a small casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown and bubbly. 5. Serve with your favorite chips or pita bread.

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ¼ cup scallions, sliced 1 teaspoon jalapeños, seeded and minced 1 teaspoon salt and pepper mix ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ cup of jumbo lump crab meat

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shared plates & starters Cuban Spiced U-Peel Shrimp with Cape May Cocktail Sauce There’s something about peeling shrimp that we find therapeutic, so you might want to give these a shot, even if shrimp aren’t usually your thing. To make 16 ounces of the Cape May cocktail sauce, combine 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, ½ tablespoon of Sriracha, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 4 ounces of horseradish. Then eat it in Cape May. (Okay, that’s not necessary, but we do think it tastes better when you’re actually here.) Yields 10 servings. 2 pounds medium or jumbo shrimp 1 can Yuengling beer Juice of ½ lemon 1 small onion, quartered 2 celery stalks, quartered Water, to cover 4 tablespoons Chef Wally’s Cuban Spice Rub

1. In a large pot, bring all ingredients (except 2 tablespoon of the Cuban Spice Rub) to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink. 2. Immediately remove shrimp from stovetop. Drain and chill in an ice water bath for 4 minutes, no longer. 3. Remove shrimp from ice bath, drain, and coat with the reserved 2 tablespoons of Cuban Spice Rub. 4. Serve with Cape May Cocktail Sauce.


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shared plates & starters Goat Cheese Log We love these logs because the majority of the preparation can be done ahead of time, and they’re great when served at a cocktail party with your favorite crackers or pita bread. If your parties are anything like our employee parties, these logs will also be the only thing that anyone’s allowed to talk about afterward. What happens at Lucky Bones stays at Lucky Bones. 4 ounce goat cheese log (common size available in supermarkets) 2 tablespoons Chef Walter J’s Tuscan Spice Blend OR Cuban Spice Rub® 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Leave goat cheese out at room temperature for about 20 minutes. 2. Roll goat cheese in Cuban Spice to coat completely. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 3. Put Goat cheese log in an oven proof container and warm in oven for 3-5 minutes. 4. Remove: Pour optional olive oil over warm mixture and let rest for 1 minute. 5. Serve with your favorite cracker, pita and crusty bread or other accompaniments like roasted peppers, olives, cured or smoked meats.

Grilled Shrimp It was actually Chef Wally’s sister who made this dish first. Wally loved it so much, he had to bring it to us. Our biggest piece of advice is to leave the shells on your shrimp to keep them from burning. Your dinner guests will be so happy with the way these taste, they won’t mind peeling themselves. ; leave shell on to help cook evenly. Yields four servings. 21-25 split and de-veined shrimp 2 tablespoons Chef Walter J’s Tuscan Spice Blend 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 each juice of fresh lemon

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1. Preheat grill to high. 2. Toss shrimp in bowl with Tuscan Spice Blend, oil and juice. 3. Place shrimp on hottest section of grill. Grill for 45 seconds and flip. Continue grilling for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. 4. Shrimp can also be broiled in the oven using the same ingredients.


shared plates & starters Guacamole Cuban Style You’ve heard people say “Holy guacamole” before. (It’s what our bartenders feel like saying when the bar’s four-deep on a Saturday night.) While there is nothing particularly holy about this guac, it does taste heavenly, which is why it competes with chicken wings as THE food of Super Bowl Sunday. A surefire way to tell if your avocados are ripe is to flick their stems. If they come off easily, revealing green underneath, you’re ready to go. And just in case you’re curious, it’s the pineapple in this version that makes it Cuban. Yields 6 to 8 servings. 3 ripe avocados, large dice ¼ cup fresh pineapple, medium dice 1 teaspoon lime juice 2 jalapeños, minced ¼ cup red onions, small dice ¼ tomatoes, medium dice 2 tablespoons cilantro, rough chop ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper mix

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine avocados, lime juice and pineapple. 2. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole Oaxaca Style 3 ripe avocados, large dice ¼ cup fresh pineapple, medium dice 1 teaspoon lime juice 2 jalapeños, minced ¼ cup red onions, small dice ¼ tomatoes, medium dice 2 tablespoons cilantro, rough chop ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper mix

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine avocados, lime juice and pineapple. Begin to break down the avocado so the guacamole is semi-smooth. 2. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.


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shared plates & starters Hand-Cut French Fries We cut and soak our potatoes every night, so they’re fresh and ready to go every morning. Of course, we love serving fresh food, but we don’t have much of a choice when it comes to our fries; we go through them so quickly, they have to be fresh. For our fry recipe, you’re going to need a Dutch oven, filled one-third of the way with oil. If you like your fries a bit softer, and a little bit more on the oily side, don’t worry about soaking them overnight. Also, if you’re oil starts smoking while you’re frying, it’s turning into trans-fat, and you should turn down the temperature a bit. (We’ve always been staunchly anti-trans-fat at Lucky Bones, even back before this was something restaurants did. Purveyors used to look at us like we were crazy, but we’re glad we stuck it out.) Yields 4 to 6 servings. 2 pounds Idaho potatoes, julienned Canola oil as needed Salt to taste

1. Cut and soak potatoes overnight. 2. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and dry with a towel. 3. Heat a generous amount of oil to 225 degrees. Deep fry the fries in batches as to not overcrowd the pot. Allow to fry for 5 to 7 minutes until fries are golden brown. 4. Drain fries and leave them to cool. Salt and serve immediately.

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Comment Card Russ and Mary, Cape May lovebirds, on the place that helps them keep romance alive

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He said: Do we think this place helps us keep the romance alive? Well, tonight is our fiftieth wedding anniversary, and we’re here. Yep, fifty years. We were married at two and four. When we started dating, I had to fight her brothers — she had eight! I wish I had a commission on selling the pork chops. The best I’ve ever had. We bring our grandkids here. They think they’re at home. They want seconds. If you offered us money not to come to Lucky Bones, we would take your money. And then we would come anyway. They take such good care of us here. She said: It was love at first sight. But then he had to fight my brothers. My mother used to hide them when I had a date. She would say, ‘You’re never going to get married with your brothers hanging around.’ We missed each other when we weren’t together. That’s the way it should be, don’t you think? The secret? Love each other and stick together. The best time to come is during fishing tournament time. The fishermen are just wild. They spend all day on the boat, and they just want to let loose. Deanna [the manager] makes such a fuss over our grandkids. She’s become a good friend of ours. We went to her swearing-in when she became councilwoman. And when we asked her to put the wings back on the menu, she did. That’s how well they take care of us here.

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shared plates & starters Jumbo Chicken Wings with Spicy Hoisin Ginger Sauce When we opened, we wanted to do something different than a normal hot wing because you can get those anywhere. We came up with this recipe, which includes a ginger salt rub, during a beer-pairing dinner we hosted our second year open. The response was so good, we added these to the menu. We tried to change up the Hoisin sauce, but everyone kept asking for it, so we figured, if it’s not broke, why fix it? You may have to go to an Asian market to get some of the Hoisin ingredients, but it’s worth the trek. The final product can double as a salad dressing or a dip. Yours might turn out even better than ours if you’ve got a blender; it’s better when done in one of those, but we don’t have one big enough at the restaurant. Yields 10 servings. For ginger salt rub: 2 tablespoons kosher salt Pinch ground black pepper Pinch coriander Pinch toasted cumin Pinch garlic powder Pinch , ground ginger Pinch cayenne pepper Mix together all spices in a spice mill or grinder to make a spice rub Prep the wings: 40 chicken wings, disjointed 2 tablespoons ginger salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Combine ginger salt rub with chicken wings. Line sheet tray with parchment paper and lay out chicken wings. 3. Cook chicken wings for 18 minutes in a 400 degree oven or until cooked 95% through. 4. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 5. Place all ingredients except oils in a blender or food processor and blend. Slowly emulsify the oils into this blend. Hold refrigerated. 6. When you’re ready to go, quickly fry the partially cooked wings in hot oil until they are very crispy. 7. Toss the wings in the hoisin sauce.

Hoisin sauce: 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 1/8 cup soy sauce 1/8 cup honey ½ cup canned hoisin sauce ¾ teaspoons Sriracha sauce 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 3/8 cups olive oil 3 tablespoons sesame oil

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shared plates & starters Lobster and Shrimp Spring Rolls There is a lot of prep work involved in this one, but what you end up with is essentially a selfcontained seafood salad, and we think that’s pretty worth it. Plus, there’s no frying involved, so it’s a healthier snack than other variations. This chilled version is also known as a Vietnamese spring roll, or summer roll. Because it’s so light, it’s a nice choice on a hot day. We like it best with our Thai dipping sauce (page 143). Yields approximately 20 spring rolls. 4 ½ pounds shrimp 1 pound lobster meat (canned is fine) 1 cup shrimp purée 1 bag rice noodles 1 red bell pepper, julienned 1 carrot, julienned 1 small head cabbage, julienned ¼ cup rice vinegar 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons mirin Sauce 1 teaspoon ginger powder 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds ½ tablespoon salt and pepper mixture ½ teaspoon white pepper 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro Round rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)

1. In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 4 minutes. Strain shrimp and allow to chill. Once chilled, chop by hand into small chunks. 2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl of warm water, add rice noodles until they are reconstituted. Strain and set to one side. 3. Quickly sauté peppers in rice wine vinegar until cooked through, and drain when finished. Do the same with the carrots, but make sure your carrots and peppers are cooked separately. 4. Break up lobster meat in a large mixing bowl, making sure to leave some larger chunks. Incorporate all of the other ingredients (except the rice wrappers) and mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to a strainer in order to release all liquids. 5. Store this mixture in the refrigerator, tightly sealed until ready to prepare the rolls. 6. Once you are ready to prepare your rolls, you’ll need the lobster mixture, a bowl of warm water and the rice wrappers. Dip a rice wrapper into the warm water for 1 to 3 seconds until soft, then lay flat. Fill your wrapper with 4 tablespoons of lobster mix and roll, making sure to seal each side.


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A special kind of squid

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und’s Fisheries know good seafood. Open since 1954, the Lower Townshipbased company is a leading producer of fish caught in the mid-Atlantic region — including mackerel, herring, monkfish, bluefish, and fluke. Lund’s has also been importing high-quality product from around the globe. The company has a hyper-local client base, including fifteen of Cape May’s most highly regarded restaurants. Year after year, Lucky Bones depends on Lund’s for squid. We’ve always believed that the first person to eat a squid was a brave soul. The eight-armed, suction-cupped mollusk looks like some kind of alien creature. It has three hearts, the ability to change colors, one eye on either side of its head, and either a sac full of ink (in females) or a penis that grows to almost the full length of its body (in males). Whoever the fearless (or just really hungry) first-timer was, we’re grateful to him. But as freaky as squid may look in the water, that’s how mouth-watering a serving of calamari is when it’s on the plate. For this reason, since their inception, Lund’s has been committed to squidding. Today, this is the only company commercially harvesting all three of the most popular species. From the beginning, the fishery sought out only one species of squid, Loligo Pealei — the kind that is local to our shores.

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Harvest season for this squid is September to April, so even though the Lund’s team says the process of squidding isn’t as harrowing as Hollywood would have you think, it is dangerous. “The weather can be, well, stupid,” Lund’s President Wayne Riechle says. “There are hurricanes. It is winter.” No matter the time of year, Lund’s is committed to harvesting sustainably. Since the company’s inception, there has been a focus on bringing awareness to underutilized, high-volume fish. Now, the fishery strives to use new and improved gear that is friendlier to the ocean. “It is in our best interest to be environmentally conscious,” Riechle says. “We want to be here for another fifty years.” Lund’s is an active member of the Garden State Seafood Association as well, which provides support not only to commercial fishermen, but seafood consumers. Riechle and his team come to see us often, and yes, they do order the Lucky Bones’ calamari. But these guys are just as excited about the locally caught shark they’ll be providing to Lucky Bones soon, too. It may not look like as alien to us as a squid, but we’re confident it will be just as tasty.


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shared plates & starters Local Lund’s Fried Calamari with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli Squids have been called the “ice cream cones of the sea” not only because they are shaped like cones, but because they’re a favorite food of many sea creatures, including… um… squid. They should also be called the “ice cream cones of Lucky Bones” because we go through a ridiculous amount of calamari. This dish, which we make with squid caught from local waters, is best when topped off with our Roasted Red Pepper Aoili (see page 136), and followed up with an actual serving of ice cream. Yields 10 servings. 3 cups vegetable oil ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 squid, cleaned and cut into rings

1. Preheat oil in a heavy, deep frying pan to 365 degrees. 2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Coat squid thoroughly with mixture. 3. Place squid in oil for 2 to 3 minutes in small batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pot. Allow squid to drain on paper towels. Note: Be careful not to overcook squid as it will become tough and chewy.

Lucky Bones Nachos There is one guy in our kitchen we call “Nacho King,” because he puts out about forty-five orders of these a night. They are simple enough; you can become nacho king or queen of your own kitchen pretty easily — there’s no set recipe. Use your own creativity. And if you really want to assume the throne, fry your own chips instead of purchasing them. Simply cut as many corn tortilla shells as you can eat into small triangles and deep fry them. Then follow along with the rest of this recipe, your majesty, put your feet up and enjoy. Your favorite tortilla chips Cooked beef or chicken, your choice Shredded jack cheese Sliced scallions 1 sliced jalapeño Dollop of sour cream Diced tomatoes

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1. Layer the chips, meat and cheese together on an oven proof platter. 2. Broil until the cheese is melted. 3. Sprinkle on the tomatoes, scallions and sour cream. 4. Serve with Salsa Verde (see page 137).


shared plates & starters Mojo Pork Morsels Chef Wally has done this recipe at home on the grill, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. It can be served with the Salsa Verde (page 137), or Herb Mayonnaise (page 121). Yields 2 to 4 servings. Juice of one orange Juice of one lemon Juice of two limes 1, 10-14 ounce pork loin 2 garlic cloves, fresh, minced 1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub

1. For sour orange, juice all fruit and combine except juice of 1 lime. 2. For pork, remove fat and silver skin by trimming off with a knife. 3. Cut into large 1-inch chunks. 4. Combine diced pork, sour orange, chopped garlic and fresh cracked black pepper. Marinate overnight. 5. To cook, deep-fry at 325 degrees until crispy or cook on a mediumhigh grill until your proper doneness is reached. 6. Toss cooked pork morsels with reserved lime juice and Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub®.

Mussels in Gorgonzola Basil-Tomato Sauce Wild mussels will have a bristly patch protruding from their shell that is used when attaching to a piling or rock. Holding the hairs near their base and giving them a swift yank should do the trick. We recommend serving the final product with your favorite crusty bread; you’re going to want to sop up as much of the sauce as possible. Yields 4 servings. 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 small onion, diced 1 large tomato, cubed ½ cup white wine 1 cup gorgonzola, crumbled ½ cup heavy cream 4 pounds mussels, cleaned, debearded 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn Salt to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in onion and tomato, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. 2. Mix white wine and heavy cream into the saucepan, and bring to a boil. Gradually stir in mussels, half of the basil, and salt. 3. Cover saucepan, and continue cooking about 5 minutes, until the mussels have opened. Garnish with remaining basil and serve with gorgonzola cheese.


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Comment Card

Brothers Ken, a casino veteran employee, and Keith, a manufacturer of printing presses, on memories and mussels

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Ken: I was looking for a place to go by myself, and this is the kind of place you can feel comfortable going all by yourself. You can be alone here. Oh my god, the mussels. Oh my god. I work in Atlantic City, and I drive all the way here to get a drink. The dirty sapphire martini. Have you seen how cool the front door is? It’s as old as the hills. My friend got married here. In the middle of regular food service, just like that. Can you get me the recipe for the Tuscan Spice Sauce? They used to keep it on the tables, but people kept stealing it. Keith: When my mom got sick, we would visit her in the hospital before going to Lucky Bones. From her hospital bed, she would laugh and say, ‘You boys are going to Lucky Bones again?’ When she passed away, we had the reception here. Where else would we go? My brother and I have met here every Tuesday night since. The secret to getting served? Just show up. I’m telling you, those mussels are killer.

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shared plates & starters Scallops Wrapped in Applewood-Smoked Bacon with Horseradish shared plates & starters Cream Sauce If blue-eyed bombshells are attractive, then scallops must be the most desirable sea creature; they’ve got thirty-five eyes, all of them blue. If you’ve got a blue-eyed cutie coming over for dinner, we recommend making these. The bacon (which you can substitute with black-pepper bacon, if you like), adds a nice smoky flavor to the sweetness of each scallop. Prepare them well, and serve with our Horseradish Cream Sauce (page 124), and your date will be batting his or her own eyes in your direction in no time. Yields 4 servings. 12 medium-sized scallops 2 strips of applewood-smoked bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Place bacon on an ungreased baking pan and bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until partially cooked and lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. 3. Cut each slice of bacon in half and wrap each strip around scallops, securing with a toothpick. 4. Place the scallops on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until scallops are firm and opaque. Serve with Horseradish Cream Sauce.

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shared plates & starters Smoked Fish Dip Smoking fish is a part of our seafood tradition. Many an angler have their special brines, wood and technique. Whether hot or cold smoked, this spread is delicious. Remember to cut the fish by hand and DO NOT use a food processor. Or else. Serves 4 to 6. 1 cup smoked fish — local bluefish, mackerel, weakfish or your favorite ¼ cup unsweetened butter 1 tablespoon fresh white pepper 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest 1 teaspoon fresh dill Salt to taste Large baked croutons for dipping (use your favorite Focaccia or bread)

1. Flake the fish with your hands and remove the bones and skin. Chop it finely. 2. Soften the butter to the point where you can easily whip it. 3. Add pepper, lemon juice, zest, dill and salt to taste 4. Place the mixture into ramekins and refrigerate to let flavors blend, overnight. 5. Take out and let it get close to room temperature. 6. Spread on to your favorite croutons.


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Our menu has undergone a great deal of changes through the years (we once considered a section of pirate-themed dishes), but we’ve always remained a sharing kind of place. Breaking bread together is one way human beings across all cultures create and sustain bonds. The salads in this section are all especially easy to share. Just add a good friend or two to the list of necessary ingredients, and you’ll have everything you need.

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salads Classic Caesar Salad with Caesar Dressing Although there’s no definitive proof, the Caesar Salad is thought to have been invented by an Italian man who lived in San Diego during the 1920s. He operated a restaurant in Mexico to skirt the laws of prohibition, and on one busy Fourth of July weekend, he ran out of food. This salad, a mishmash of all the bits and pieces he still had in the kitchen, is what his daughter says he came up with to avoid disappointing guests. There have been Fourth of July weekends in Cape May that we’ve come close to running out of this. Yields 6 servings. 1 head of Romaine, washed, dried, torn into small pieces 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Croutons 1 loaf day-old French/Italian bread Olive oil Salt 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Trim the crust off of bread and cut into ¾ inch cubes. 3. Toss with olive oil — enough to coat, but do not drench. 4. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread onto baking sheet. 5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 6. Wash and dry romaine lettuce leaves and then roughly chop. Add to a large salad bowl and toss in tomatoes, croutons, and Caesar Dressing (see below). Finish with shaved cheese. Serve immediately.

Caesar Dressing For our Caesar dressing, we like to coddle our eggs, but not in the same way our servers coddle the cooks when looking to taste a new menu item. To coddle* an egg means to cook it ever so gently. For folks who might be turned off by the idea of that — especially pregnant women, children, and the elderly — feel free to use pasteurized egg yolks. If anchovies aren’t your thing, you can leave this one out, but your salad will no longer, technically, be Caesar. 8 anchovy fillets 4 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 egg yolks 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 11/2 teaspoons salt 1 cup extra virgin oil 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

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1. In a bowl, whisk and mash together anchovy, garlic and mustard until blended. Whisk in egg, Worcestershire, vinegar and lemon juice to make a paste. 2. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while vigorously whisking. 3. Finish with cheese, salt, and pepper. Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, babies, or anyone whose health is compromised.


salads Famous Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Thyme Vinaigrette We put this salad on the menu because no one was doing beets at the time, and we wanted to be the first in Cape May. It’s a dish commonly found at French brasseries – informal restaurants that are open late, don’t require reservations, and serve classic, simple, solid food — our kind of places. If you want to increase the earthiness of this dish, feel free to add fresh thyme to your olive oil while roasting. Yields 6 servings. 4 medium beets, scrubbed, trimmed, and cut in quarters Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 (10-ounce) package mixed baby salad greens 2 ounce goat cheese For Thyme Vinaigrette (Makes about 2 cups): 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon chopped shallots 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 ½ cups olive oil 2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme Salt and white pepper to taste

1. Whisk together lemon juice, champagne vinegar, Dijon, shallots. 2. Using a hand blender slowly incorporate oils in to the mixture. 3. Season with salt, white pepper, and finely chopped thyme. 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 5. Place beets in a small roasting pan and lightly coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Allow beets to cool and then peel. Cut into cubes. 6. In a large salad bowl add mixed greens, beets and top with dabs of goat cheese. 7. Finish with thyme vinaigrette.


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Team Talk

Sabrina, head hostess, on seating the Lucky Boners

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People ask if they can have a table away from the kitchen, away from the bathroom, in a quiet spot, or in a booth, but by far, the strangest request is when people ask me to join them for dinner. I probably walk two miles across the Lucky Bones dining room in a night. Table 19 is the most requested. It’s the big corner booth. I try to be fair to everyone. The job is about more than just seating people. I love arts and crafts and especially writing. Hostessing is great fodder for writing. It taps into my emotions sometimes. I have to be organized. Pencils go here. Menus go there. Everything has its place behind the hostessing counter. People can be tricky. They might say they have a reservation when they don’t. Sure, there are plenty of times I have to take a deep breath and regain my composure. Last night, I sat a single woman at one table and a single man at another. Then I watched them form a connection. That’s one of the most endearing things I’ve seen. One day, I’d like to work with animals. I’d like to be a vet technician. But until then, there’s no job I’d rather have. My coworkers, the customers — everyone tries to take care of one another.

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salads Fresh Tuna Salad with Potatoes and Herbs Tuna has some oil to it, so it’s important that you buy as fresh as possible. The steak you choose should have a deep red flesh — we like to use albacore (from local boats) because of its higher fat content. If stored properly in the refrigerator, packed in ice and placed on the bottom shelf, it should last from one to four days. But if you can’t get to it within twenty-four hours, we suggest freezing it. Why take the risk? Yields 4 servings. 1 pound fresh tuna Course ground salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 basil leaves 5 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed 1 tablespoon dry white wine or vermouth 1 ½ cups mixed fresh basil, flatleaf parsley, and celery leaves 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 red bell pepper, roasted and cut into strips 6 anchovy fillets 2 large eggs, hard cooked and cut into wedges 1 tomato, cut into wedges

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1. Sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Place on a plate, cover with basil leaves, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and leave to marinate for about 30 minutes, turning it over once or twice. 2. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by at least an inch, add a good pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover partly, and cook until tender. Drain the potatoes. 3. While the potatoes are still warm, cut them into chunks, place in a mixing bowl, and drizzle with wine. 4. Heat a cast-iron stove top grill pan over high heat. (If you don’t have this pan, a cast iron skillet or heavy sauté pan will do fine). Brush the basil off the tuna and sear the tuna for 1 ½ minutes on each side. Cut the tuna into chunks and add to the potatoes along with the herbs. 5. Combine the mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. 6. Add the vinaigrette to the salad, toss well, and pile it onto a serving platter. Garnish with roasted pepper, anchovies, eggs, and tomato.


salads Green Goddess Dressing Our opening chef, Wally, learned to make this dressing in culinary school. It just wasn’t acceptable in many fine dining restaurants at the time, because it had a very “1950s homemaker” kind of feel. When Lucky Bones opened, Wally figured he’d give what he’s dubbed the “Ozzie and Harriet dressing” a go, and we’re glad he did. Now, we use it to top off our Rocket Salad (page 90). Yields 2 cups. 1 cup parsley (no stems) ½ cup scallions ½ cup chives 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar ¾ teaspoon sherry vinegar ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 ice cubes

1. Purée the first 7 ingredients in a blender. Transfer this mixture into a large container and add the following 7 ingredients. Mix thoroughly with a hand immersion blender. 2. Add the oils and emulsify with the rest of the dressing using a hand blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Pinch of sugar 1 egg yolk ¼ teaspoon garlic, chopped ¼ teaspoon shallots ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup canola oil


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salads Grilled Salmon Salad We think salmon and raspberry go together like peanut butter and jelly. Well, maybe not as frequently, but they should. Remember to use a high-quality olive oil for this one. That’s going to be important anytime you’re using olive oil on a chilled dish. Yields 4 servings. 1. While you heat up the grill, cut the salmon fillets width-wise into 4-inch pieces. Place salmon skin side down and grill covered for 12-15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2 (1 ½ pound) salmon fillets 2 celery ribs, chopped ½ cup red onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped

2. Remove skin and bones from salmon and flake into a bowl. Add celery, onion and dill. Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and gently toss to coat.

Dressing: ¼ cup raspberry vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper

Maytag Blue Cheese Dressing It’s important for this recipe that you make the trip to a good cheese shop. Don’t get prepackaged. If you can’t find the Maytag (and yes, the folks who make the cheese are related to the folks who make the dishwashers), then feel free to substitute with Gorgonzola or Roquefort. We use this as the topping for our Spinach Salad (see page 91), but it’s a nice addition to any bed of greens. Yields 9 servings. ½ cup sour cream ½ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 ounces crumbled Maytag blue cheese

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Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving.


Team Talk

Chef Bob, aka Bobby Z

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Cooking has taught me not to take anything for granted. I am responsible for 90 to 95% of all the soups and sauces. I take pride in that. I take pride in constantly improving them. We are always changing it up. Fresh fish daily. Different meat items daily. The menu changes daily. We buy what the market offers. That makes it special for me. I am an outdoors person. I do a lot of fishing and hiking. It’s a challenge, just like it’s a challenge in the kitchen. I look forward to it. The energy at Lucky Bones is phenomenal. It can be noisy, but this is the shore. The food here is honest. That’s important. My wife is a real finicky eater, but even she loves the Cuban Spice Pork Chop. I wanted to do a holiday pizza with butternut squash. We were going through a hundred pounds of butternut squash a week, so at the end of the season, we took it off the menu. The reaction was amazing. People asked for it so much, we had to put it back on. My niece has Celiac disease, so I had a personal reason for doing a gluten-free menu. We’ve researched pasta, dinner rolls, BLTs, crab cakes, hamburgers, chocolate cake, even pizza shells.

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salads Pelican Club Balsamic Vinaigrette This is our house dressing, which we use on our Skip Jack pizza (page 161). While we recommend using a hearty, full-bodied wine for this recipe, we suggest experimenting with all of your favorite bottles, too. If nothing else, it’s a nice excuse to start taste-testing Cabernets. 1 cup balsamic vinegar ½ cup good red wine ¼ cup Champagne vinegar 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ cup egg yolks ½ teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon garlic ½ teaspoon shallots Pinch of salt ½ tablespoon parsley 1 tablespoon chives 4 cups olive oil 2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1. Whip the first 9 ingredients in a mixer for 2 to 3 minutes to thoroughly incorporate. Slowly add the oil in a fine steady stream to create an emulsion. 2. Add the chives and parsley.

Rocket Salad with Green Goddess Dressing The Rocket (another name for arugula) came about because we wanted a salad with guts. We figured that we had the brick oven, so we might as well show off what it can do — this is where we roast the vegetables for the Rocket salad, but your home oven is fine. The recipe calls for fennel, asparagus, and tomatoes, but feel free to make your own a little gutsier by throwing in your favorites. We like radishes in the spring, butternut squash in the fall, zucchini in the summer. The Green Goddess Dressing (page 83) works well, because it’s sweet, as are the vegetables. Plus, it balances out the arugula’s light bitterness. Yields 6 servings. 1 cup cherry tomatoes ¾ cup asparagus, large chunks ¼ cup red onion, large chunks Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 6 cups baby arugula (or rocket) ½ black olives, rinsed, drained 1 cup mozzarella balls ½ cup shaved fennel

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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small baking dish combine tomatoes, asparagus, and onion. Lightly coat with olive oil and add salt and pepper. 2. Roast for 35-45 minutes or until veggies are tender. Set aside to cool and then chill slightly. 3. In a large salad bowl toss together arugula, olives, fennel, mozzarella, and chilled veggies. Finish with the Green Goddess Dressing.


salads Spinach Salad with Maytag Blue Cheese Dressing We think there’s some truth to what Popeye said about being strong to the finish because you eat your spinach. It aids in digestion, serves as an anti-inflammatory, works to lower blood pressure, protects against cataracts, and combats osteoporosis, among other health benefits. Pair it with other nutritionally-dense ingredients, like almonds and golden raisins, and you’ve got a powerhouse of a salad. Sure, the Maytag Blue Cheese Dressing (page 86) that we recommend for this dish may not be quite as healthy, but we’re big advocates for everything in moderation — including moderation. Yields 9 servings. 1 (6 ounce) package of fresh baby spinach 1 cup cucumber, chopped 1 cup fresh broccoli florets ½ cup golden raisins ½ cup real bacon bits ¼ cup slivered almonds ¼ cup red onion, chopped

Toss all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Finish with Maytag Blue Dressing.


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They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and dinner the largest. Lunch, the one most often eaten on the go or behind a desk, is sometimes brushed over entirely. When we first opened, lunch was pretty slow. (It’s tough to compete with the beach.) But we were determined to stick it out; we wanted to bring back the most underrated meal of the day. Here is a selection of sandwiches we came up with to help us do just that. Some of them don’t require a specific type of bread; that’s up to you. Just remember, the slices you choose are as important as what you put between them.

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sandwiches Asian Chicken Salad Sandwich This recipe calls for Sriracha, a Thai hot sauce. We knew a guy who put it on his cereal. Start with 1/3 of a teaspoon to see where you stand on the hot-tolerance spectrum and go from there. Yields about 4 cups, or enough for four sandwiches. 1 pound cooked chicken meat 1 ¾ tablespoons mayonnaise 1/3 cup Spicy Hoisin Ginger Sauce (page 143) 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, black or white 2 tablespoons shallots 1 tablespoon carrots, diced ¾ teaspoon soy sauce 1/3 teaspoon Sriracha sauce ½ teaspoon salt and pepper mix 1 tablespoon red onion Splash fresh lime juice

1. Mix all ingredients together. 2. Serve on your bread of choice.

Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich Before the Revolutionary War in New England, certain pork cuts were packaged for storage in barrels known as butts, and the name stuck. If you’re using a charcoal grill, toss a quarter of hickory smoked wood chips on the coals. If you’re using a gas grill, place chips in the smoker box, and do not grill until you see smoke. Yields 10 to 12 servings. 1 Boston butt (5 pounds) 1 tablespoon coarse salt 1 tablespoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon paprika 1 recipe Lucky Bones Barbecue Sauce (page 125) 10 to 12 hamburger buns, split 4 cups hickory smoked wood chips, soaked in water for hour Season pork all over with salt, pepper, and paprika.

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1. Place pork in a roasting pan then on the grill. Preheat to 325 degrees. Place the pork shoulder skin side up on the grate over the drip pan. 2. Cook the pork until fall-off-the-bone tender with an internal temperature of 195 degrees, 4 to 6 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 fresh coals and 1 cup wood chips per side every hour. The wood chips will deliver a smoky quality to the meat. 3. Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil and rest 15 minutes. Pull off and discard any skin. Pull the pork into pieces. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into thin shreds. 4. Transfer the pork into a large foil pan and stir in 1 to 1 ½ cups sauce. 5. To serve, pile pulled pork high on hamburger buns.


sandwiches Braised Short Rib Reuben Sandwich This is a traditional Reuben with a twist; it’s usually made with corn beef. The recipe came about because we wanted to use every last bit of our delicious chili (page 37). We’ve always believed in using every last morsel. And we love when leftovers become a main event themselves. Yields 6 servings. 6 short ribs Beef stock to cover, about ½ to 1 gallon 1 bottle Yuengling lager 1 large Spanish onion, diced 6 garlic cloves 3 fresh thyme sprigs Salt and pepper, a liberal sprinkling 12 slices of rye bread 1 ½ cups sauerkraut 6 large slices of Swiss cheese ¼ tablespoon mayonnaise 1/8 cup mustard ¼ cup unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a large pan, cover short rib completely with braising liquid. Cover with aluminum foil, doubled up. Braise for 1 hour. Rotate ribs and drop the oven temperature down to 250 degrees and allow braising for another hour. Rotate again and continue to braise for 1 ½ hours more. This brings your total cook time to 3 ½ hours. Remove meat from pan. Thinly slice short rib meat for sandwiches. 3. To prepare sandwiches, distribute braised short ribs among six slices of bread. Top the meat with sauerkraut and a slice of cheese. Spread the remaining slices of bread with mayonnaise and mustard and place on top. 4. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan over mediumhigh heat. Add two to three sandwiches and cook on each side until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat until all your sandwiches have been heated, making sure to not forget to butter the pan each time. 5. Serve warm.


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sandwiches Chicken Focaccia Sandwich The dough for a loaf of Focaccia — a flat, Italian bread — is similar to pizza dough; in fact, we use the same recipe for both. We think it’s what makes this sandwich so wonderful. For a slightly smokier flavor, we suggest grilling up your onions and romaine until slightly charred, at the same time you’re toasting your Focaccia on the grill. Yields 4 servings. For Sun-Dried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Spread: 1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream 1 ½ tablespoons roasted garlic ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, minced Splash fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Dash of Tabasco sauce Combine all ingredients together in small bowl.

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high heat. 2. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and grill chicken evenly on both sides, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. Remove chicken and allow to cool slightly. 3. Slice your Focaccia loaves length-wise and toast on the grill until lightly crisp. 4. Assemble sandwiches with Sun-Dried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Spread, chicken, lettuce, onion, and tomato.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper ½ onion, chopped 4 leaves of romaine lettuce 4 individual loaves of Focaccia bread ½ tomato, sliced

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Comment Card

Sophia, age 3, on the place where she can be a princess

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I wear my princess dress when I go to Lucky Bones. And my tiara. I like to dress up when I go out. I wear blue makeup on my eyes. And I wear lipstick, too, but only the pink kind. I like playing in the waves. The little waves. The big waves scare me. I don’t go out to eat after playing in the waves, but I do go before. And no, I don’t boogie board. Don’t even ask that. I am going to be a rock star when I grow up. I need a guitar player. I like music. I don’t like the music at Lucky Bones, though. I like Beyonce. I’d rather sit in a booth because booths are better. I like to sit by the fire in the winter. And I like to eat the Sophia pizza pie, because I’m Sophia, too, but not THAT Sophia. I love broccoli. Oh, I eat everything. I love macaroni and cheese. Today, I’d order the chicken fingers. Sometimes, I wear my purple skirt to the restaurant. Sometimes, I wear it like a cape. I’m a hero. I go with my mom. Not with my dad. I go to Lucky Bones for a girls’ day. I’m not answering any more questions. It’s time to play.

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sandwiches Club-Style Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches We find that soft shell crabs are something most people either love, or love to hate. If you’ve never had one, you should probably figure out which camp you’re in. Just make sure you give your tastebuds a fair shot; only make this sandwich with fresh crabs, and only when they’re in-season (the beginning of the season is marked by the first full moon in May, when the molting process starts). A good soft shell should be mild and sweet with a slight tang. Yields 4 servings. 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 small soft shell crabs Unsalted butter for pan frying For the sandwich: 12 slices of toasted Focaccia bread, or your choice 8 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cooked until crispy 4 slices Jersey tomato Romaine lettuce Sliced red onion Dijonnaise as needed Sliced Provolone cheese, if you like

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1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Dredge crabs in flour shaking off the excess. 2. Choose a large, heavy frying pan and add, over medium heat, enough butter to create a thin layer (about ¼ inch) in your pan. After the foam subsides, add the crabs and weigh them down with a clean brick, stone, or fry pan. 3. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on the underside. Flip them over and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer them to paper towels to drain briefly. 4. Build your sandwich with bacon, lettuce and onion. You can use Dijon, mayo or Dijonaise for the bread.


sandwiches Lucky Bones Monte Cristo Sandwich This Monte Cristo sandwich, dipped in egg batter and fried, is a favorite among all ages. If you’re in the mood for a sweeter lunch — or even breakfast — try this variation: serve as an open-faced sandwich on two slices of French toast. Best made with Pullman bread. Yields 1 serving. 2 slices of your favorite bread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon mustard 2 slices ham 2 slices turkey 1 slice Swiss cheese 1 egg ½ cup milk

1. Spread mayonnaise and mustard on bread. Alternate ham, turkey, and Swiss slices on bread. 2. Beat egg and milk in small bowl. Coat the sandwich with the egg and milk mixture. Heat a greased skillet over medium heat; brown the sandwich on both sides. Serve hot.

Grilled Fish Sandwich A cod sandwich is a nice choice in the summertime, because it’s dense but mild, flaky, and low in fat, though tuna, mahi, and sword work nicely as well. Of course, we think Jersey tomatoes make everything better, so try and use those if you can. Yields 4 servings. 4 (4 ounce) fillets of cod 1 tablespoon lime juice ½ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon honey 4 of your favorite rolls, split 4 lettuce leaves 4 tomato slices 4 rolls of your choice

1. Brush both sides of fillets with lime juice; sprinkle with lemonpepper. Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill fillets, covered, over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 2. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and honey. Spread on each roll. Top with fillet, lettuce, and tomato.


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sandwiches Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwich This is a classic European chicken sandwich, often used as a tea sandwich. We took it and applied it to Cape May. Don’t worry; it’s a heartier portion than a tea sandwich would be. Yields 4 sandwiches. 2 pounds cooked chicken meat ¼ cup red onion, diced ¼ celery, diced 1 tablespoon chives, chopped ½ tablespoon tarragon, chopped 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar 2 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon grain mustard ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon capers

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Mix all ingredients together and let rest in the refrigerator until needed.


sandwiches Lucky Bones Muffuletta We have always loved New Orleans, which inspired us to put this popular French Quarter sandwich on our menu. It was born in New Orleans’ Central Grocery Market in 1906. During lunch, many of the Sicilian farmers working the nearby Farmer’s Market would stop over to the grocery for lunch. They’d order a traditional Sicilian meal — salami, ham, cheese, olive salad, and bread — and, in the traditional Sicilian way, they’d eat everything separately. The owner of the Central Grocery saw the farmers struggling to balance their meals. He suggested combining all these ingredients into a sandwich on muffuletta bread, a round, Sicilian, sesame loaf. The sandwich — meaty and salty and moist — is typically made with Genoa salami, but any fine Italian salami will do. Today, it’s affectionately referred to as the “Muff.” (Which is fine with us; if you’ve met our staff – Mr Jingles, Terry Berry, and Bobby Z, to name a few — you know we’re a fan of nicknames.) Yields 1 to 2 servings. Olive salad: ½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped ½ cup Greek olives, chopped ½ cup pickled Italian vegetables, chopped ¼ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1. To start your muffaletta, begin by dampening the inside of the bread with the juice from the olive salad and the minced garlic. 2. Add a layer of salami. Cover the salami with a good helping of olive salad. 3. Cover the salad with provolone cheese, followed by the ham. Top with the other half of the loaf.

1 loaf of fresh muffuletta, split 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 4 slices Italian salami 2 slices provolone or fontina cheese 4 slices Italian or capicola ham


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sandwiches Oyster Po’ Boy It’s thought that the po’ boy sandwich was born in the ’20s, after streetcar drivers went on strike in New Orleans. Two brothers, streetcar drivers themselves, started making the inexpensive French bread sandwiches in the restaurant they owned for their out-of-work friends. The “poor boys” would come to the back door of the restaurant to retrieve their meals. Of course, now there’s as many variations of this sandwich as there are families in New Orleans. While these brothers made theirs with leftover bits of roast beef and gravy, our brothers (Michael, who studied in New Orleans in the ’80s, and David) prefer oysters. This is what we came up with for our menu. It’s a slightly “dressed” version, as it’s served with lettuce and aoli. You don’t have to come to the back door to get it, but we won’t mind if you do. Oyster flour: 1 cup flour ½ cup cornmeal 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare oyster flour, sift all ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer mixture to a large plate and dredge oysters in the flour. 2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add the oysters and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the size. Drain well on paper towels. 3. Split each roll in half and place five oysters on each roll. Drizzle with cayenne aioli and top with lettuce. Serve warm. 4. Top with Roasted Red Pepper Aoili (page 136).

20 freshly shucked oysters 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 French rolls ¼ cup cayenne aioli 6 leaves romaine lettuce, julienned

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sandwiches Shrimp Salad Sandwich You’ve heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but shrimp take the expression to a whole new level; they wear their hearts on their heads. (Well, technically, on their thoraxes, but we have trouble distinguishing the two.) Wherever you wear your heart, you’re going to want to put some of it into this sandwich. Food made with love just tastes better. Plus, it will give you the patience you need when waiting an hour for your final product to chill in the refrigerator. Yields approximately 6 cups, or enough for 6 sandwiches. 3 pounds cooked small shrimp, peeled and de-veined ¼ cup red onion, small dice ¾ teaspoon, chives, diced ¾ teaspoon parsley, chopped ¼ cup celery, diced ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper mix 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar ¼ teaspoon Sriracha sauce 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup mayonnaise

1. Chop three-quarters of the shrimp into small pieces, leaving the remaining quarter whole. 2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, adding in shrimp last. Mix thoroughly and chill for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine.


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Essenti Sauces, & Sprea chapter five

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Just like a movie is only ever as good as its supporting cast, a meal is only as good as what you pair it with. Here, we provide you with a supporting cast that can steal the show. It’s actually the largest section of the book because, even though we provide suggestions, we want you to have fun mixing and matching. After all, you are the casting director of your own kitchen.

essential sauces, sides & spreads Arugula Pesto

Baby Clam Sauce

We came up with our arugula pesto sauce because everyone does basil pesto, and we wanted to be different. Basil is a more expensive version and not as exciting; at least, we don’t think so. We used this recipe for a pizza once, because it works so well with the earthiness of tomatoes. It would also make a wonderful topping for a pasta salad, or for the Chicken Focaccia Sandwich on page 98. Whenever possible, pair your pesto with a little saba drizzle; it’s an aged balsamic vinaigrette, sometimes referred to as “Italian maple syrup.” It’s expensive, and it tastes that way. Yields approximately 3 cups.

The quahog (or hard-shell clam) is one of the longest living animals on earth. A 405-year-old clam holds the record for oldest animal ever. When you live that long, location is important. Cape May is a popular spot for clams; at one point, Cape May County was the dubbed the quahog capital of the world. It would be a shame not to take advantage of that, and this sauce is a good way to do it. Just be careful not to overcook. Yields 2 servings.

½ box/bag of baby arugula ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 garlic clove 2 ½ tablespoons pine nuts ¼ cup fresh basil ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil In the food processor blend all ingredients but the olive oil until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until completely emulsified.

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1 tablespoon canola oil 3 tablespoons onion, diced ¾ tablespoon garlic, chopped 3 tablespoons white wine ½ pound local clams ¼ clam juice ½ teaspoon corn starch ½ teaspoon water In a medium sauce pot, sauté onion in oil over medium heat until onions become translucent. Add garlic, and sweat it for about 30 seconds. Add white wine, clams, and clam juice and bring to a slow boil. Make cornstarch slurry by adding cornstarch and water in a small bowl and mixing well. Add slurry to sauce pot once it has reached a boil. Simmer for one minute. Chill immediately in ice bath.

Backwater Tartar Sauce There are some basic tartar sauces that include little more than mayonnaise and pickles. We think that’s pretty bland. If you’re going to take the time to prepare a wonderful fish dish (or anything fried that could use a little oomph) why cheapen it with a sub-par sauce? This recipe is best if prepared a few hours in advance, but it can be used immediately. In the refrigerator, it will hold for a day before the lemon starts breaking down your mayo. In this way, using tartar sauce is no different than taking a swim in the backwater; timing is important. Yields 2 cups. 2 cups mayonnaise ¼ cup pickles, no seeds, diced 1 teaspoon chives, chopped 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon capers 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper mixture In a small bowl combine together all ingredients. Chill before serving.


essential sauces, sides & spreads Beet Horseradish Butter This butter is a nod to Chef Wally’s central European background. A proud Polish man, he’s been tweaking this one since his Pelican Club days. It’s a wonderful addition to any red meat dish, including our rib steak (page 207). Yields 32 servings. 1 pound butter, softened 1 ¼ teaspoons horseradish ½ cup puréed beets 1 teaspoon salt and pepper mix 2/3 teaspoon horseradish extract 1/3 teaspoon A-1 sauce In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat until well blended. Cover and store in refrigerator or freeze until needed.

Blue Cheese Butter Our favorite thing about this butter is that you can stick it in the freezer, so it will last a few months. We recommend using it on your steak and chicken dishes, though there isn’t much we wouldn’t add blue cheese to. Just be careful not to over-mix it; this is one of the few things in life you’re going to want lumpy. Yields 30 servings. 3 tablespoons red wine 3 tablespoons shallots 1 pound unsalted butter, softened ¾ pound blue cheese 1/3 teaspoon horseradish extract 2/3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/3 teaspoon Sriracha sauce 1 ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper mix 1 teaspoon black pepper Combine shallots and red wine in a small sauce pan and reduce over medium-high heat until almost dry. Set to one side. Add softened butter to mixing bowl and mix on low for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper, pepper, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and Sriracha and mix for 3 minutes. Add crumbled blue cheese to mixture and mix for about 30 to 45 seconds.


Brick OvenRoasted Zucchini It wasn’t that long ago (less than thirty years) that zucchini, a type of summer squash, was hardly recognized in this country. It’s come a long way since then. Ninetyfive percent water, the zucchini makes a light addition to any salad. We recommend roasting, which gives them a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Do it on the grill, and you’ll get a nice smokiness as well. Just be sure to leave the skin on; it soaks up flavor. Yields 4 to 6 servings. 2 zucchinis, washed and sliced into ¼ inch pieces Extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Preheat oven to 375 degrees In a small roasting pan toss zucchini in olive oil it is lightly coated. Add salt and pepper and roast for 30-40 minutes, until zucchini is tender and slightly browned around the edges.

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essential sauces, sides & spreads Bronze Rub This works well on both meat and seafood, and because it’s a dry rub, it will lock the moisture into whatever you’re cooking. Apply it liberally, but don’t overdo the salt; that could turn your meat hammy, and no one likes a ham. If you’re looking for a rub that’s a little bit more salty to use on a piece of fresh-off-the-grill meat, see the Smoke Rub on page 142. Yields approximately 1 cup. ½ cup toasted and ground coriander seeds 1 tablespoon ground onion 3 tablespoons lemon pepper 1 tablespoon oregano, dried leaf 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon salt Mix together in a food processor and use freely.

Caramelized Onions This is one recipe where we don’t recommend veering too far off course; as our manager says, you need to have a plan, and you need to stick to it. We find that the final product comes out best when we work with sweet onions, like Vidalia. It will take at least thirty minutes to stir them, but the longer you spend on this step, the better. Yields about 1.5 cups. 2 tablespoons butter 3 onions, julienned Pinch of sugar 2 tablespoons water ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Heat the butter in a heavy pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sweat them, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the sugar and water and continue cooking, stirring more often now, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the onions are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Cornmeal Crust Cornmeal, made from ground maize, may very well be the most traditional American food. We like this crust for any of our “fish DJ’s,” what we in the business call our fish du jours. You can buy cornmeal in fine, medium, and coarse consistencies, but no matter what you choose, it will kick your seafood entrée up a notch by adding another layer of texture. If Parmesan isn’t your thing, see the Parmesan-free recipe, made instead with Chef Walter J’s Chipotle Spice Sauce, below. 2 cups cornmeal 1 ½ teaspoon salt and pepper mixture 1/3 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until incorporated. Cornmeal Crust: 2 cups cornmeal 1 ½ teaspoon salt and pepper mix 1/3 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon Chef Walter J’s Chipotle Spice Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until incorporated.

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Comment Card

Charles, school bus driver, and his wife Elizabeth, real estate agent, on the place where everyone knows your name

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He said: Several years ago, we came in for drinks and made friends with some folks at the bar. Now, we get together all the time, even outside of Lucky Bones. Last Halloween, we all got dressed up as characters from The Wizard of Oz and spent the night at the Lucky Bones bar. We come here to unwind after a hard day of work, with a black martini, very dry. The conch fritters... the only other place we’ve had them was in the Caribbean. They’re just as good here. Today, the guy next to me said that if we didn’t have enough room once our friends arrived, he would move down, without us even having to ask. It’s that friendly of a place. Even people you don’t know will reach out to you here. She said: The theme song from Cheers makes me think of Lucky Bones, because this restaurant is so much like that. Everyone knows your name. We seem to gravitate toward the same side of the bar every time we come in. I am an Old Granddad Manhattan kind of girl. Reatta makes the best one in Cape May, filled to the brim. Plus, she puts up with us, so that’s a plus! The first meal I had here was the mussels with gorgonzola sauce, and I just fell in love. My husband tries to make them at home, and they’re never the same. And he’s an excellent cook.

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essential sauces, sides & spreads Costa Rican Coffee and Chipotle Barbecue Sauce This sauce, which has a little more earthiness than your typical BBQ sauce, is made with the Costa Rican coffee we roast on the peninsula, at our Cape May Roasters facility. Yields 1 quart. 2 teaspoons canola oil ¼ cup Spanish onions, diced 2/3 teaspoon garlic, chopped 2/3 teaspoon Chef Walter’s Chipotle Spice 1 cup brewed Costa Rican coffee 3 cups barbecue sauce 3 tablespoon ketchup 1/3 teaspoon salt and pepper mix 2/3 cup red wine Sauté onions in a medium saucepan over medium heat until they become translucent. Add garlic and Chef Walter’s Chipotle Spice and sweat it for another minute. Add brewed coffee and reduce by 80 percent. Add ketchup, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper and red wine. Simmer for 30 minutes and chill.

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Creole Sauce Creole cuisine was developed by aristocratic French settlers in Louisiana in the 1690s. (That’s one of the differences between Creole and Cajun; Cajun, which tends to be a bit more rustic, was developed by the less well-to-do.) The holy trinity of both Cajun and creole cooking is a combination of celery, onion, and bell pepper. You’ll see all three of these ingredients in this sauce. We’ve broken the recipe into four steps for you. They take a while to complete, but it’s worth the wait. You’re going to need a thick-bottomed stainless steel pot and a wooden spoon to complete them. Every kitchen should have at least one really great wooden spoon. We won’t tell you what kind, length, or weight; kitchen utensils are — and should be — intensely personal things. Yields 5 to 10 servings.

mixture 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper 1 teaspoon blackening spice 1 teaspoon thyme 1/3 teaspoon basil, dried 1 dash of Cholula hot sauce 1 ¾ tablespoon garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon sugar 1 can (96 ounce) chopped tomatoes Render fats in large sauce pot. Add onions and cook until slightly brown. Add celery, green peppers, and butter. Raise the heat and sweat the veggies to build flavor.

1 1/3 teaspoon pork fat 1 1/3 teaspoon chicken fat 2 ¾ cup onion, one inch dice 1 ½ cup celery, chopped ¾ cup green peppers, chopped 1 ¾ cups fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 ½ ounces unsalted butter 1 1/3 cup shrimp stock 1 bay leaf 1 1/3 teaspoon salt and pepper


essential sauces, sides & spreads Curry Ketchup

Herb Butter

Herb Mayonnaise

It’s a little-known fact that ketchup will remove tarnish from copper kitchen utensils. We recommend using your old ketchup for the cleaning, and this more exciting curry ketchup for your homemade fries (see page 56). When French fries, or pommes frites, are brought to the table in France, they come with a whole litany of sauces that go beyond just ketchup, and we think that’s a practice worth emulating. This is one of those sauces. Yields 1 cup.

Whenever we cook with butter, we cook with the unsalted kind. Salt was initially put in butter as a preservative, but since the advent of refrigeration, we no longer need it. It’s stayed on as an ingredient because people like the taste, but we find it easier to add salt into a recipe on our own; it’s easier to control. When making this herb butter, feel free to get your salt fix either way. The final product will work great on steak, chicken, pork or anything off the grill. And if you can’t handle the heat, you don’t need to get out of the kitchen; it’s fine to scratch the pepper flakes. Yields 32 servings.

We stumbled across this combination of ingredients while experimenting with a way to freshen up lunch. Technically, this can also be called an aioli, or a garlicseasoned mayo, if you want to impress your friends with your culinary vocab. It’s a nice alternative to tartar sauce, and works well on our Grilled Fish Sandwich (page 103). Plus, it will keep Dracula out of your refrigerator. Yields 2 cups.

1 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon yellow curry paste ¾ teaspoon curry powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Combine ingredients together using a wire whisk. Allow to set for up to 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.

2 cups butter, softened 1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced 2 tablespoons garlic gloves, minced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups mayonnaise 2 tablespoons chives, chopped 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Combine all ingredients together using a wire whisk.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat until well blended. Cover and store in refrigerator, or freeze until needed.


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essential sauces, sides & spreads Horseradish-Beet Sauce One of our chefs is married to a picky eater who refuses to touch a beet. He got her to try this sauce, and now she's addicted. We love it on scallops wrapped in bacon (see page 72). But if you can’t convince your loved ones to give this a go, try the beet-less version. Yields 4 servings. 2/3 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream 1 1/3 tablespoon horseradish, drained 2 tablespoons puréed cooked beets 1 teaspoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon Sriracha sauce ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper mix ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce Place all ingredients into bowl and whisk thoroughly.

Horseradish Cream Sauce ½ cup sour cream 1 tablespoon horseradish, drained ¼ teaspoon champagne vinegar ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Dash Tabasco hot sauce Place all ingredients into bowl and whisk thoroughly.

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Lemon Aioli One of our servers is always drenching her hair with lemon juice in order to be more blonde. We try telling her that lemons are more than just a hair product. When incorporated into aioli, like in this recipe, they’re a great way to freshen any fried seafood dish. (Plus, lemon has detoxifying agents that will your make your skin glow, which should make our server happy.) Yields 2 cups. Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ¼ cup white wine vinegar 2 anchovy fillets 2 cloves garlic 2 egg yolks 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil Salt Freshly ground black pepper Place the lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, anchovies, garlic, and egg yolks into a food processor. Process until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the aioli is thick and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Lemon Beurre Blanc A beurre blanc is a white wine and butter sauce. We tried to take this version off the menu, but we might as well have left it on, because people still request it for their salmon, and we have trouble saying no; we know how good it is. One of our cooks has a neighbor who’s been pestering him for this recipe for a while, and he’s refused to give it out until now. So, without further ado, here is the lemon beurre blanc recipe. It calls for lemon zest, which is the outermost rind of the lemon, where all of the best aromatic oils are. To remove the zest, you can buy a tool called a zester, or simply use a vegetable peeler. Just be careful that you’re grating only the colored part of the rind. You can purchase a bottle of zest in the market, but it won’t be nearly as beneficial as the real deal. Yields 12 ounces. 1 cup white wine 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon shallots 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream ¼ pound butter, unsalted, chilled, cut into cubes 2 tablespoons lemon pulp, chopped


essential sauces, sides & spreads 1 teaspoon lemon zest, minced 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Low Tide Cole Slaw

Lucky Barbecue Sauce

In a sauce pan over mediumhigh heat, combine wine, vinegar, and shallots. Reduce until almost a syrup consistency. Add cream and continue to cook, reducing by half. Turn the heat to low and add butter cubes 2 at a time while stirring until all the butter is added and sauce is a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

The low-tide twist is that it’s German-style, meaning it’s not quite as sweet as you’re probably used to. In America, we’ve grown accustomed to a little more sugar in our slaw, and if you’re a creature of habit, that’s fine, too; just add another tablespoon of the sweet stuff. Yields 2 pounds.

Barbecuing competitions happen in all fifty states, and we think our Lucky sauce might give you a shot at taking home the gold. It works nicely with our Broiled Baby Back Ribs (page 198), although it goes with chicken as well. We love the incorporation of ginger, which gives the sauce a little kick, and helps prevent morning sickness, for all of you pregnant BBQers. The recipe also includes Costa Rican coffee roasted locally by our sister company Cape May Roasters. Leftover sauce can be combined with ground turkey for a burger with a twist. Yields 2 cups.

For the dressing: ½ cup sour cream 1 ½ cups mayonnaise 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 teaspoons dry mustard 1 ¼ teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 ¼ teaspoons horseradish 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt, pepper mix 1/3 teaspoon seed Combine all ingredients in a mixer and mix well. Chill until ready to use. For the slaw: 1 pound shredded coleslaw mix 1 cup red cabbage, shredded 2/3 teaspoon salt and pepper mix ¼ cup shredded carrot Toss ingredients together and then coat with dressing.


1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 medium red onion, finely chopped 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced 1 piece (3 inches) fresh ginger, finely chopped 1 cup brewed coffee 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon chili sauce 1 tablespoon tomato paste ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

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essential sauces, sides & spreads 1 canned chipotle chili, minced 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 1/3 cup cold water Coarse kosher salt, to taste Combine the oil, honey, brown sugar, and onion in a heavy nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium heat until the onions are caramelized, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for salt, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer the sauce until thick and flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove herb sprigs and transfer sauce to blender. Purée and correct seasoning, adding salt or any other ingredients as needed. Use right away or transfer to sauce jar, cover, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Lucky Bones Bloody Mary When our staff gets together, it’s kind of like a brain trust. (When we’re not playing beer pong after a long shift, anyway). It’s rumored that the Bloody Mary was named after Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry the VIII, who managed to kill off most of her Protestant advisers during her five year tenure as Queen of England. Let’s just say that we’re much better at teamwork than the royal family was. This recipe yields 20 virgin Mary’s, but once you add vodka, the sky is the limit. One bottle will yield about 36 drinks.

Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub®. 2. Pack the glass with ice. 3. Add 1 ½ ounce of your favorite vodka. Absolute Citron or Kettle One are recommended. 4. Fill the glass with chilled Bloody Mary Mix. 5. Choice of garnishes: lemon, celery or an olive. Quick method: Add Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® to your favorite Bloody Mary Mix. 1. Use ½ tablespoon of Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® per quart. 2. Allow the mixture to chill overnight or for at least 3 hours so the flavors can develop.

46 ounce tomato Juice 92 ounce V-8 1 tablespoon horseradish 1 tablespoon Tabasco or favorite hot sauce Juice of 2 lemons 4 tablespoons Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® Plus extra spice for rimming the glass (optional) As needed: your favorite vodka Combine all ingredients and allow the mixture to chill. It is best if refrigerated overnight or for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to develop. To serve: 1. Rim the glass with lemon or lime juice and dip the rim in

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essential sauces, sides & spreads Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

Mushroom Cream Sauce

Orange Ginger Beurre Blanc

We recommend using a rice masher for these, unless you don’t mind a few lumps. In that case, a potato masher will do fine. Personally, we think a few lumps can be lovely. Yields 10 servings.

It’s important to use all three kinds of mushroom, as each one brings a different flavor. Don’t worry if the portabellas are wrinkled; the flavor will only be more intense. Yields 8 servings.

5 large heads of roasted garlic, mashed 5 pounds baking potatoes 1 ½ cups milk ¾ cup unsalted butter 2 teaspoons salt 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1 ½ teaspoon canola oil 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced 1 cup shitake, sliced 1 cup portabella, sliced ¾ teaspoon garlic, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1 ounce brandy 2 ounces chicken stock 2 cups heavy cream 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme ¾ teaspoon roux

We love this recipe for the way it adds a little bit of zing to an otherwise familiar white wine and butter sauce. We also enjoy the little bit of Asian flair it brings to our menu. It’s one of our go-to fish sauces, but it’s especially wonderful when served with tuna and an Asian veggie stir fry. Just be careful not to boil, or your sauce will begin to separate. Yields 1 cup.

Peel potatoes and cut crosswise in 1 ½ inch chunks. Simmer, covered, in well-salted water for about 20 minutes, or until completely tender. Drain and, reserving a little of the cooking water, put through a ricer or food mill and return to the pot. Combine the milk, butter, and mashed garlic in a saucepan and heat until the mixture is steaming hot. Slowly whisk mixture into the riced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat for a few minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.

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Heat up a large skillet and add oil. Let pan heat up and add mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms over high heat for 5 minutes, adding salt and pepper. Turn the heat down and continue to sauté until mushrooms release water and soften, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, and sweat it for 30 seconds. Add brandy and sweat for 2 minutes more. Add chicken stock, heavy cream, thyme, and allow to reduce by 25 percent. Add roux and simmer for 15 minutes. Chill.

1 shallot ½ teaspoon garlic, chopped ½ cup white wine 1 pint heavy cream 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped 1 ounce concentrated orange juice Juice of ½ an orange ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled In a sauce pan, reduce shallots, garlic, and white wine until it comes to a syrup consistency. Add heavy cream, ginger, concentrated orange juice and fresh orange juice and reduce by half. Add in cubes of butter 2 at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Team Talk

Steve, a commodities trader, and his wife, Fran, a retired nail technician, on a place for all seasons

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She said: We have a condo in Wildwood. It was under construction, and we were displaced. We ate at Lucky Bones every night. It felt like home. My husband suggested we ride our motorcycles to Cape May once. It was 110 degrees that day and heat was radiating off the pavement. I was so dehydrated and dizzy by the time we arrived, I wanted to kill my husband. Lucky Bones is where I suggested he get me a drink. We love the staff. I don’t even have to tell Patty what I want at the bar; she just knows. They all keep us posted on their lives — what’s going on with their grandmothers or their wedding plans. In the summer you’ll see people coming in right off their boats or right from the beach, in flip-flops and a cover-up. Then, in the winter, it’s so cozy in front of that fire, with a shot of hot chocolate and a little whip cream on top. What more can you ask for? He said: The breakfast pizza on Sunday is just incredible. And to enjoy it while the steel band drummer plays — that makes you feel like you’re in the tropics. We go to the docks to see what comes in every day, because we know that’s what Lucky Bones will be serving. There’s no place where the fish is better. We are wine enthusiasts. We make our own. My wife calls me Albert Weinstein; she says I have two glasses of wine and I think I’m a genius. I love the cabernet on the Lucky Bones menu.

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essential sauces, sides & spreads Oven-Roasted Roma Tomatoes Roma plum tomatoes, also called sauce tomatoes, are wonderful for roasting because they’re surprisingly dense (kind of like some people we know). Roasting is an especially good choice when you find yourself with a tomato craving out of season; it brings out the fruit’s inherent sweetness. They’re juicy and wonderful by themselves, but make a nice addition to salsas and pasta salads. Yields 6 to 8 servings. 1 pound Roma tomatoes 2 ½ teaspoons olive oil 2 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon salt and pepper mix Core and halve tomatoes. Toss tomatoes with olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Place on a sheet pan and roast in a 400 degree oven until properly dark.

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Pan-Fried Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto The origin of ravioli can be traced back to the Dark Ages in Italy. Just like now, it was a favorite among all classes. We like ricotta stuffed the best; there’s something about the combination of ricotta, walnuts, and basil that’s irresistible. Yields 4 servings. For Red Pepper Pesto: 3 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ cup toasted walnuts ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped Salt and pepper to taste For Ravioli: 2 tablespoons olive oil 16 fresh ravioli 1/3 cup grated Parmesan For pesto, in a food processor place peppers, garlic, and walnuts and process until chopped. Add Parmesan cheese and process. With motor running, drizzle in oil. Add basil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. For the ravioli, heat oil in a sauté pan until hot. Add ravioli and cook until golden brown. Top with pesto and Parmesan.

Pineapple Salsa Cooking is as much about balancing flavors as it is mastering those flavors. This salsa is light and refreshing, but even more importantly, it’s also a nice balance of spicy and sweet. We’ll often pair it with a sesame or sea-saltencrusted tuna. Yields 2 large servings. 1 ½ cups fresh pineapple, chopped or 1 (12 to 16 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice 1 small red bell pepper, coarsely chopped ½ cup chopped green onions 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice ¼ teaspoon salt In a medium bowl, stir together pineapple, bell pepper, green onions, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Reserve at room temperature for about an hour to allow flavors to meld.


essential sauces, sides & spreads Roasted Corn Cream Sauce The Roasted Cream Sauce will be best when the corn is in season. We usually pair it with one of our milder fishes. A dynamic sauce, it changes in your mouth, kind of like a nice wine. It’s sweet at the beginning, with just a little kiss of heat at the end, a “sweet heat.” Yields approximately 2 cups. 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped ¼ cup red onions, small dice 1/3 cup white wine 1 cup clam juice 1 corn cob, cleaned and corn reserved 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 cups heavy cream 1 ounce roux ¼ Chef Walter J’s Chipotle Spice 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Salt to taste 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro Sweat garlic and onions then add wine, clam juice, corn cob and fresh thyme. Reduce by half and then add cream and simmer. Add roux and simmer to cook out the roux flavor. Strain and use hand blender to incorporate chipotle spice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Add corn, and adjust seasoning.

Roasted Garlic It’s easy to roast your own garlic, and it’s so worth it. Roasted garlic is milder than raw, which can be up to four times stronger. Once it’s roasted, it takes on a sweet, almost nutty flavor, so that it’s used in sweet dishes, sometimes even ice cream, nearly as much as it’s used in savory. Use this recipe for your Roasted Garlic Aioli (page 135) and Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread (page 136). 4 whole garlic heads ¼ cup olive oil Aluminum foil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove excess layer of the papery skin from the garlic, then cut about ¼ inch off the tops of the heads. A few cloves around the outside of the heads will remain whole; cut off tips of these individually. Film the cut portion of the garlic with olive oil, then wrap each head in foil, shiny side in. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the outside cloves are brownish and translucent and the whole head is very soft. Unwrap the garlic and let cool before using in your recipe.


Roasted Garlic Aioli We know there are a few aiolis in this section to choose from, but you can never have enough. Spread this one on crackers or bread for something a little more exciting than butter. Just make sure you’re using fresh garlic; the stuff out of a jar is just not the same. (For instructions on roasting, see left.) Yields 2 cups. 1 large head roasted garlic 2 egg yolks 1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste Juice of one small lemon ¼ cup water ¼ teaspoon salt Pinch ground cayenne pepper 1 ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil Squeeze the pulp out of the roasted garlic into a food processor or blender and add the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, water, salt, and cayenne. Purée until smooth. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow steady stream and continue processing until emulsified.

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essential sauces, sides & spreads Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Roasted Tomato Broth

Egyptians used to worship garlic for its power to ward off jealous nymphs that terrorized pretty maidens. We’re pretty sure that those nymphs wouldn’t have been so easily deterred had the Egyptians been using anything but fresh garlic. For instructions on roasting, see page 135. Yields 6 to 8 servings.

For a lot of the recipes we were using in the restaurant, we needed to cut the tops of our red peppers off. As a result, we had bags and bags of pepper tops accumulating in the fridge, and we really didn’t want to waste them. Chef Bobby Z came up with this recipe for red pepper aioli, which is exactly the topping we’d been needing for our calamari (see page 66). It’s also works with our oyster po’ boy sandwich (page 110). Yields 2 cups.

1 teaspoon garlic 2 tablespoons onions chopped 1 1/3 cups clam juice 1 1/3 tablespoons white wine 2 cups roasted tomato purée 1 tablespoon fresh thyme 1 tablespoon fresh basil 1 bay leaf 1 roasted garlic clove

1 head garlic, roasted 2 cups ricotta cheese ½ cup Asiago cheese, shredded Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil In a medium sized bowl, mash the roasted garlic until a paste is formed. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together until combined.

Mix all ingredients and bring to a light simmer for 15 minutes. Reserve and use for cooking. Yields 3 ½ cups.

1 large roasted red pepper 2 egg yolks 1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste Juice of one small lemon ¼ cup water ¼ teaspoon salt Pinch of ground cayenne pepper 1 ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil Peel and seed the roasted pepper and into a food processor or blender and add the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, water, salt, and cayenne. Purée until smooth. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow steady stream and continue processing until emulsified.

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essential sauces, sides & spreads Roasted Yellow Pepper Aioli This is another instance where we wanted to be just a little bit different. (If there is one thing our chefs aren’t, it’s typical; just ask them.) Fried seafood is often served with tartar, but we thought that, with our crab cakes on page 181, it would be more fun to do this sauce, and food should be fun, after all. As an FYI, yellow aioli is a little sweeter than the red pepper one you’ll see opposite, because yellow peppers are a bit sweeter. Yields 2 cups. 1 large roasted yellow pepper 2 egg yolks 1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste Juice of one small lemon ¼ cup water ¼ teaspoon salt Pinch of ground cayenne pepper 1 ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil

Salsa Ranchera

Salsa Verde

We know there are a few salsa recipes in this section, but it’s America’s favorite condiment, and it’s ours, too. Salsa ranchera, or “ranch-style sauce,” is especially good with shredded meats, in tacos, or even on your Sunday morning serving of scrambled eggs. Once again, you’ll only need a dollop; the spice factor is high. Yields half a cup.

There are two versions of our salsa verde here because we think salsa is more fun to eat when it’s green. The Serrano chile called for in the first recipe is the easiest to use for this kind of salsa because it has such a thin skin. It’s also about five times hotter than the jalapeño pepper, so don’t say we didn’t warn you. Yields 12 to 16 ounces.

2 tomatoes (about ½ pound), broiled 4 chiles serranos, toasted 1 clove garlic, peeled

1 pound tomate verde 8 chiles serranos 2 tablespoons white onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled Salt to taste 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander

Blend the tomato, chiles, and garlic together to a fairly smooth sauce. Do not overblend.

Peel and seed the roasted pepper and into a food processor or blender and add the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, water, salt, and cayenne. Purée until smooth. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream and continue processing until emulsified.


Remove the papery husks and rinse the tomates. Place on a griddle with the chiles and cook over a medium flame, turning the chiles from time to time. Remove the chiles when they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking the tomates until they are brown and mushy, about 10 minutes. Grind the tomates and chiles together with the rest of the ingredients; you may dilute with a little water if desired. Sprinkle with coriander and serve at room temperature.

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essential sauces, sides & spreads Salsa Verde II Yields 12-16 ounce depending on juice of tomatillos. 1 pound tomatillos, husked 1 jalapeno ½ cup Spanish onion 4 cloves whole peeled garlic 1/3 teaspoon salt and pepper mix 1/3 teaspoon Chef Walter’s Cuban Spice Rub ½ cup small Spanish onions, diced 1 bunch fresh cilantro ½ cup arugula 2 teaspoons lime juice Salt and pepper to taste Place first set of ingredients in a large pot and cover with water. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Strain out some of the liquid, and set it to one side. Allow salsa to cool. Once cool, place sauce in the blender of food processor. Add the second set of ingredients and purée until smooth. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed to reach desired thickness.

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Salt and Pepper Mix

Shrimp and Lobster Stock

Many recipes call for a mix of salt and pepper, so it’s often easier to just keep a mixture of both on hand. This is our ratio. (Don’t forget to throw some salt over your shoulder beforehand. We know, we’re superstitious, but no more so than the sailors who used to wear the “lucky bone” around their necks.)

This is a surefire easy stock that you can make and freeze. The more shells you use the more delicious it will be. A secret that you may use that is not in the recipe is clam juice. This will really give the stock excellent seafood flavor. Be careful, as clam juice is naturally salty and should not be added before you do any reducing.

1/3 pound kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Mix together

4-6 cups cleaned shells, from shrimp, lobster ½ cup dry white wine 1 large yellow onion, sliced or chopped 1 carrot, roughly sliced or chopped 1 celery stalk, roughly sliced or chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 sprigs thyme Several sprigs parsley 1 bay leaf 10-15 whole peppercorns 2 teaspoons salt Roast shells in an oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Place in a soup pot and cover with one inch of water. Simmer and cook one hour. Do not boil. Skim impurities that come to the top. Add remaining ingredients and cook 45 minutes. Strain the liquid.


Comment Card

Debra, seller of fiberglass, on the place that makes her want to sing

“

I am a widow. When my husband was still sick, I would get some relief from the hospice. They would encourage me to take a break. So I started coming to Lucky Bones. This is a place you can feel comfortable coming alone. The bartender introduced me to some regulars a few months after my husband passed. We got to know each other, and became a family. Sometimes, we celebrate the holidays together. Billy makes it a point to hug me whenever I come in. And Pat kisses my hand. The bartenders make this place feel like Cheers. I would be the mussels if I were a dish on the menu, because they’re bold and beautiful. Oh, I shouldn’t say beautiful. You know what, what the hell? I’m bold and beautiful. I come every Monday and Thursday, and sometimes Sunday evenings. A week – that’s the longest I’ve gone without coming here. I don’t care where you come from – Delaware, New York, Philadelphia – you’re welcomed when you come here. And we all know the way it can be in Cape May in August. This is a fun place to work, you can just tell. And the patrons can feel that. The smell of that pizza oven in the winter is something else. The sight is one thing, but the smell is even better. I don’t know of any other restaurant in Cape May that offers that sensation.

”

essential sauces, sides & spreads Smoke Rub A little bit salty but goes great with anything smoked on the grill. 1 cup paprika ½ cup onion powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne ½ teaspoon white pepper 2 teaspoons dark chili powder 3 tablespoons brown sugar ½ cup granulated garlic 1 teaspoon curry ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup kosher salt Combine and freely coat meat.

Soft Polenta with Gorgonzola and Mascarpone We’ve heard polenta referred to as Italy’s other national dish, because its origin dates farther back than that of pizza or pasta. (It’s possible that polenta is older, even, than leavened bread.) We like to load ours up with cheese. Mascarpone is what’s going to give your polenta its richness; at 60-75% milk fat, it’s the cheese that’s often used to make the Italian dessert, tiramisu. Depending on your grocery market, you may have to go to a specialty store to purchase it. The Gorgonzola dulce (dulce because it is young) is going to be buttery and a little less intense in flavor; it was developed after World War II in response to increased demand for a more mild cheese. Yields 4 servings. 2 ½ cups water 2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup yellow cornmeal ½ cup Mascarpone cheese ¼ cup Gorgonzola dulce 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Freshly ground black pepper to taste 10 sage leaves, slivered Parmigiano Reggiano for grating

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Bring water, chicken stock, sage sprigs, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan and boil, covered, for 3 minutes. Discard sage sprigs. Reduce heat to moderate so that liquid comes to a simmer. Pour in the cornmeal by the handful in a thin stream very slowly, whisking constantly in one direction. When all the cornmeal is added, begin stirring with a wooden spoon. Keep the mixture at a bare simmer and stir frequently. Cook the polenta, stirring and crushing any lumps that might form against the side of the pan, for 15 to 20 minutes. As it cooks, the polenta will thicken considerably. The polenta is done when it comes away effortlessly from the side of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk Mascarpone, gorgonzola, and butter into polenta. Upon serving, garnish with shaved Parmigiano, sage, and pepper.


essential sauces, sides & spreads Spicy Hoisin Ginger Sauce Yields 4 cups 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 1/8 cup soy sauce 1/8 cup honey ½ cup hoisin sauce ¾ teaspoon circa 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped 3 tablespoons canola oil 3/8 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons sesame oil Place all ingredients except oils into food processor and blend thoroughly. Blend together oils in a separate bowl. Slowly add oils to food processor to emulsify completely.

Thai Dipping Sauce

Tomato Sauce

This sauce combines chilies, ginger, turmeric, and garlic which is common in Thai cuisine. We recommend drizzling this sauce on our lobster and shrimp spring rolls (page 61). We also recommend eating them with your right hand. Well, not really, but that is the Thai custom). Yields 8 to 10 ounces.

This tomato sauce is the basis for the broth of our famous mussels dish (page 67). By itself, you may find our tomato sauce bland, but that’s because it’s a launch pad for other sauces. It’s is not supposed to be marinara; it is supposed to have a fresh, tomato flavor. Yields 2 ½ quarts.

2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ cup prepared Thai peanut sauce ½ cup light coconut milk ½ chicken broth 2 tablespoons scallions, sliced thin In a small bowl, combine sugar and dry seasonings. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat combine peanut sauce, milk, and broth. Add seasoning mix. Allow sauce to reduce by half, stirring frequently. Garnish with scallions.


1 (96-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1/3 cup yellow onions, small dice 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 4 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt, pepper mix Sachet: 1 bay leaf 2 stems fresh basil 2 stems fresh parsley 2 stems fresh thyme Pinch dried thyme Pinch dried basil Sweat onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, sachet, and dried herbs. Bring to a hard simmer, reduce to a low simmer and cook for 90 to 120 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove sachet and squeeze out all the goodness back into the pot.

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Pizza chapter six

It was actually a Greek creation. More morsels: The largest pie in the world came from South Africa. The highest earning single-unit pizzeria is in Alaska. Mayonnaise is a popular topping on Japanese pies. We found the style we most like, the thin-crust Neapolitan kind you’ll find in the next few pages, in Boston. The point? Pizza is the common ground between people everywhere – across the globe, within our family, and maybe within yours, too.

Beyond Pepperoni

S

ince 1978, the Craig family has operated the Washington Inn, one of South Jersey’s finest restaurants. And for six glorious years, they ran the Pelican Club. But even amongst the polished silver and white linens of these highly-regarded dining rooms, David Craig could not get his mind off... pizza. He recognized a gaping culinary hole in Cape May; no place in town offered the option to enjoy a good hot slice with a good glass of wine. In 2005, the Pelican Club was forced to close, and the Craigs were able to secure a new lease in a building at the foot of the Cape May bridge. David saw the chance to bring his pizza dream to life. Along with Chef Wally Jurusz, the Craigs conceived a casual concept — fresh food prepared well and served in a laidback setting. Lucky Bones Backwater Grille was born. Filling the aforementioned culinary hole was a priority. Only one thing stood in the way. When it came to pizza (save for the experience Wally had gained as a 17- year-old making pies on the Wildwood boardwalk), no one had any idea what they were doing. Nevertheless, David, his brother Michael, and Wally moved forward. They had three months before Lucky Bones’ doors would open to the public, which meant they had three months to figure out the pizza process. Knowing that our pies would have to be spot-on from the very beginning, Michael wasted no time. He called his college roommate, who put him in touch with Rasario Del Nero, an Italian veteran chef, renaissance man, and holder of a Harvard degree, who agreed to serve as our pizza consultant. With a pizza guru in the bag, the boys set out to find an oven. David knew he wanted to serve

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soups Neapolitan style (thin-crust) pies, and that he wanted to make them in a brick oven. As opposed to a standard oven, in which temperature varies from top to bottom, a brick oven is the same temperature throughout, locking in flavor and cooking uniformly. The oven purchase went without a hitch… except for the part where it didn’t fit inside the restaurant until we cut a giant hole in the wall. But nothing was going to bring our team down – especially now that the tastetesting time had arrived. For a little over a month, the men traveled on a mission. They split up and spread out across the Northeast, sampling pies in New York, Trenton, Philadelphia, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Boston. They braved fatigue, weight-gain (Wally put on twenty pounds), and strange looks from pizzeria employees who couldn’t understand why anyone would want to order five pies, only to eat a single slice of each. But they accomplished what they’d set out to do. In Boston, they found the thin-crust style they’d been searching for, and they came back eager to give it a go. Under the watchful guidance of Rosario, the cooking went on. And on. All in all, they tested 1,000 different pies. Construction workers, electricians, and plumbers would stop in on their way home from work, smelling the smoky flavors from the street and knowing there’d be plenty of spare pies to go around. On opening night, in the spring of 2006, we had around a hundred more guests than we were expecting. We put out 390 pies, and there was flour everywhere. (We’ve since learned that busy nights require three sets of hands: one to roll dough, one to dress the pies, and one to man the oven.) A customer later wrote us a letter to say that our pizza guy needed to wear an apron because he “looked like the survivor of a dust bowl.” We figure, hey, he is a survivor. You have to be if you’re going to tackle pizza without any experience. On the following pages, we encourage you to go ahead and give it a try.


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pizza Classic Jule This pizza was named after a good friend of Toby Craig’s, the late Jule Hober, who himself was a classic. This rosemary and sausage combination has become our second most popular pie.

3 ounces pizza sauce 4 ounces shredded mozzarella 3 ounces cooked sausage 1 ½ ounces roasted red peppers 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 450 to 500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with olive oil, and spread pizza sauce evenly across. 3. Add toppings. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for twelve to fifteen minutes, or until browned.

Four Cheese, Red This is our four cheese pie, with the addition of our homemade sauce. It calls for ricotta cheese, but we don’t want to lie to you. Ricotta isn’t technically a cheese at all, because it isn’t made from coagulation of the proper protein, casein. Instead, it’s made from whey, a nutritious by-product of actual cheese production. This recipe calls for six “dots” of it; make them as big or as small as you’d like. And don’t worry, the four cheese red is a delicious pie, imposter ingredients and all. 3 ounces pizza sauce 4 slices fresh mozzarella ½ block Taleggio cheese, thinly shaved 6 dots ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon pecorino cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 to 500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with olive oil, and spread pizza sauce evenly across. 3. Add ingredients. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for twelve to fifteen minutes, or until browned.

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Team Talk

Deanna, General Manager, on being captain of the Lucky Bones ship

“

Managing here is like driving a tow truck, because from the moment you get the phone call that you’re needed, you need a plan. I drove a tow truck for a long time, and I know that if you miss one critical step, the car that you’re towing could be damaged. Lucky Bones is not a place. It’s a way of life. That’s what makes us different. It’s the Lucky Bones mentality – excellence for less. We laugh like hyenas. We’d probably be insane if we didn’t. On a slamming busy night, someone will say something that leads to a deep belly laugh. Those are the moments you live for and we have a lot of them. Outstanding acts of kindness. Every shift, I see something that is so sweet from our staff. It could be sitting with a guest who just lost her husband. I’ll be walking by and see a server who’s so busy on a Saturday night, and she’s taking the time to give that customer a little squeeze. Of course, they make me want to kill them, too. We have a ghost. His name is George. He gets angry about renovations we do. It makes me proud when I’m out in public and I overhear someone talking about Lucky Bones, about how much they love it.

”

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pizza Four Cheese, White The Taleggio cheese called for in this recipe, a mild-tasting cheese from northern Italy, is the epitome of stinky cheese. Once, when Pablo had five of these pies going in the brick oven at the same time, a woman asked why the dining room smelled “like garbage.” Of course, once she tried a slice, she thought it was delicious. Our chef had a similar pie in New York City, and he fell so in love, he knew he needed to put it on the menu. If you can handle the aroma, we know you’ll fall in love, too. If not, feel free to pile on more mozzarella instead. We won’t rag on you for wussing out…probably. 4 slices fresh mozzarella ½ block Taleggio cheese 6 dots ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon pecorino cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 to 500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with garlic oil. 3. Add toppings. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for twelve to fifteen minutes, or until browned.

Margherita In 1889, Queen Margherita of Italy went walking amongst her people. She tried one of the pizzas she saw them all eating, and she fell in love. Though some members of the royal court thought it unseemly for a queen to be eating the same food as the peasants, the queen ignored them. She summoned a chef, and he prepared her a variety of pies, including one which contained the colors of the Italian flag — green, white, and red. The Margherita was born. Today, our fellow peasants rave about our version of the famous pizza. It’s our top seller. 3 ounces pizza sauce 8 slices mozzarella 1 ounce Parmesan cheese Brush crust with extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 450 to 500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with olive oil, and spread pizza sauce evenly across. 3. Add all toppings, except for basil. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned. 6. Top off with basil.

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pizza Pizza Dough There are 350 slices of pizza consumed per second in America. That’s a lot of money spent on delivery every year. We figured we’d give you our recipe so you can spend the cash on your wine instead. After all, Lucky Bones was founded on the idea that pizza and wine together is a blissful combination. But we don’t recommend drinking until you’ve at least finished kneading; you’re going to want to use both hands. To properly knead your dough, press into it with the heels of your hand, fold over the edges, and repeat until a small piece of it feels as firm as your earlobe. Then, salute! Yields 4 pizzas. 1 cup water 0.06 ounce yeast 0.24 ounce sea salt 0.41 ounce sugar 0.17 fluid ounce canola oil 13.76 ounce King Arthur AP Flour

1. Weigh out all ingredients on balance scale. 2. Heat water to room temperature. Add yeast to water and mix for 1 minute. 3. Add rest of ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon and then transfer dough to a floured board and knead for 10 minutes. 4. Place dough in a large bowl rubbed with olive oil. Oil the surface of the dough as well to prevent a crust from forming. Cover the bowl with a towel and put it in a warm place, 90-110 degrees F. Let the dough double in size, for about 2 hours, then punch it down. Let it rise for about 40 minutes more, then divide into 4 even balls. 5. Preheat the oven to 450–500 degrees. 6. Place a pizza stone in the oven. 7. Flatten one dough ball at a time on a floured board using a floured rolling pin. The dough should be approximately 1/8 inch thick. 8. Transfer crust to a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle and add your toppings. 9. Once your pizza is assembled, shake the pizza back and forth on the baking sheet or paddle to ensure that it is loose. Slide the pizza from the paddle to the stone in the oven by abruptly jerking your wrist. The pizza should be browned and cooked in 12-15 minutes.


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pizza Pizza Sauce Ninety to ninety-nine percent of everything on our menu is made in-house, including our sauce. We like the Stanislaus tomatoes from California, because they are so fruit-forward, but any smooth, puréed, canned tomatoes will work. We also prefer sea salt; it’s more pure than an iodized kind, and it feels more appropriate, considering our proximity to the sea. Yields 1 ½ quarts. 48 ounces Stanislaus tomatoes ½ ounce olive oil 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt 3 turns of pepper mill of freshly cracked black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix with a ladle.

Positano The funny thing about the Positano pie is that we didn’t intend to start making it; we just needed a vessel for this really wonderful sopressata we had. Sopressata is a pork-based salami, often made by Italian families in the fall, the time of year that they tend to butcher their hogs. We promise you that the quality of it will make or break this pie. Don’t settle for the generic here; any nice Italian deli will have an artisanal version. Or feel free to butcher your own family’s hog, if you’re into that sort of thing. 4 ounces shredded mozzarella 8 artichoke hearts 1 ½ ounce fresh roasted peppers 4 halves sopressata

1. Preheat oven to 450 to 500 degrees, and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, Brush crust with garlic oil and add toppings. 3. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 4. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

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pizza Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese and Fresh Sage This pie, better known as the Harvest Pizza, was only supposed to be on the menu through the fall, when butternut squash is in season. But our customers were so angry when we tried to take it off, we had to put it back on, year round. When Bobby Z, the chef who concocted this recipe, came in for an anniversary dinner with his wife, he saw a woman at the next table over polishing off an entire pie by herself. Luckily, we were able to outsource some high-quality squash during the off-season for our customers; we’d hate to see what this woman could pull off when she’s angry. 4 ounces butternut squash 2 ounces goat cheese 2 tablespoons caramelized onions 2 ounces shredded mozzarella 3 fresh sage leaves

1. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees, and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheeting, brush your crust with garlic oil, and add your toppings. 3. Finish with balsamic drizzle and extra virgin olive oil. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

Saturday The Saturday pie got its name because it started out as a weekend special only. At $16, it’s one of our pricier options, and we didn’t think it would sell as easily as it did. But people loved the idea of lobster and baby shrimp so much, it ended up on the regular menu. We kept the name; everyone knows that every day at the Jersey shore in the summer feels kind of like a Saturday, anyway. Of course, if lobster is not your seafood of choice, feel free to substitute with crab meat. Then go ahead and celebrate that it’s the weekend. Or, you know, Tuesday.

4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 12-14 roasted garlic cloves 4 ounces baby shrimp 4 ounces lobster 1 ½ ounces caramelized onions

1. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with garlic oil. 3. Add toppings. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.


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pizza Shrooms and Cheese, Red This is a wonderful vegetarian option. We once had a woman order sixty of them for a birthday party. No need to worry if you can’t find all three kinds of mushrooms; button mushrooms are simply portabellas that haven’t been allowed to mature. 3 ounces tomato sauce 2 ounces button mushrooms 2 ounces shitake mushrooms 2 ounces portabella mushrooms 1 block Taleggio cheese 1 tablespoon Pecorino cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with olive oil, and spread pizza sauce evenly across. 3. Add toppings. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

Shrooms and Cheese, White This pie is simply our shrooms and cheese red, but without the sauce. It’s also a nice vegetarian option. Here is that stinky Taleggio cheese again, so you might want to light a candle before you get to work. 2 ounces button mushrooms 2 ounces shitake mushrooms 2 ounces portabella mushrooms 1 block Taleggio cheese 1 tablespoon pecorino cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with garlic oil. 3. Add toppings. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

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pizza Skip Jack When we were coming up with a name for Lucky Bones, we knew we wanted to keep it nautical; we are on the bay, after all. Skip Jack’s was one of the contenders. (A skipjack is a sailboat used for dredging oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.) This pizza is especially satisfying after a day spent on the water, whether fishing for oysters or working on your tan. Plus, we think it’s pretty groovy to put your salad on top of your pie (it cuts down on dishes). We top the whole thing off with our house dressing (page 90), so you get a nice mix of cheesy, crispy, and salty. 3 ounces pizza sauce 4 ounces shredded mozzarella Brush crust with extra virgin olive oil 2 cups arugula 1 tablespoon thinly sliced prosciutto 1 tablespoon house dressing (page 90)

1. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees, and place pizza stone inside. 2. Brush dough with olive oil. 3. Spread pizza sauce across dough. 4. Top with cheese. 5. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned. 6. Mix arugula, prosciutto, and house dressing together. Place in center of finished pie.

Sofia Pie The Sofia pie was named after Chef Wally’s first-born. She was ten months old at the time we were opening, so she was around for all of the pizza taste-testing. Wally and his wife made up a song for their daughter that went something like: “Pizza for breakfast, pizza for lunch, pizza for dinner, munch, munch munch.” We know, we should stick to our day jobs, but we never claimed to be songwriters. We DO claim to be pretty good at concocting pizza recipes, though. Give this one a go, and see for yourself. 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 12-14 roasted garlic cloves 4 ounces baby shrimp

1. Preheat oven to 450–500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden paddle, brush your crust with garlic oil and add toppings. 3. Slide pizza from paddle to stone in oven by abruptly jerking your wrist. 4. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.


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pizza Tuscan You’ll notice that in any Tuscan recipe, the ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves – no overpowering sauces, no bells and whistles. Tuscan recipes tend to be fairly simple, which is why we love this pie; pizza is a simple pleasure, so it only makes sense that it’s simple to make. 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 1 tablespoon shaved fresh garlic

1. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with garlic oil, and spread pizza sauce evenly across. 3. Add toppings. 4. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 5. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

White on White We took the savory ingredients of a French Alsatian tart (minus the potatoes), and put them on a pizza. If you know anything about the Alsatian area, you know it’s a place well-known for its white wines. And we think that if you’re going to have an Alsace-inspired pie, you’re pretty much obligated to pair it with an Alsace Pinot Gris. Just something to think about while you’re waiting for your oven timer to go off… 2 ounces heavy cream 2 ounces roasted sweet onions 1 ½ ounces pancetta 1 tablespoon fresh sage, sliced 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees and place pizza stone inside. 2. On a heavily floured baking sheet or wooden pizza paddle, brush crust with garlic oil. 3. Spread heavy cream evenly over dough. 4. Add toppings. 5. Slide pizza from paddle to stone by abruptly jerking your wrist. 6. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned.

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Comment Card

Jim and Bob, better known to the Lucky Bones staff as Jimbob, on their favorite Cape May haunt

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We prefer the right side of the bar. It’s closer to the wait staff. We can hear them laughing and telling stories and making comments. We get the inside scoop. We came in one Halloween, and two of the bartenders were sitting at a booth, dressed like us. I used to drink rum and cokes for years. When my triglycerides shot through the roof, Patty, the bartender, came over and said, ‘Well, look at what you’re drinking. Myer’s Dark has all that sugar; no wonder you’re triglycerides are high.’ She suggested I switch to Bacardi. I’ve got the bartenders looking out for my health. When Lucky Bones was closed to put the new roof on, we used to drive down and watch. We’d ask: ‘How long until this is done?’ We’re old now. We used to go out at 10:30, and now we go to bed at 10:30. One day, I was in my pajamas lying on the couch, half asleep. Bob came in and said, you’ve been talking about how much you wanted to go to Lucky Bones all day, so we’re going. So I came in my pajamas and my slippers. I’m that comfortable here. One day, everyone at the bar ordered the conch fritters. One person ordered it, and it was like dominos. We looked up and realized everyone had the same plate. That’s a special dish. The four-cheese pizza smells like rotten sneakers, but oh god, it’s good.

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Seafo chapter seven

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Even if you don’t love seafood, you’re kind of obligated to eat it when you’re in Cape May, so our recipes have to be spoton. We’re lucky enough to have some of the best fisheries on the eastern seaboard, and it’s important we do the product justice. Even the scallopers who frequent our bar will indulge in an order of scallops; that’s how good they are. In this section, we’ve included some of our most requested dishes, and some tips on grilling fish, in case you’re a seafood newbie.

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seafood Fish and Chips This recipe requires a Dutch oven, a thick-walled cast-iron roasting pot. Otherwise, oil will splatter everywhere. Make sure you fill your Dutch oven only 1/3 of the way with oil, leaving 2/3 empty. Yields 4 servings. 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into strips 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground pepper 1 cup milk 1 egg 1 quart vegetable oil for frying 1 ½ pounds cod fillet, cut into 6-ounce servings

1. Place potatoes in a medium sized bowl of cold water. 2. In a separate medium-size mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Add milk and egg; stir until the mixture is smooth. Let mixture stand for 20 minutes. 4. Preheat the oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. 5. Fry the potatoes in the hot oil until tender. Drain on paper towels. 6. Dredge fish in batter, one piece at a time, and place in the hot oil. Fry until the fish is golden brown. If necessary, increase the heat to maintain the 350 degrees F temperature. Drain well on paper towels. 7. Fry potatoes again for 1 to 2 minutes for added crispness.

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Team Talk

Jerome, steward by trade, stress-reliever by choice

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I’ve been here since the beginning. I’m somewhere between a cook and a prep person. I’m not as proficient in the kitchen as some of the others appear to be, but it’s a good feeling to be around people who know good food. And these guys know good food. When I’m not working, I love playing pool. I’m addicted. If you think working in a kitchen is a piece of cake, it’s not. It’s hard. It’s, well, really hard. I love being on my feet all day. I don’t have much time to sit down and relax, but I’m using energy. I’m burning calories. It’s a daily workout at Lucky Bones, and I love it. And I love the heat of the kitchen, too. The hotter the better, I say. I am the stress reliever. I’m the prankster. I’m the one always starting trouble. Every kitchen needs a trouble-maker, right? To relieve boredom or stress in the kitchen, I have a habit of getting ice cubes and, well, putting them on other people. Being happy is my goal. I am extremely happy. I can’t think of another place I’d rather be. When you meet customers who are happy with the product they’ve bought, that makes it all worth it, doesn’t it?

”

seafood Grilled Cape May Scallops It was actually a fluke that we ended up pairing Chef Wally’s Cuban Spice Rub sauce with this dish, but it ended up working so well. The sauce balances the sweetness of the scallops, whether you grill them, sauté them, or broil them. That is the wonderful thing about scallops — they’re versatile. They’ve also been a popular symbol throughout history in art and religion, or at least their shells have. In some cultures, the scallop shell is thought to symbolize pilgrimage, which is appropriate considering just how many people make the pilgrimage to Cape May for quality seafood each year. (We’ll do forty to fifty orders of these scallops a day.) Yields 2 servings. 1 pound Cape May Sea Scallops 1 ½ tablespoon Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lime or lemon

1. Preheat grill to high. 2. Toss scallops in bowl with a Cuban Spice Rub, Oil and Juice. 3. Place scallops on hottest section of grill. Grill for 45 seconds and flip. Continue grilling for another 1-2 minutes depending on how well you like you scallops cooked.

Lil’s Mediterranean Seafood Pasta Please remember: you want your noodles to be al dente, or firm to bite. Overcook them, and they’ll fall apart on you. And seeing if noodles stick against the wall — or the ceiling, or the counter, or your little brother — is not the way to tell if they’re finished. Yields 1 serving. 3 ounces feta cheese 2 ounces Monterey jack cheese 1 tablespoon sundried tomatoes 1 teaspoon capers 6 kalamata olives, halved ½ scoop lemon butter Pinch of crushed red pepper 6 ounces pasta 8 ounces sauté juice 5 shrimp 5 ounces scallops ½ pinch parsley ½ pinch basil

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1. In a small bowl combine first set of ingredients and set to one side. 2. Boil water for your pasta and cook until almost al dente. Run pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. 3. Meanwhile, to a cold sauté pan add sauté juice and scallops over medium heat. Cook half-way through. 4. Add pasta and shrimp, season with salt and pepper mix. Cook until shrimp are just about done and pasta is hot. 5. Remove from heat and fold in cheese mixture with parsley and basil. Keep the cheese chunky, not liquefied.


seafood Lil’s Shrimp and Andouille Pasta In this version of Lil’s Seafood Pasta, we add Andouille sausage for some extra spiciness. According to some of the more risqué tales surrounding our mascot, Lil is the kind of girl with a penchant for heating things up. Andouille, or hot-link sausage, is the perfect way to do that. It’s heavily smoked, pork-based, and very popular in spicier southern dishes, like gumbo and jambalaya. Yields 1 serving. 3 ounces feta cheese 2 ounces Monterey jack cheese 1 tablespoon sundried tomatoes 5 kalamata olives, halved ½ scoop lemon butter Pinch crushed red pepper 5 shrimp 2.5 ounces Andouille sausage, chopped

1. In a small bowl combine first set of ingredients and set to one side. 2. Boil water for your pasta and cook until almost al dente. Run pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. 3. Meanwhile, heat up sauté pan with oil and sauté sausage until almost cooked through. 4. Add pasta and shrimp, season with salt and pepper mix. Cook until shrimp are just about done and pasta is hot. 5. Remove from heat and fold in cheese mixture with parsley and basil. Keep the cheese chunky, not liquefied.


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seafood Lil’s Three-Cheese Seafood Pasta It will be hard to curd your enthusiasm for this one, created by chef Shawn. It’s a grate recipe, but then again, we never get feta up with cheese. It’s just that Gouda. Without it, we’d certainly be bleu. We know, our puns are… well… cheesy. In all seriousness, though, we know it’s kind of against the rules to pair seafood with cheese, but we’ve never been big fans of playing by the rules, anyway. When it comes to this pasta, we think the cheesier, the better. And don’t be frightened if you’re not a fan of gorgonzola. We find that even folks who don’t like bleu cheese approve of this recipe. Yields 1 serving. Jewel Juice: 1 1/3 cup olive oil 2 cups white wine ½ teaspoon chopped garlic ½ teaspoon shallots Combine all ingredients and mix well 6 ounces penne pasta 8 ounces Jewel Juice 5 ounces scallops 5 shrimp 2 slices pepper bacon, crispy and cut into ¼ inch pieces ½ scoop roasted tomato butter 2 ounces Monterey jack cheese 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese 2 ounces fresh grated Parmesan 2 ounces dices tomatoes Pinch of basil Pinch of parsley

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1. Cook penne pasta in boiling water until almost al dente. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process. 2. In a sauté pan, add scallops to jewel juice. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until half-way done. 3. Add shrimp, pasta, and bacon. Simmer until shrimp is done and pasta is hot. 4. Remove from heat and fold in butter, cheeses, tomatoes, and herbs. Do not allow cheese to melt completely.


seafood Lobster Mac and Cheese For this recipe you may use canned lobster meat or boil fresh lobster and pick the meat. Cape May County has a small lobster industry. The lobsters here are the same as in Maine. The biggest difference is that our fisherman have to go out to the shelf to catch their lobsters. This trip can be over 50 miles. The fresh lobsters are worth the effort. Yields 6 to 8 servings

1 ¾ cups heavy cream 3 ½ cups milk ¾ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ tablespoon salt and pepper mix 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 ½ tablespoons roux 1 ½ pounds lobster meat (canned lobster meat or meat from three 2-pound lobsters, boiled and chilled) 4 ounces fontina, grated 2 ounces sharp white cheddar, grated ½ ounce Gruyere cheese, grated 2 ounces cream cheese ½ pound pasta

1. In a large sauce pan, bring first seven ingredients to a simmer over medium heat. 2. Add roux. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer until the roux flavor is cooked out. 3. Remove from heat and whisk in your cheeses. Keep warm. 4. Boil the pasta until al dente and strain. 5. In a big bowl, fold the pasta, lobster and cheese sauce together. 6. Place pasta in a large casserole dish or into individual ramekins. 7. Mix the crust ingredients separately and moisten with butter, just enough to coat crumbs. 8. Sprinkle pasta with jack cheese then Panko crust mixture. 9. Cook at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Crust: ½ cup panko Salt and pepper to taste Clarified butter


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seafood Seared Local Scallops with Spicy Green Sauce The Greek Goddess of love, Aphrodite, is thought to have washed ashore on a scallop shell when she was first born. We think that’s pretty appropriate, considering how much love we have for scallops, especially when paired with this spicy, citrusy sauce. Yields 4 servings. Spicy Green Sauce: 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon ginger root, chopped 2 green onions, chopped ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves 1 cup spinach leaves 1 teaspoon orange juice concentrate 1 teaspoon palm sugar or brown sugar ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil 2 pounds eared local scallops 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon five-spice powder 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 ½ pounds sea scallops 1 tablespoon olive oil

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For the sauce: 1. Place garlic, ginger root, green onions, basil and spinach in food processor and blend until smooth. 2. Add orange concentrate, sugar, vinegar, hoisin, oyster sauce, chili sauce, and sesame oil and process until smooth. 3. Set aside while preparing scallops. For the scallops: 1. Place flour, five-spice powder, and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix well. 2. If the scallops are very large, you may want to cut them in half. Lightly dredge scallops in flour mixture. 3. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil until smoking hot. 4. Place scallops in a hot pan over high heat and sear both sides, about 2 minutes per side. 5. Remove from pan and serve with Spicy Green Sauce and steamed rice or noodles.


seafood Shrimp Crab Cakes Sometimes, a crab cake can be a one-dimensional thing. When we first started making them at the Pelican Club, we wanted to do something just a bit different, and adding shrimp did wonders, texturally. What’s fun about these is that it’s possible to do bite-sized versions as well, if you’ve got a melon baller. For the minis, scoop about twenty balls, one to two ounces in size, onto an oiled sheet pan. Bake for ten to twenty minutes at 350 degrees , flipping only once. Then, store them in the freezer and serve them at your next party. We can guarantee you’re crab cakes will be multi-dimensional. We can’t promise that your guests will. Yields 4 crab cakes. 6 ounces lump crab meat 6 ounces raw shrimp, drained well and chopped 3 slices white bread, crust off and diced 1 tablespoon red onion, fine dice 1 ½ tablespoons red pepper, fine dice 1 ½ teaspoons parsley, chopped 1 ½ teaspoons chives, chopped 1 egg 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1/8 teaspoon Cholula sauce 1/3 teaspoon lemon juice 1/3 teaspoon horseradish 1/4 teaspoon mustard 1/3 salt and pepper mix

1. In a small pan, sauté shrimp until pink. Set to one side. 2. Sauté onions and peppers in oil until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and set to one side. 3. Whip together egg and mayonnaise. Add bread. Allow bread to thoroughly soften in mayo mixture. 4. Add seasonings. 5. Fold in shrimp followed by crab, trying to maintain lumps of crab. 6. Divide mixture in four to form 4 cakes. 7. Heat butter in pan over medium high heat. 8. Add crab cakes and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.


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seafood Shrimp Creole As many families as there are in Louisiana, that’s about how many versions of Creole sauce there are, so don’t be afraid if you’re not measuring everything perfectly on this one. The worst that can happen is that you’ll invent a version all your own, so have fun with it. (But don’t go as wild as you would at, say, Mardi Gras. Way too much liquid and your shrimp may end up a little soggy.) This recipe calls for boiled rice, but you can use steamed as well or, if you want to be very traditional, rice pilaf. Yields 4 servings. 2/3 cup vegetable oil ½ cup flour 1 ¾ cups shallots, thinly sliced 1/3 celery, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped ½ cup green pepper, chopped 4 teaspoons garlic, finely minced 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely minced 1 one-pound can Italian style whole peeled tomatoes, drained 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon chives, minced 4 tablespoons dry red wine 4 whole bay leaves, crushed 6 whole allspice 2 whole cloves 2 teaspoons salt ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne ¼ teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon mace ¼ teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon dried thyme 4 teaspoons fresh lemon 2 cups water 2 pounds whole fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined Boiled rice

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1. In a 6- 8-quart pot, heat the oil and gradually add the flour, stirring constantly. 2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until a medium brown roux is formed. 3. Remove from the heat and add the fresh vegetables and parsley. 4. Mix well with the roux. 5. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables begin to brown. 6. Mix in the canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, then add the chives, wine, seasonings, and lemon juice and mix again. 7. Raise the heat under the pan and bring to a low boil. 8. Add the water and mix thoroughly. 9. When the mixture boils up again, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. 10. Add the shrimp and allow to come to a low boil again. Then cover, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer for 20 minutes. 11. Remove the pot from the burner and allow to stand, covered, at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. 12. Serve over rice.


seafood Tile Fish in a Roasted Tomato Broth with Orzo Salad The tile fish is delicious, especially if you like lobster — it eats many of the same things, so it’s got much the same texture. Our preparation was written up by the Philadelphia Inquirer shortly after we opened. It was a rave review, and one of the things that kept us going amongst all the chaos of opening a restaurant, including fire alarms going off in the middle of service and kitchen equipment breaking down on a Saturday night. Since then, we’ve tweaked the recipe to make it even better. 4 8-ounce fillets of tile fish

1. Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent.

For the broth: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2 tablespoons minced onion 1 1/3 cups clam juice 1 1/3 tablespoons white wine 2 cups roasted tomato purée 1 tablespoon chopped thyme 1 tablespoon chopped basil 1 bay leaf

2. Stir in the other ingredients. Bring to a boil then simmer 10 minutes. Hold warm until needed

For the orzo salad: 2 cups cooked orzo ¼ cup kalamata olives pitted and roughly chopped ¼ cup diced red onion ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 tablespoons chopped parsley ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3. In a large bowl or covered jar, mix cornmeal in 1-2 cups of cold water, and whisk or shake. 4. Bring remaining water and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan. 5. Gradually stir in cornmeal. 6. Gently simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking for about 30 minutes, or until mixture is very thick. 7. Stir in butter and cheese. 8. Mix all ingredients together; it is best if left to sit overnight. For the tile fish: Lightly flour and sear the tile fish in oil. Cook quickly on both sides until the fish is cooked through. To put it all together: 1. Place 6 ounces of cooked polenta in the center of a large soup plate. 2. Top with the fish and then pour the broth over the dish. 3. Top with the orzo salad.

For the polenta: 6 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups cornmeal 3 tablespoons butter (optional) ½ cup grated Parmesan


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Team Talk

Carol, Lucky Bones server, on horseshoe crabs, rock, and Mozart

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You can’t come to work after listening to Bach or Mozart in the car. You’ve got to get yourself hard rock. If you come in here on a Friday, my favorite song to hear is ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. People get honesty here. You know, we’ll tell them, ‘You’re only a party of two; don’t get the large nachos. You’re just never going to finish them!’ The outer seats are cooler, so if you come in the summer and you want to be cool, go there. The way the vents go, the center of the dining room has the warmer seats. When families with kids ask about the crab claw around our necks. I’ll tell them to go to the bay after dinner. It’s a local phenomenon. Every year, only in May and June during high tides, all the horseshoe crabs come onto the beach. They’re everywhere. When people see it and come back afterward, they’ll say, ‘Oh my god, you’re the waitress who told us all about the horseshoe crabs!’ Don’t let the parking lot scare you away. It always looks busy, but you can always get seated in a reasonable amount of time. I had a funny moment recently. I went to a table and I was supposed to say, ‘Would you like a beverage?’ Instead, I looked at them quite seriously, and it came out, ‘Would you like a vegetable?’ I don’t know where that came from. Our beers rock. Our draft beers rock. The selection is always changing.

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Our Man of the Sea

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ildwood’s Dock Street Fish Market, formerly the Union Fish Company, has been a South Jersey staple since 1920. Back then, it was most known for one thing: pound fishing. Up until the Sixties, this was a popular method. The daily yield might be a whopping two hundred barrels of fish, each weighing around two hundred pounds. According to the Cape May Star and Wave, pound boats were forty feet long and used to install fishing “traps.” A trap consisted of thirty-foot hickory pilings, and a wire net with a chute that allowed fish to swim in but not out. Pound fishing

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How to Grill a Fish 1. Keep steaks about ¾” to 1” thick. This keeps them moist, so that they can stay on the grill a bit longer 2. We recommend fish like shark, tuna, mahi, sword, and salmon. The flesh is more durable and won’t flake off. 3. Use grilling baskets or cages for your more flaky fish. 4. First, wipe the grill with an oiled towel.

has since fallen out of style, but Dock Street remains a leading producer of seafood. Today, with its mellow yellow exterior, Dock Street is an unassuming place. Behind the counter is where you’ll find Dock Street’s owner, Rick, probably with a rogue fish scale or two stuck to his T-shirt. Ask Rick what draws him to this life, and he’ll tell you about his grandfather, a Norwegian immigrant who spent his days fishing in Wildwood’s harbors and who introduced Rick to a love for the fishing industry. In 1980, having spent his young adult life there, Rick purchased Dock Street for himself.

5. Coat the fillet with a rub or dust with flour so that it won’t stick to your grill — do this after you season it. 6. Cook fish 7-8 minutes per inch of thickness. 7. When grilling fillet, place on the grill skin side up for 3 minutes, turn it 90 degrees for 2 minutes, then flip it skin side down to complete the cooking 8. As the flesh lightly chars, it will release itself from the grill. Allow it the time to do this — around 3 minutes.

For the past three years, Rick’s crew has been providing a great deal of our product — including clams, mussels, salmon, tuna, swordfish, mahi, bronzino, sea bass, rock fish, local fluke, local scallops, crab meat, shrimp, and scup (a mildflavored fish sometimes called porgy). Rick and his crew frequent Lucky Bones often, especially when needing to decompress after a long day (or stretch of days — sometimes as many as ten) at sea. And as much as these guys love enjoying the fish they’ve spent their lives chasing, “Nothing beats the Lucky Bones chili on a cold winter’s day,” says Rick.


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Mea Poul chapter eight

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Sometimes a salad just won’t cut it. Here is a collection of our best meaty dishes, for when the craving strikes. A great deal of our staff’s favorites can be found in the next few pages, and they’ve got pretty good taste; just ask them.

meat & poultry Pork Baby Back Ribs We recommend double-wrapping your ribs because most people don’t have a Rational oven at home. We’re not talking about the kind you can reason with; we’re talking about the kind that can bake, poach, steam, blanch and roast all in a single unit. You don’t need that; the doublewrapping makes it so your ribs are steaming themselves while they cook. This will keep your ribs moist, the same as any fancy-pants oven would do. If you’re freaked out by the idea of plastic wrap in your oven, you can substitute with parchment paper. It’s tried and true — comes out well every time. 4 tablespoons Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® with Chipotle 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, tightly packed 1 slab pork baby back ribs (approximately 2 pounds)

1. Mix Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub with chipotle with the brown sugar. 2. Rub the spice mixture on the ribs and let marinate over night in the refrigerator. 3. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. 4. Slowly cook ribs for 2 ½ to 3 hours. 5. The ribs are now ready to baste with your favorite BBQ sauce and finish on the grill.

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meat & poultry Beer-Braised Beef with Onions Normally, we would warn against over-salting, but with this, it’s under-salting you want to watch out for (beer isn’t salty like a broth would normally be). As to which beer you choose, that’s up to you. We’ve had this dish done with Budweiser, and it’s delicious; beef is a cheap date. The other thing we love about this dish is that it’s easy to tell when it’s done; if the meat isn’t falling off the bone, keep cooking. Yields 6 to 8 servings. 1 4-pound piece of top chuck Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 ½ pounds onions, quartered and sliced (about 6 cups) 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons flour 24 fluid ounces beer ½ teaspoon loosely packed saffron 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 whole cloves 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon dried thyme 1 cup fresh or canned chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. 3. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot. 4. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and stir periodically until the onions are brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5. Stir in the flour and beer. Add the saffron, cinnamon, and cloves. 6. Bring to a boil. Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme and broth. 7. Put the meat back in the pot, bring to a boil, and braise, covered in the oven for about 2 hours and 15 minutes or until done. 8. To test the meat, pierce it with a carving fork. If the fork comes out clean without effort, the meat is done. 9. Slice the beef and serve in a deep dish with the cooking liquid.


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meat & poultry Braised Duck Legs Braising involves browning your meat in fat, and then simmering on low heat. It’s supposed to take a while. This recipe is not the throw-together-in-a-jiffy kind. In fact, after you’ve covered and cooked your duck legs for twenty to thirty minutes (the second to last step), it’s probably best if you refrigerate them yet again. (At this point, you’ve already done so overnight.) This will make your water level rise and, as a result, it will be easier to remove. For when you’ve got the time, braising makes for an impossibly tender entrée. Plus, it’s one-pot cooking at its finest, which is always nice. Yields 6 servings, one leg each. 2 teaspoons salt 2 cloves garlic Leaves only from 3 sprigs of thyme 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper Pinch of red chili flakes 6 duck legs 1 bay leaf 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 2 slices peeled fresh ginger (¼ inch thick) 2 to 3 cups dry red wine 1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes ½ bunch parsley ½ bunch thyme 3 to 4 cups chicken stock or water Salt 1 to 2 tablespoons butter

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1. Crush the salt, garlic, thyme, pepper, and chili flakes together with a mortar and pestle. Rub each duck leg on the meat side with the spice mixture and combine with bay leaf in a covered container. Marinate in refrigerator overnight. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat. Add the duck legs skin side down and sear until nicely browned. Turn the duck legs over and sear on the other side until browned. This should take 10 to 20 minutes in all. 3. Transfer the duck legs to a platter. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onion, carrot, and ginger, and cook over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and tender. 4. Add the red wine, tomatoes, parsley, and thyme and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. 5. Return the duck legs to the pot and add stock to cover. Bring to a boil, skim off any visible fat from the surface. Reduce to a simmer. 6. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until very tender. 7. Remove the duck legs once again, strain the cooking liquid through a sieve, and return the liquid to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil, skimming off the excess fat, and reduce it to the desired consistency for a sauce. 8. Taste and add salt as needed. Stir in butter to taste to finish the sauce.


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Comment Card

Joanne, restaurant insider, on the place she’d never want to work

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We are at a different age now. My husband just turned 40, and I am 39. We’re not going to the party bars anymore. At Lucky Bones, you can feel comfortable because you’re not surrounded by a lot of really young people, and you’re not sitting there with your grandparents, either. At the bar, it’s not chicken fingers and fried, well, crap. You can get salmon on a salad if you want. It’s better than bar food, but the vibe is still comfortable. Lucky Bones is like a neighborhood block party. I’ve worked serving tables at four different Cape May restaurants. And no, I would never want to work at Lucky Bones. I just want to enjoy Lucky Bones. We sit at the bar, unless we have the kids. Then we sit in the dining room. It’s absolutely a kid-friendly place. I like the side of the bar closest to the pizza oven. That way, I can see the whole dining room. Maybe it’s a waitressing thing... I don’t like having my back to the dining room. Being in the industry can ruin the experience of going out to eat, because I notice everything. But we’re always pleased at Lucky Bones. It’s consistent. It’s upbeat. It’s accommodating. And it’s different than anything we’ve had in Cape May before. We celebrate special occasions at Lucky Bones. Tuesdays. Rainy days. Lunch.

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meat & poultry Broiled Baby Back Ribs A typo in the first draft of this cookbook had these listed as “spoiled” baby back ribs. We considered keeping it, because they’re so good, you can’t help but feel spoiled eating them. The recipe calls for liquid smoke, the barbecue sauce that results from lighting damp woodchips on fire, capturing the smoke, and putting it through a distilling process until it is liquid. Without access to a real smokehouse, liquid smoke gives your meat that wonderful hickory or apple wood flavor. For additional BBQ sauce options, see our Costa Rican Coffee and Chipotle BBQ Sauce (page 120), and our Lucky BBQ sauce (page 125). Yields 3 pounds of ribs. 3 pounds back ribs, cut into serving size pieces 1 cup ketchup ¼ cup apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1. Place the ribs in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. 2. Meanwhile, stir in the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, and liquid smoke in a saucepan. 3. Bring to a simmer uncovered. Stir frequently, until thickened, about 30 minutes. 4. Preheat the oven’s broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with foil. 5. Drain the ribs and place meaty-side-up onto the prepared baking sheet. 6. Brush the ribs with half of the barbecue sauce. Broil in the preheated oven until the sauce has turned sticky and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. 7. Turn the ribs over and brush with remaining sauce. Continue to broil until the sauce turns sticky, about 7 more minutes.

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meat & poultry Cuban-Rubbed Pork Chop In Cuban culture, they’ll roast a suckling pig on a barbecue for about six hours or so. We wanted to do something similar for our menu, but we knew that the type of wet rub used in Latin America would never work in the restaurant. (A wet rub is a paste made of seasoning, spice, and a liquid. It adds moisture to a meat and locks in flavor.) Our challenge was to turn what’s normally a wet rub into a dry one, made entirely of seasonings and spices. While such a rub won’t add moisture, it will lock it inside. Chef Wally succeeded, and we think it’s better off this way (wet rubs have a higher tendency to catch on fire, anyway). For the bone-in pork chop you choose, we recommend a 10 ounce portion. It’s easier to do at home and finish off on the grill, if you prefer to do it that way. Finally, for the plantain chips here, we normally do long strips, but you’ll need a slicer for that. If you don’t have one, feel free to cut disc shapes instead; you’ll still get that great crunchiness. Yields 4 servings. 4 double-cut center pork chops Chef Walter’s Cuban Spiced Rub

1. Dust the pork chop with the rub. Mark both sides of the chop on the grill.

Plantain chip garnish: 1 large plantain sliced lengthwise about 1/8 inch thick

2. Finish in hot oven for 10-14 minutes depending on thickness of chop and desired doneness. A medium-well pork chop will be at 160 degrees internal temperature.

Fry the plantain slices in hot oil (350 degrees) until crisp. (It won’t take long!) Remove from the oil and drain. While the chip is still warm sprinkle with spice mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon cumin powder Pinch of black pepper All items ground in a spice mill to make the mix.


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meat & poultry Hamburgers with Garlic and Shallot Butter We read somewhere that, on average, Americans eat three hamburgers a week. With so many beef patties under our belts, it can’t hurt to spice things up. This garlic and shallot butter is one way to liven up your burger. The recipe calls for broiling, but the final product will turn out just as well on the skillet. If you prefer to do it this way, simply heat the skillet until it is very hot, brush lightly with oil, and cook your burgers for about two minutes on each side. Then cook for another three minutes, flipping occasionally. Yields 4 servings. 1 ½ pounds ground beef, salt to taste if desired ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots ¼ cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

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1. Put the meat in a mixing bowl and add the salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and mustard. Blend well using your fingers. Divide the mixture into 4 patties. 2. Combine shallots and wine in small sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes or until the wine is almost evaporated. Cool briefly. Add the garlic, butter, and parsley and blend well. 3. Preheat your broiler and put the burgers on a rack. Place them under the broiler about 2 to 3 inches away from the heat. Cook about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. 4. Smear the tops with your sauce.


meat & poultry Lemon-Garlic Chicken Chicken skin has gotten a bad rap recently, for being SO unhealthy. The truth is, a chicken breast with the skin in-tact only has fifty more calories than it would naked. And most of the fat found in this skin is the mono-unsaturated, or heart-healthy, kind, anyway. Sorry to disappoint if you had your heart set on getting naked. Also, this guilt-free recipe calls for marjoram, which we think is a highly underrated herb (it’s a citrusy, piney member of the mint family). If you don’t have any, oregano is a fine substitute. Yields 6 servings. For the Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette: 2 heads garlic 4 lemons, peeled, including all pith and membrane, seeded 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, minced. (parsley, tarragon, basil, thyme) ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced 2 ¼ teaspoons fresh marjoram or oregano, minced ¾ teaspoon fresh sage, minced 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ teaspoons shallots, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 3 (2-½ pound) chickens, halved and boned

1. To prepare the vinaigrette, pull the heads of garlic apart, peel the cloves, and remove any green sprouts. Put the lemons and garlic in a small saucepan with just enough water to float. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the garlic is tender. 2. Drain, then purée the lemons and garlic in a blender and measure out ½ cup for the vinaigrette. Refrigerate any additional purée for use later in the week for leftovers. 3. Whisk together the ½ cup of lemon-garlic purée with vinegar, herbs, salt, and pepper, until the salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream, and continue to whisk until fully emulsified. 4. Combine the rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, salt, pepper, shallots, and garlic and mix well. Rub the mixture into the chicken halves. Allow them to marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours. 5. To prepare the chickens, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken halves, skin side down, and brown until nice and crispy. 6. Turn the chicken halves and sear on the other side. The browning should take 6 to 8 minutes in all. Turn the chicken halves again, so that they are skin-side down, and weight them down with a clean, heavy brick, stone, or ovenproof sauté pan. Place in the oven and roast for about 6 to 10 minutes in a convection oven and a bit longer in a conventional oven. The skin should be crispy and the meat moist. The juices should run clear. 7. To finish, drizzle chicken with vinaigrette.


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meat & poultry Moroccan Leg of Lamb By butterflying your lamb, or cutting it open and unfolding it like a butterfly, you get a thinner piece of meat that needs less cook time. You also make whatever you’re coating your lamb with (in this case, onion paste) more effective, because there is more surface area to soak it up. More flavor in less time — that’s our kind of meal. Just make sure you get yourself a nice loaf of your favorite bread to go with this dish; in Morocco, every meal is eaten with bread. Yields 8 to 10 servings. 1 medium red onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 8-pound leg of lamb, boned and butterflied

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To make onion paste: 1. Place all ingredients except lamb into bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Chop until it forms a paste. 2. Place the lamb in a large glass or porcelain pan (aluminum will react with the lemon and lime juice). Smear both sides of the meat with the onion paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. 3. Bring the grill to a medium-high heat. Place the meat on the grill and cook for 10 to 12 minutes on each side or until the thickest part of the meat is medium-rare (140 degrees). 4. Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.


meat & poultry Rib Steak with Red Wine and Shallot Sauce A rib steak is one of the more flavorful cuts of meat you’re going to find, because the muscle in the rib area of the animal gets so much use. It’s got a lot of wonderful marble to it, and the kind of fat that makes for a really juicy steak. Leftovers (though we doubt there will be any) will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but don’t ever refreeze them. Leftover Burgundy wine must be drank immediately. Yields 4 servings. 4 rib steaks, about ½ pound each, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste ¼ cup finely chopped shallots ¾ cup red Burgundy wine ½ cup fresh or canned beef broth 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Sprinkle the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.

1. Heat a cast iron skillet large enough to hold 2 steaks at a time over high heat. Add the steaks and brown them for 3 minutes for mediumrare meat. 2. Turn and continue cooking until they are thoroughly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove to a platter and keep warm. 3. Pour off all fat from skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine over high heat and reduce it for 45 seconds. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom of the skillet. Add any juices from the platter. 4. Reduce the sauce by half and stir in the butter. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Pour the sauce over the steaks. Garnish with parsley.


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Team Talk

Princess Terry, server, on being polite, the freshest fish, and the best seat in the house

“

I’m big and I’m sweet. If I were a dish on the menu, I would probably be something big, sweet, and flamboyant. Instead of Cherry Jubilee... Terry Jubilee! Being polite goes a long way. Be polite with me, and you’ll get the fully Terry treatment. The strawberry, blueberry, and banana mojitos are the best. They’re good for me, too, right? Because they’ve got fruit... and banana rum! The only guests allowed to call me ma’am are the Coast Guard guys. We give Coast Guard graduates and their families a military discount. They’re very surprised and they’re very grateful. Table nineteen, the booth in the back, is the best seat in the house. From there, you can see all. Whatever the fish of the day is, it’s a beautiful plate. Whether it comes with wasabi mashed potatoes or herbed polenta or a salad, it works. It makes people say, ‘This is the best I’ve ever had in my life!” I’ve never heard anyone say that until I came here. People who have no sense of humor have no business being in the customer service industry. People ask me, ‘Are you always this happy?’ I am. I am happy with my life. I am happy being here.

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meat & poultry Spiced Chicken This recipe is actually one we carried over from the Washington Inn. The chicken is delicious, but our favorite part is the side of sweet potatoes. We did them for a staff meal, initially, but the servers loved them so much, we put them on the regular menu. (Trust us, our servers are brutally honest. We don’t recommend coming to work with a bad haircut.) 1 roasting chicken 3 tablespoons Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Wash and dry chicken. Please remember to follow proper sanitation procedures. There should be easy-to-follow directions on the chicken package. Liberally season with Cuban Spice Rub. Add olive oil to coat skin. Place on a non-stick or aluminum foil lined roasting pan with rack. 3. Bake for approximately 80-90 minutes or until the inside of the thigh is 165 degrees. The bake time depends on your oven and the size of your chicken. 4. Let chicken rest for 10-15 minutes and enjoy.

Spiced Sweet Potatoes 1 sweet potato, yam, or boniato 1 teaspoon Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® 1 teaspoon olive oil

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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Slice potatoes into 4, 6 or 8 wedges. Season with Cuban Spice Rub. Add olive oil and mix thoroughly. Place on a non-stick or aluminum foil-lined sheet pan (cookie pan). 3. Bake for approximately 30-50 minutes or until fork-tender and a little crispy. The bake time depends on your oven and the thickness of your potatoes.


meat & poultry Spiced Hamburgers #1 The most important thing to remember about these burgers is that they’re yours. Sprinkle them with the Cuban rub, or practically drown them; it’s up to you. We do recommend buying meat that’s been ground in-store. Some butchers will grind it right in front of you, which is even better. Yields 2 burger patties. 1 pound ground beef 80/20 (or your favorite blend) 1 tablespoon Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® Spice can be adjusted to taste

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. 2. Add Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® to ground beef and mix. Form into two 8-ounce burgers and cook to your desired temperature.

Spiced Hamburgers #2 1 6-ounce store-bought burger ½ teaspoon Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® Spice can be adjusted to taste

1. Preheat grill to medium high. 2. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® on each side of hamburger and cook to your desired temperature.

Spiced Turkey Burgers 1 pack ground turkey (approximately 1.3 pounds) 1 ¼ teaspoon Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® Spice can be adjusted to taste

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. 2. Add Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub® to ground turkey and mix. Form into three burgers and cook until well done.


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meat & poultry Stuffed Chicken Breast The stuffing is similar to that for oysters Rockefeller, minus the Pernod. (We don’t think anything flavored like licorice has a place inside your chicken.) We like to pair it with our Mushroom Cream Sauce (page 130). Yields 4 to 6 servings.

1 ¼ tablespoons canola oil 1 cup Spanish onion, diced 1/3 tablespoon garlic, chopped 1 small bag frozen spinach, thawed Pinch salt and pepper mixture 2 cups heavy cream 1 ½ tablespoons wholegrain mustard ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese ¼ cup breadcrumbs ¼ cup scallions, chopped 1 small can artichoke hearts diced ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

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1. Sauté onions and garlic in the canola oil. Toss in the frozen spinach and cook just until thawed. Remove from the heat and cool. Mix with the remaining ingredients 2. Sear the chicken breast. Place a ¼ cup of the stuffing mixture on a sheet pan that is either lined or well-oiled. Top with the seared chicken breast. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. 3. Plate and serve with Mushroom Cream Sauce.


Team Talk meat &

Pablo, the pizza man, poetry man, and history man

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If I weren’t making pizza, I would be a writer. I like writing poems, and historical things. The Alchemist is my favorite book. I like the story of a man who goes seeking treasure. I can relate. I came from Mexico. I went searching for something else. I’ve been in America almost five years now. According to me, the buffalo chicken pizza is the best. I’m crazy about playing chess. After work, it’s a good way to relax. I like to play chess and have a beer – no more than one, though. People are what they eat. Yeah, I would say so. What are pizza people like? They are happy; they are enjoying life. The best compliment I’ve ever gotten from a customer came from a man who asked me not to leave at the end of my shift. I was walking out the door, and he asked me to stay a few more minutes so that I could make his pizza. When the guy making the pizza is happy, the pizza comes out better. The customers can tell what kind of mood the pizza guy is in. There were nights last summer that I made 400 pizzas. No, no, no; I don’t get sick of looking at pizza. The day I get sick of food is the day I don’t work in a restaurant anymore.

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meat & poultry Two-Day Roasted Pork Butt This may seem intimidating because it takes two days, but it’s super easy to do. Put it in the crock-pot to marinate and then forget about it. Well, don’t forget about it entirely, but you know what we mean. Once it’s done, it’s a nice addition to tacos, salad, and even omelets (we used to use it for breakfast at the Pelican Club). It’s a classic pork butt, very geared to American tastebuds. 1 boneless pork butt (shoulder) or picnic shoulder* (6-8 pounds) 2-3 Spanish onion (yellow) julienne or slice thin 2 whole cloves of fresh garlic 4 cups orange juice ¾ cup lemonade (natural) or juice of 3 lemons ¾ cup lime juice, or juice of 3 limes 10 turns of freshly cracked black pepper Water to cover 1 inch of pork butt *Although it is called Pork Butt, it is actually the shoulder. Don’t be discouraged if the pork has a bone in it. Just ask your butcher to bone it out for you (Remember to save the bone for added flavor). Please ask your butcher questions. That is what they get paid to do. They like to talk about meat, they’re butchers.

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1. Slice Spanish onion, peel garlic and put in bottom of roasting pot or in slow cooker. Add black pepper. 2. Measure out Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice. In sink or in an easily cleanable area, liberally rub spice on pork butt. Remember to rub spice inside of the meat. Roll the pork up and place into a non reactive cooking pot (no aluminum). Wash hands with warm water and antibacterial soap. Clean and sanitize pork rubbing area. 3. Add orange juice, lemon-aid/juice, lime juice, and water to cover. 4. Cover pot with lid and seal up sides with aluminum foil 5. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. 6. Pull pork pot out of refrigerator and let temper for 30-45 minutes. 7. Preheat oven to 225-250 degrees. 8. Slow cook pork for 7-8 hours. 9. Check pork for tenderness: gently touch with a fork to see if the meat pulls away easily. 10. Let rest for 20-30 minutes. Carefully remove from container and enjoy. Serve with rice, black beans, roast sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even couscous. Shred and use it for tacos, quesadillas, or in enchiladas. Add a little of the cooking liquid to your container if you are going to use it as leftovers. The flavors will enhance over night and the liquid will keep the pork moist.


Team Talk

Chef John on being a Lucky Bones badass

“

I started out as a busboy. I worked at a place almost like Lucky Bones; it was always jamming. One night, there was a guy sitting at a big table, and I was putting dishes in a dishpan, and they were clanging together. This guy says, ‘Hey buddy, think you could make a little more noise?’ So I started picking up dishes and slamming them in there. And that was the end of my on-the-floor career. I was in the kitchen from then on. In the morning, I sit on my porch, I thank the lord I live in Cape May, then I have two cups of coffee and two cigarettes. I get on my Harley and come to work. I’m on vacation all the time. Cooking is like riding a motorcycle. You’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to know what’s going to happen next, you’ve got to read the mind of the person in front of you. Best seat in the house is in the far corner, the big L-shaped booth. My wife works here, too. Jenny. She’s a server, the real short girl with the real short hair. Working with family has its moments. If I say anymore, I might have to talk with a lawyer. Lucky Bones is for people who don’t want the white tablecloths and maître d’ thing, but do want that high quality of food. It is almost like painting a picture; every plate that goes out is a painting, and it has my signature on it.

”

Desse chapter nine

We’re meant to crave sweet things. It’s a survival mechanism that goes back to the days of our cavemen ancestors. There’s a greater chance that a bitter or sour substance found in the woods is poisonous. Huntergatherers were hard-wired to seek out the sweet things. We figure, if it’s a matter of life or death, we should probably go ahead and eat dessert. Here is a selection of our favorites. Some are carry-overs from the Pelican Club, some are Lucky Bones originals. All of them are sweet as pie.

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desserts Banana and Chocolate Bread Pudding According to one of the culinary world’s most famous encyclopedias, Larousse Gastronomique, pudding is “any of numerous dishes, sweet or savory, served hot or cold, which are prepared in a variety of ways.” This means that every recipe in this book thus far has been pudding. Well, here’s our favorite — bread pudding. It’s an appropriate one for Cape May, as it also has Victorian roots; it rose to popularity in Victorian-era England. It’s a recipe that had humble beginnings; it was used amongst paupers as a way of salvaging stale bread. While the recipe may be for a poor man’s dessert, it is rich. If you like bananas as much as our pastry chef, feel free to double the amount used here. Yields 8 servings. 4 eggs 2 cups milk 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 cups cubed French bread 2 bananas sliced 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. 2. In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in bread, bananas, and chocolate chips, and let rest for 5 minutes for bread to soak. Pour into prepared pan. 3. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place loaf pan on towel inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan inside the oven. Fill the roasting pan with water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. 4. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

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desserts Best Cheesecake Recipe A fun thing to do after you scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod called for in this recipe is to save the pod. Stick it in your sugar container, and your sugar will absorb the flavor of it. Then, you can use that sugar to flavor the cup of coffee or tea you’ll want to drink with your first slice of cheesecake. Yields a 10-inch cheesecake. 1 (18-ounce) package vanilla sandwich cookies 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped ¼ cup butter, melted 2 pounds cream cheese, softened 1 ½ cups sugar 5 eggs 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and seeds scraped 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract ¾ cup sour cream ½ cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and lightly butter a 10-inch springform pan. 2. Place the sandwich cookies into a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, and mix with the scraped seeds of one vanilla bean. Drizzle the crumbs with melted butter and stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Set aside. 3. Place softened cream cheese and sugar into the work bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until mixture is smooth. Beat in one egg at a time. Add the scraped seeds of the 2 vanilla beans, the vanilla extract, sour cream, and heavy cream, and beat on mediumhigh speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is blended and smooth. 4. Pour mixture into crumb crust, leaving about 2 inches of space from the top of the pan. Place a baking dish in the bottom rack of the oven and fill it halfway with boiling water. Place the cheesecake in the middle rack, above the pan of water. Bake until a small knife inserted comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. 5. Turn off oven and let cheesecake cool down inside the oven for 1 hour. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight before serving.


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desserts Chocolate Decadence Cake We know that decadence usually refers to an unrestrained indulgence, but you don’t want to over-indulge in this one. Trust us, you’ll get sick. This is the kind of dessert that has to be enjoyed in small doses; it can’t be any richer. It’s a recipe for the die-hard chocolate addict; we don’t recommend it for the recreational user. Yields 1 10-inch round cake. 12 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips 4 (1-ounce) squares of unsweetened chocolate 1 ½ cups butter, melted 1 ¾ cups sugar ½ cup water 2 cups whipped cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper 3. Chop chocolate squares and place in large bowl with chocolate chips. Add melted butter. Heat water and 1 ½ cups sugar in saucepan until boiling, and then pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth. 4. In a separate bowl, whip eggs and remaining sugar until thick. Fold in chocolate mixture and pour batter into pan. 5. Place pan on cookie sheet and fill sheet with water. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool and refrigerate for several hours. Dip pan in hot water and remove cake. Garnish with whipped cream.

Creamy Key Lime Pie This is our manager’s family recipe. We like it because it actually calls for the juice of a key lime, while many other recipes use other lime varieties. The key lime is juicier, seedier, and has more pucker power than the limes you’re used to seeing in the grocery market. Christopher Columbus brought them to America because eating them on the trip over helped his sailors ward off scurvy. Feel free to use that as your excuse for indulging in a second piece of pie. 1 (9-inch) prepared Graham Cracker crust 3 cups sweetened condensed milk ½ cup sour cream ¾ cup key lime juice 1 tablespoon grated lime zest Whipped cream (optional) 1 lime, sliced (optional)

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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and zest. Mix well and pour into pie crust. 2. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until tiny pinhole bubble burst on surface. Do not brown. Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and lime slices.


desserts Jersey Blueberry Soup This is a popular summer dessert in Sweden and, actually, it’s a popular appetizer there, too. We’re the last ones who will judge you if you’d rather begin your meal with something sweet; life is uncertain, and all that. What is certain is that you’re not going to find a better berry than a Jersey blue. Our state is the second largest producer of them, nationwide, behind Michigan. Yields 6 8-ounce servings. 1 pint fresh blueberries ½ cup water 3 tablespoons sugar Pinch cayenne pepper ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup plain yogurt 1-2 bananas (optional)

1. In a medium-sized sauce pot, simmer blueberries, sugar, cayenne, and cinnamon over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. 2. Strain the mixture, saving both the liquid and solids, and allow to cool separately. 3. Add yogurt to the solids and purée. Add the berry liquid as needed to adjust the soup’s body and thickness. Add bananas if you’d like to thicken even more.

Lemon Squares When life gave us lemons, we figured we’d make lemon squares. They’re the perfect way to top off a rich meal. Just remember — the skin of this fruit turns from green to yellow because of temperature, not ripeness. So when you’re shopping for this ingredient, a green patch or two is fine. Just make sure you choose lemons that give slightly when you squeeze them. Also, the rinds shouldn’t be too thick; that only means there’s less juice inside. Yields 12 squares. 1 cup flour ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ¼ teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons flour

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. 2. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, confectioner’s sugar, and melted butter. Spoon into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. 3. While the bottom is cooking, mix together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, baking powder, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Pour over baked shell and cook for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on rack. 4. When the pan is cool enough to handle, gently lift out the lemon square and cut it into 12 smaller squares.


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desserts Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies These are our specialty cookies, which are a little bit larger than normal. We use them for our ice cream sandwiches, but they’re delicious on their own. While the ingredients aren’t all that different from your typical recipe, it’s how you prep them that matters. We melt the majority of our butter beforehand, so that it does a better job of dissolving our sugar. The consistency of the dough turns out better this way. Just make sure to use a non-coated skillet to brown your butter. If you use a coated pan, you won’t be able to tell when your butter has browned. It will jump from brown to black pretty quickly, so be careful. But the most important thing to remember? Buy some milk. Makes 16 cookies. 1 3/4 cups unbleached allpurpose flour (8 3/4 ounces) ½ teaspoon baking soda 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks) ½ cup granulated sugar (3 ½ ounces) 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 ¼ ounces) 1 teaspoon table salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 ¼ cups semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips or chunks 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. 3. Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch skillet over mediumhigh heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. 4. Remove skillet from heat and, using heat-proof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heat-proof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted. 5. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. 6. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick and smooth. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no pockets remain. 7. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use a #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.) 8. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes. Rotate baking sheet half-way through baking. 9. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack, and cool cookies completely before serving.

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desserts Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but it’s classified as a fruit because it is so often used that way; it’s a popular ingredient in wines, jams, and pies. It has a complex flavor that is tart, sour, and sweet all at the same time, which makes for an exciting dessert. Just remember to discard the leaves off your rhubarb plant (they may be toxic to humans), and to peel all the strings from your stalks before using. (Rhubarb is a lot like celery in that way.) Yields 8 servings. 8 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 ½ pounds fresh strawberries cleaned and chunked 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice For crisp topping: 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar Pinch of salt ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ cup oatmeal All-purpose flour Butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 8 large custard cups onto a baking sheet. 2. Mix the rhubarb and strawberries with the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Fill each custard cup ¾’of the way with the rhubarb mixture. 3. Blend together the dry crisp topping ingredients. Knead in the softened butter to make nice large ‘crumbs.’ Liberally pack crumb topping on top of the cups. 4. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until topping starts to brown around the edges and the filling bubbles. 5. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.


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Team Talk

Rob, server, on laughing it up at Lucky Bones

“

When I take a plate away, and a customer jokes that he didn’t like his pork chop at all, I’ll say, ‘What’s the matter? Couldn’t eat the bone? Plate too hard to chew?’ Having fun is important. How do I keep calm when I’m totally weeded? I talk to myself out loud. My coworkers look at me like I have three heads. I usually list all of the things I have to do. Or I might say something, you know, totally inappropriate. When I started waiting tables here, I spilled red wine all over a woman. She was very upset. Right away, I brought her a napkin and club soda for the stain. But when I brought her a new glass, she said, ‘I’m not upset you spilled on me; I’m upset that it took so long for you to bring me another glass.’ It was a slower night in the winter when I got the idea. I spoke to my accomplice, Logan the busboy, and we put together a plan. We took Shelly’s keys. Shelly is a server. We parked her car in the Exxon station across the street. I put a For Sale sign on it that we made out of a pizza box, and people started calling the restaurant, to ask about the car. Shelly had a good laugh about it. Watching first dates can be funny. People love talking to the server, because a first date can be awkward. I’ve brought a few girls here. Ladies love the Key Lime martini.

”

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Wine & Liquor chapter ten

Lucky Bones was founded on the idea that everyone should have a place to go when they want to enjoy a slice of pizza with a glass of wine, but we don’t discriminate. We like all alcohol. In this section, we’ve included a guide to drinking well which, in our opinion, is an important part of living well. Cheers!

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The Rules of Wine Drinking

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e’ve always believed that wine, like all of life’s great pleasures, should be accessible. This is why Michael Craig chooses bottles for Lucky Bones that are “hidden gems,” selections as affordable as they are tasty. While there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy a glass of vino, there are tidbits we like to keep in mind before pouring ourselves a scoche...

1. Keep it Sweet

Any bartender knows that you’ll get more bees with honey than with vinegar, and you’ll get more booze, too. So our number one tip for getting served at the bar? Be sweet. Don’t wave down barkeeps (they see you), don’t call them ‘Yo’, and remember to say please (and mean it). And while you’re on this sweet kick, you might as well try a sweet wine on for size. The Dr. Loosen Riesling from Germany is our favorite, especially when paired with something spicy, like our Moroccan spice; the sugar of this wine balances out that heat. Any Bones bartender will be happy to pour you a taste the next time you pop in… as long as you ask nicely, of course.

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2. Watch Those Teeth

Our staff has witnessed some pretty atrocious dating faux pas — everything from cell phones at the table to cringe-worthy make-out sessions in the dining room. And then there’s that guy we like to call “the shark” who’s made the rounds being rejected by every female guest at the bar. But the most common dating foible can be something as simple as enjoying a nice glass of red wine. One too many swigs and those pearly whites will be a vibrant shade of eggplant. Which won’t help in wooing one of Cape May’s eligible bachelors or bachelorettes, so we recommend alternating between red and white. Just like white wine works in spot-cleaning a piece of clothing, swirling it around your mouth will take the stain off.

3. Know Your Limit

Lucky Bones does not endorse drinking to excess. But if you’re going to, we recommend the Tuscan Red Villa Pucini. It’s soft, fruity, and smooth, but most importantly, it goes well with fish, steak, sandwiches, and burgers. Just remember to stay off the road — it’s tricky enough pulling out of the Lucky Bones parking lot sober.


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4. Be 21

It’s tough being underage. Just ask our teenage servers who have to watch all of their coworkers enjoying shift drinks at the end of a long night. But that’s the law, and we’re sticking to it. And, no, vouching for your ID-less offspring will not sway our bartenders otherwise. As bartender Bill likes to say, “Are you going to vouch for them in prison?” And he means it; you can try to intimidate him into changing his mind, but he’s not scared of you. Bill is afraid of knives, but that’s a whole other barrel of monkeys.

5. Eat!

What you learned in high school health class about drinking on an empty stomach is true — it’s not the brightest move. This is part of the reason why all menu items at Lucky Bones, including the chalkboard specials, are available at the bar . It’s equally important to eat the day after drinking, to help combat that killer headache. Eggs are a good choice — they contain large amounts of cysteine, which breaks down acetaldehyde in the liver’s glutathione. We don’t know what those words mean, but they sound scientific. After a long night out, we recommend the egg sandwiches available during Sunday brunch. We know that breakfast will make your head feel better; we can’t promise that our steel band drummer will.

6. Love Your Glass

A red wine glass will generally have a more bulbous bowl, which enhances flavors by allowing for greater oxidation, and a white wine glass will have a smaller mouth, which decreases contact with the air. When Lucky Bones was opening, management had a great debate over glassware. We love what we finally selected — it’s simple and sturdy — and we hope you do, too. Of course, we think that the Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc, with its strong lemony flavor, would be delicious even out of a Dixie cup. It’s fermented long and slowly, which ensures freshness, and it pairs nicely with fish and pasta. When holding a glass of this or any other white, hold the stem and not the bowl; the heat of your hand will raise the temperature.

7. Leave the Comfort Zone

Our servers will tell you that many customers refuse to try anything that might be the least bit spicy. If you’re one of them, try taking a baby step: commit to a spicy wine, like the Penfolds Shiraz. We recommend it with Margherita pizza. It’s good to take a walk on the wild side from time to time. If you usually go for white, why not opt for a red, and if you usually go for something lighter, why not try a fuller-bodied bottle? You might be surprised. Plus, we’ll stop nicknaming you according to what you order. We’re looking at you, Pinot Joe.

8. Relax

The Lucky Bones staffers work hard. So we can understand the need to decompress with a glass of wine after a hard day. But trying to understand bouquets and noses and malolactic fermentations can be tricky. We say — who cares whether you’re an expert or not, as long as you’re enjoying. And for goodness sake, try not to get riled up about a twist-off cap. Our Pino Grigio, Cabernet, and Shiraz are all cork-free, and we think they’re delicious. Plenty of fine winemakers are making the switch these days. Plus, with a screw-cap, there’s less chance of experiencing TCA, or trichloroanisole, the contaminant that can make a wine taste musty and dank — aka, “corked.”

9. Enjoy

Our server, Sophia, says that life’s too short to drink bad wine. This is why all of the Lucky Bones bottles are hand-selected by Michael — to ensure that they’re good. (Even though we’re pretty sure “bad wine” is an oxymoron, anyway; it’s kind of like saying “bad drinking buddy.”) So no matter what you’re drinking — or what friends you’re drinking it with — savor the moment, because Sophia is right about one thing. Life is too short.


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wine & liquor Apple Martini If you’re going to indulge in a beverage — or a few — you might as well choose one that’s a little healthier. Apple pucker counts as a fruit, right? 1 ½ parts vodka 1 ½ parts of Sour Apple Pucker 1 part sour mix Combine ingredients and serve chilled, straight up in a sugarrimmed glass with a lemon wedge.

Backwater Sunset This is a great deal more refreshing (and less salty) than drinking the actual backwater, which we don’t recommend. 1 part Stoli O, or other orange vodka 1 part Midori, or other melon liqueur 1 part Malibu, or other coconut rum 1 part cranberry juice Combine ingredients, and serve chilled, straight up, and with an orange slice.

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Blueberry Banana Mojito Personally, we think that strawberries get a little too much air-time. We’ve always been big fans of the underdog, so we’re hoping to help bump the underrated blueberry up to first place (it’s the second most popular berry in America) with this, our most popular offseason mojito. 2 lime wedges 4-5 mint leaves 8-10 blueberries 1 part banana rum ½ part simple syrup Club soda, or seltzer Muddle (or gently smash) lime, mint and blueberries together in a highball glass. Fill glass with ice. Add rum and simple syrup. Fill the rest of the way with club soda, and mix well. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime.

Espresso Martini The last time Patty was asked to describe this one, she said, “Yummo.” This is the kind of after-dinner drink that causes bartenders to make up words. But remember, even an espresso martini has to be cold, so stir or shake like you mean it. 1 shot espresso 1 part vanilla vodka 1 part dark creme de cacao Combine ingredients. Serve chilled, straight up, and with a twist of lemon, in a sugarrimmed martini glass.

Key Lime Martini Patty Behrens came up with this one during her last year at the Pelican Club. And, according to the Lucky Bones servers, it’s the female species’ favorite drink, by far. 1 part Smirnoff vanilla vodka 1 part white creme de cacao 1 part triple sec 1 part pineapple juice 1 part sour mix Splash of lime juice. Combine and serve chilled, straight up with a lime wedge, in a Graham Cracker-rimmed martini glass.


wine & liquor Lemon Drop Martini

Original Fudge Kitchen Martini

This is said to have originated in San Francisco. Our bridge might not be as famous, but Cape May is just as inventive a place. So feel free to experiment with the proportions on this one. Add fresh mint leaves or a dash of powdered sugar.

Bartender Patty calls this one Dairy Queen for adults. It is a dessert cocktail, but we’ve seen plenty of folks order it off the bat. Dessert before dinner — we don’t see anything wrong with that. Sure, you can get your chocolate fix from cleaning out The Original Fudge Kitchen sample girl, but this feels a bit more sophisticated. Thanks to the Bogle brothers, Joe and Paul, for the sweet inspiration.

1 ½ parts vodka 1 ½ parts of citrus vodka 1 part sour mix. Combine ingredients and serve chilled, straight up in a sugarrimmed martini glass.

Mojito Cubano The mojito was originally named El Draque, or the dragon. It’s a refreshing drink in the summer, when a day on the beach can leave you feeling crispier than a dragon’s lunch.

1 part vodka 1 part dark creme de cacao 1 part Godiva White Chocolate liqueur. Combine ingredients and serve chilled, straight up with a cocoa-rimmed glass.

Paté’s Primo Cosmo The Lucky Bones bartenders get a little offended when customers come in asking for a cosmopolitan, because guests don’t want anyone making it but Patty. She’s known for them. The pour is so perfect, in fact, even the boys at the bar have gotten over their fear of ordering a “girly” drink. Patty won’t judge; she knows that pink drinks aren’t just for the ladies. But if you still feel embarrassed, feel free to substitute Grand Marnier for Triple Sec. Some guys find it manlier. 3 parts Smirnoff, or other citrus vodka 1 ½ parts triple sec Splash of cranberry juice Splash of lime juice. Combine ingredients and serve chilled, straight up with a twist of lemon.

2 lime wedges 4-5 mint leaves 1 part white rum ½ part simple syrup Club soda, or seltzer Muddle lime and mint in highball glass. Fill with ice. Add rum and simple syrup. Fill rest of the way with club soda, mix well. Garnish with mint, lime.


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Patty the Bartender’s Eleven Best/Worst Jokes 1. A string walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a beer. The bartender says, “We don’t serve strings here.” So the string walks outside. He asks a guy walking down the street to tie him in a knot and fray his ends a little. He walks back in the bar and asks the bartender for a beer. The bartender looks at him and says, “Weren’t you just in here?” The string says, “No, I’m a frayed knot.” 2. Two old friends, Blanche and Peggy, both well into their nineties were going out to dinner. After Blanche ran a stop sign, Peggy became concerned but didn’t say anything because she didn’t want to embarrass her. But after Blanche ran right through a red light, Peggy said, “Blanche, you just ran a stop sign and a red light. You’re getting careless in your old age.” Blanche looked at Peggy and said, “Oh, am I driving?!” 3. Prisoners complain behind bars. Husbands complain at them. 4. If a bomb went off in the middle of a herd of cows would it be udder destruction? 5. Why can’t dalmatians ever play hide and seek? Because they’re always spotted. 6. We will be friends until we are old and senile. Then we will be new friends. 7. I went horseback riding today. The ride was great, just fantastic, until I ran out of quarters and the arcade manager kicked me out. 8. A couple are enjoying a glass of wine when the wife says, “I love you.” The husband asks, “Is that you or the wine talking?” The wife looks at him and says, “No, it’s me, but I was talking to the wine.” 9. I was thinking about opening up my own bar, right next to a gym, and calling it ‘Decisions Decisions.’ 10. A termite walks into a bar and says, “Is the bar tender here?” 11. What did the ocean say when the plane flew overhead? Nothing, it just waved.

Beach Plum: The little-known fruit that packs a big punch

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he beach plum is a survivor. Growing wild in the dunes from North Carolina to New England, the plant looks exactly as you’d expect a seaside shrub to look, gnarled and windblown. It withstands harsh, salty gusts and sandy, low-nutrient soil. When it needs to be pollinated, usually around April, the weather often inhibits bees from doing the job. For these reasons, the plant can be unpredictable (not unlike some of the fishermen who frequent our bar during tournament season). In fact, they often produce fruit only biennially. But for those who are patient, the wait is worthwhile. The delicious beach plum, which can be the size of a pea or a large cherry, has the qualities of a plum, just a bit more tart, spicy, and crisp. Like Cape May, beach plums have a rich history; they greeted colonists who arrived on the east coast of America in the 1600s. One of the earliest accounts of the fruit comes from Henry Hudson, who discovered thickets of them along the river that now bears his name. By the midthirties, the fruit had become popular in Cape Cod. Recognizing that housewives were using the beach plum to produce flavorful jams and jellies, growers here saw opportunity for a commercial business. Today, the plant is still largely unexploited. In our neck of the woods, it’s mostly a small group of fanatical locals who hunt down high-yielding spots, like Higbee’s Beach — it’s a practice as secretive as that of truffle hunting. The search for these plants, which produce glossy leaves and fragrant white blossoms in the spring, can

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be deceptively hazardous; the branches of the beach plum often intertwine with those of the poison ivy plant. It can also be difficult to even recognize the plant, as it grows sometimes as a ten foot tall tree and sometimes as a bush, sometimes singly and sometimes in thickets. Even the fruit itself varies in appearance, ranging in color from bright yellow, to fuchsia, to deep plum purple. At the Cape May Winery, they’ve begun harvesting beach plums for use at Lucky Bones. The goal isn’t simply to invent new, refreshing drinks, although they have succeeded in this regard; the Lucky Bone’s menu now includes a mimosa, a martini, and a mojito made from the coastal fruit. But even more importantly, the Craigs are hoping to raise awareness. To this end, the family has been working with the Cape May County Beach Plum Association, which strives to support beach plum growers and distributors, while educating the general public. To date, the non-profit has planted 10,000 beach plum plants in the county, and the ultimate goal is to create a sustainable beach plum industry here. In addition to its tasty appeal, the plant provides natural erosion control on Cape May beaches. Right now, beach plums are being marketed to restaurants throughout the state for use in making cordials, honey, wines, salad dressings, desserts, and juices. In December of 2010, the beach plum — the little fruit with such big potential — was named the official fruit of Cape May County.


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Beach Plum and Watermelon Mojito Our staff played a game once. It involved deciding which fellow member of the Lucky Bones crew they’d pick to be stranded with on a deserted island. The game had two outcomes: 1. Several secret crushes were revealed; and 2. It got everyone thinking about what else they couldn’t live without. These two drinks, the most popular in-season mojitos, are a no-brainer. They go best with jalapeñosheavy nachos, which we’ll also be bringing to our hypothetical island. 2 pieces of lime 4-5 mint leaves 1 part white rum ½ cup of seasonal fruit ½ part simple syrup Club soda, or seltzer


Muddle lime, mint, and either watermelon or beach plums in a highball glass. Fill with ice. Add rum and simple syrup. Fill the rest of the way with club soda and mix well.

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Ask a Bartender Pat Why is the front register known as the Pat Ford register? I chose the front register as the Pat Ford register because I’m good looking and I’m the first bartender you see when you walk in. Just kidding. I feel most comfortable there. What is your best drink? The Fudge Kitchen martini. A guy from Hershey, Pennsylvania told me that I make the best chocolate martinis he’s ever head. That means a lot coming from someone from Hershey! Do you have any pre-shift rituals to get amped up for work? Everything I do from the second I clock in is a ritual. I’m like Mr Rogers. Ask any of the regulars. I always dim the lights every day when I get in and all the regulars and staff yell, “Pat’s here!” What is the best advice you’ve gotten bartending? When in doubt, make it cold and make it red! I live by it still to this day. What’s the best pick-up line you’ve heard at Lucky Bones? The best I’ve heard is, “Yo, Doll.” Actually, it’s my line, from when I was single. Do you hang at Lucky Bones on your day off? My family and

I come in sometimes and my seven year old daughter, Halle, loves the adult grilled salmon. She ate the whole dinner, even when she was just three. Back then, she called it “Yucky Bones.” She couldn’t say her L’s yet. What’s your dream job? I wouldn’t leave my job to go bartend anywhere else. And unless Microsoft calls me up, I’ll be slinging drinks at the Bone. I used to be a courier for FEDEX in Philly for three years. Driving around in a truck all day just wasn’t my thing. I left that job to move back to the shore which led me back to the restaurant business. I have the gift of gab, which helps. Plus, I’m pretty good at pouring two martinis at once without spilling a drop. Women are always impressed with that, and men, too, for that matter. What’s the vibe at Lucky Bones? In one word? “Wow.” I don’t know what everyone did before we opened. Really.

Matt Favorite thing about the Lucky Bones clientele? They are loyal. That, and they show up hungry and thirsty! The must-try drink at Lucky Bones? The Beach Plum mojito; it’s one of a kind. Anything that makes the Lucky Bones bar quirky or unusual? Well, the bartenders are all quirky, and some of them are unusual. Most underrated drink at Lucky Bones? Beer. We serve the coldest. If you were a drink on the Lucky Bones menu, what would you be? Guinness. I am Irish and I am stout. Describe the vibe of the Lucky Bones bar in one word. Relaxtastic. Is that a word? Ever get distracted by people watching? Nah. I can do my job in my sleep, so I am able to watch people, check the game on TV, and still give great service. Most redeeming thing about working at Lucky Bones? I will say this: Working here has allowed me to meet some pretty great people.

Bill

Barbara

Erica

Is there anything you can compare bartending to? Like riding a bike. You can’t make too many mistakes, or you collapse.

Any insider tips for getting served at Lucky Bones? Hopefully not! Every customer matters.

Do you enjoy Lucky Bones on your day off? I eat there, of course. The food is awesome.

Do you have any bar-related phobias? I’m afraid of knives. And I can’t take cold medicine when I’m working because it turns me into a mean person.

Do you have any pre or postshift rituals? Cocktails!

What is the best joke you’ve seen at the Lucky Bones bar? A girl who works across the street at the Lobster House told everyone that she was playing guitar here on April Fool’s night. We set up the mic for her, we even advertised ‘Open mic with Missy.’ Everyone showed up, and she said, “April fool.”

Is there any music played at the bar that makes your shift go by quicker? Oooh, Barry White!

Who would you most like to see walk through the door? I’ve served Maya Rudolph, all of the Phillies, and Chaka Khan. But the person I’d like most to see walk through the door is my brother, Pat. He’s been in Paris for the past five months and I miss him like crazy. Any pre-work rituals? I come home from the beach by three, I take a nap for half an hour, and then I sit in my room by myself. No one can bother me. Do you nickname your customers? Of course. There’s Pinot Joe, because he won’t order anything but Pinot Noir.

Best piece of bartending advice you’ve gotten? Never let them see you sweat.

Best time of year to enjoy Lucky Bones? Fishing tournament times; they bring in some great characters. What makes you most proud to work at Lucky Bones? The food and the employees — they never let you down.

Fondest Lucky Bones memory? One day, the fire alarm was going off, and customers were sitting there, telling me the alarm was going off. Not one person got out of their seats. I guess they were enjoying their food too much. What sets Luck Bones apart? Consistency. Most mellow time at the bar? If you’re looking for quiet, around 3pm. And the spring and fall are great; there’s still a good crowd, but it’s not as crazy as July and August. Are there any misconceptions about your job? Just that it’s easy! How do you feel about being the center of attention? I hate it! But the funny thing is, I don’t feel that way behind the bar. Is there any job you’d leave Lucky Bones for? My dream job would be in the fashion industry, but I love the job I’ve got right now.

index Soups

Scallops in Applewood Smoked Bacon with

Cuban Black Bean Soup................................................ 32

Horseradish Cream Sauce............................................. 72

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Apple

Smoked Fish Dip.............................................................. 73

and Sausage...................................................................... 33 Seafood Bisque................................................................ 36

Salads

Short Rib and Beef Cowboy Chili............................... 37

Classic Caesar Salad with Caesar Dressing.............. 76

Split Pea Soup with Chorizo and Sage..................... 40

Caesar Dressing............................................................... 76

Vegetable Clam Chowder............................................. 41

Famous Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Thyme Vinaigrette................................................. 77

Shared Plates and Starters

Fresh Tuna Salad with Potatoes and Herbs............. 82

Best Hummus................................................................... 44

Green Goddess Dressing............................................... 83

Brick Oven Shrimp.......................................................... 44

Grilled Salmon Salad...................................................... 86

Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls........................................ 45

Maytag Blue Cheese Dressing..................................... 86

Cape May Steamed Clams............................................ 46

Pelican Club Balsamic Vinaigrette.............................. 90

Creamy Artichoke and Crab Dip................................. 50

Rocket Salad with Green Goddess Dressing........... 90

Cuban Spiced U-Peel Shrimp with Cape May

Spinach Salad with Maytag Blue Cheese

Cocktail Sauce.................................................................. 51

Dressing............................................................................. 91

Goat Cheese Log............................................................. 54 Grilled Shrimp.................................................................. 54

Sandwiches

Guacamole Cuban Style................................................ 55

Asian Chicken Salad Sandwich................................... 94

Guacamole Oaxaca Style.............................................. 55

Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich.............................. 94

Hand-Cut French Fries................................................... 56

Braised Short Rib Reuben Sandwich......................... 95

Jumbo Chicken Wings with Spicy Hoisin

Chicken Foccaccia Sandwich....................................... 98

Ginger Sauce..................................................................... 60

Club-Style Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches.................... 102

Lobster and Shrimp Spring Rolls................................ 61

Lucky Bones Monte Cristo Sandwich........................ 103

Local Lund’s Fisheries Calamari with

Grilled Fish Sandwich..................................................... 103

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli............................................. 66

Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwich............................... 106

Lucky Bones Nachos....................................................... 66

Lucky Bones Muffuletta................................................. 107

Mojo Pork Morsels.......................................................... 67

Oyster Po’ Boy................................................................... 110

Mussels In Gorgonzola Basil-Tomato Sauce............ 67

Shrimp Salad Sandwich................................................. 111

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index Essential sauces, sides AND SPREADS

Roasted Corn Cream Sauce.......................................... 135

Arugula Pesto................................................................... 114

Roasted Garlic.................................................................. 135

Baby Clam Sauce............................................................. 114

Roasted Garlic Aioli......................................................... 135

Backwater Tartar Sauce................................................. 114

Roasted Garlic Ricotta Spread..................................... 136

Beet Horseradish Butter................................................ 115

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli............................................. 136

Blue Cheese Butter......................................................... 115

Roasted Tomato Broth................................................... 136

Brick Oven-Roasted Zucchini...................................... 115

Roasted Yellow Pepper Aioli........................................ 137

Bronze Rub........................................................................ 116

Salsa Ranchera................................................................. 137

Caramelized Onions....................................................... 116

Salsa Verde........................................................................ 137

Cornmeal Crust................................................................ 116

Salsa Verde II..................................................................... 140

Costa Rican Coffee and Chipotle Barbecue

Salt and Pepper Mix........................................................ 140

Sauce................................................................................... 120

Shrimp and Lobster Stock............................................ 140

Creole Sauce..................................................................... 120

Smoke Rub........................................................................ 142

Curry Ketchup.................................................................. 121

Soft Polenta with Gorgonzola and

Herb Butter........................................................................ 121

Mascarpone...................................................................... 142

Herb Mayonnaise............................................................ 121

Spicy Hoisin Ginger Sauce............................................ 143

Horseradish-Beet Sauce................................................ 124

Thai Dipping Sauce......................................................... 143

Horseradish Cream Sauce............................................. 124

Tomato Sauce................................................................... 143

Lemon Aioli....................................................................... 124 Lemon Beurre Blanc....................................................... 124

PIZZA

Low Tide Cole Slaw......................................................... 125

Classic Jule......................................................................... 150

Lucky Barbecue Sauce................................................... 125

Four Cheese, Red............................................................. 150

Lucky Bones Bloody Mary............................................. 126

Four Cheese, White......................................................... 154

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic...................... 130

Margherita......................................................................... 154

Mushroom Cream Sauce............................................... 130

Pizza Dough...................................................................... 155

Orange Ginger Beurre Blanc........................................ 130

Pizza Sauce........................................................................ 158

Oven-Roasted Roma Tomatoes................................... 134

Positano.............................................................................. 158

Pan-Fried Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Caramelized

Pesto.................................................................................... 134

Onions, Goat Cheese and Fresh Sage....................... 159

Pineapple Salsa................................................................ 134

Saturday............................................................................. 159


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index Shrooms and Cheese, Red............................................ 160

Spiced Chicken................................................................. 210

Shrooms and Cheese, White........................................ 160

Spiced Sweet Potatoes.................................................. 210

Skip Jack............................................................................. 161

Spiced Hamburgers #1.................................................. 211

Sofia Pie.............................................................................. 161

Spiced Hamburgers #2.................................................. 211

Tuscan................................................................................. 164

Spiced Turkey Burgers................................................... 211

White on White................................................................ 164

Stuffed Chicken Breast.................................................. 214 Two-Day Roasted Pork Butt......................................... 218

Seafood Fish and Chips.................................................................. 172 Grilled Cape May Scallops............................................ 174 Lil’s Mediterranean Seafood Pasta............................. 174 Lil’s Shrimp and Andouille Pasta................................ 175 Lil’s Three-Cheese Seafood Pasta............................... 178 Lobster Mac and Cheese............................................... 179 Seared Scallops with Spicy Green Sauce................. 180 Shrimp Crab Cakes.......................................................... 181 Shrimp Creole................................................................... 184 Tile Fish in a Roasted Tomato Broth with Orzo Salad......................................................................... 185

Desserts Banana and Chocolate Bread Pudding..................... 222 Best Cheesecake Recipe................................................ 223 Chocolate Decadence Cake......................................... 226 Creamy Key Lime Pie...................................................... 226 Jersey Blueberry Soup................................................... 227 Lemon Squares................................................................ 227 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies................................. 230 Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp................................... 231

Wine and Liquor Apple Martini.................................................................... 242

Meat and Poultry Pork Baby Back Ribs........................................................ 192

Backwater Sunset............................................................ 242

Beer-Braised Beef with Onions................................... 193

Blueberry Banana Mojito.............................................. 242

Braised Duck Legs........................................................... 196

Espresso Martini.............................................................. 242

Broiled Baby Back Ribs................................................... 198

Key Lime Martini.............................................................. 242

Cuban-Rubbed Pork Chop........................................... 199

Lemon Drop Martini....................................................... 243

Hamburgers with Garlic and Shallot Butter............ 202

Mojito Cubano................................................................. 243

Lemon-Garlic Chicken................................................... 203

Original Fudge Kitchen Martini.................................. 243

Moroccan Leg of Lamb.................................................. 206

Paté’s Primo Cosmo........................................................ 243

Rib Steak with Red Wine and Shallot Sauce........... 207

Beach Plum and Watermelon Mojito........................ 247

254


Resources for apparel, gifts and cookbook

Lucky Bones 1200 Route 109 Cape May, NJ (609) 884-2663 luckybonesgrille.com for beach plum products

Love the Cook 404 Washington Street Mall Cape May, NJ (609) 884-4334 lovethecook.com for the best local wine

Cape May Winery 709 Townbank Road Cape May, NJ (609) 884-1169 capemaywinery.com for the best fresh coffee

Cape May Roasters 404 Washington Street Mall Cape May, NJ (609) 884-9292 capemayroasters.com

“The Washington Inn deserves its accolades.” new york magazine

The chefs at The Washingon Inn present 350 classic creations, plus favorite contributions from fellow chefs and family friends. Eleven sensational chapters feature simple-to-follow recipes, carefully adapted for easy preparation of fine cuisine in your own home, accompanied by:

for casual-romantic dining

The Washington Inn and the Wine Bar 801 Washington Street Cape May, NJ (609) 884-5697 washingtoninn.com for spice mixes

Chef Walter J’s Cuban Spice Rub haspice.com/products

Advice on Entertaining

Tips on Preparation Techniques

Suggestions for Wine Selections, plus

Beautiful, Full-Color Artwork by

Cape May’s Famed Artist, Alice Steer Wilson Available from... love the cook 404 Washington Street Mall whale’s tale 312 Washington Street Mall exit zero store & gallery 109 Sunset Boulevard

W

hen Lucky Bones Backwater Grille opened in the spring of 2006 in Cape May, New Jersey, the nation’s oldest seashore resort, it became an instant classic, with the Philadelphia Inquirer announcing, “Few restaurants wear the Shore’s casual new spirit as well as Lucky Bones Backwater Grille.” Inside these covers, you’ll find the dishes that have attracted a fiercely loyal clientele, and you’ll hear from the characters who make this restaurant such an irresistible experience — the staff AND the customers. So pull up a chair, and bring your appetite along for the ride.

ISBN 9780983076858

9 780983 076858

51995 >

USA $19.95 Canada $24.95

The Essential Lucky Bones Cookbook

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The Essential Lucky Bones Cookbook

Lucky

Lucky

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Lucky

Lucky

Lucky

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Lucky

Lucky

Lucky

Lucky

Lucky

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