Category: This is Cape May

Holly, Winter’s Berries

It’s beginning to look a lot like winter, with berries everywhere! Colorful berries are one of the joys of a winter landscape and garden. They sparkle like jewels on a sunny day or when there is a snowfall. I love to collect them for holiday decorating and also enjoy seeing them outside my window. Birds… Read more »

Cape May on Paper

When you think Cape May what comes to mind? Diamonds? Victorian Sand Ladies? Piping Plovers? America’s original seaside resort has been dazzling new and veteran visitors alike with her charm, beauty and history; many to the point of bringing pen to paper. This collection of inspired authors brings different views—some fantasy, some spooky, and some… Read more »

The Stripers Are Here

THE STRIPERS ARE HERE !!! The American Striper Association ran their annual Fall Tournament, hosted by South Jersey Marina. There were 47 boats entered and many, many fish were caught and many were also released during the event. Each boat was only allowed to weigh two of their heaviest qualifying fish. The winning boat, “Oh… Read more »

The Pumpkin: Thanksgiving’s Centerpiece

In a historic town like Cape May, seasonal decorations that are quaint and natural are often seen in autumn! I know that some folks begin to decorate for Christmas in mid-November, but others hold out until after Thanksgiving. Pumpkins are often scattered here and there in doorways and along paths in the spirit of an… Read more »

Let’s Talk Turkey

Everyone has the perfect foolproof way to prepare their Thanksgiving bird. After relentless polling among fellow chefs and home cooks, three cooking methods are the front-runners in Turkey Decision ’08. Each candidate has strong advocates as well as detractors. The candidates in Turkey Decision ’08 are Oven Roasting Plain, Brined Roasted Turkey and Deep Fried. This month’s column tackles… Read more »

Ish’s Recipes

Inspiration has been a recurring theme for recent columns. It often comes from sources and at times we least expect. Being a chef has its perks and drawbacks. One drawback is everyone who has ever boiled water wants to talk food with you. So it was when I started at the Mad Batter on Jackson… Read more »

The Very Rare Cape May Salts Oyster Can

As rare and elusive as the Cape May Salt oyster is itself, so is the artfully lithographed baby-blue tin can it once came in. Manufactured by the F.F. East Co. in Greenwich, New Jersey, it pictures an old bewhiskered sea captain in a black sou’wester, the spit and image of the “Old Salt” himself, nestled… Read more »

Bogged Down with Cranberries

A working cranberry bog mirrors one of American’s earliest agriculture practices. It also showcases some of the newest and most innovative methods used by farmers today. But time stands still when one reflects on these glistening berries during a beautiful Indian summer day in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Each autumn farmer continues gathering the… Read more »

Cape May’s Grande Dame: The Chalfonte Hotel

Cape May’s 132-year-old Grande Dame has been sold. The venerable Chalfonte Hotel on Howard Street, known for its wrap-around porches and Southern comfort, has changed hands, but fear not, it has not gone into the hands of strangers. Bob Mullock, longtime Cape May resident and owner of Cape May National Golf Club, became the hotel’s… Read more »