LBI couples spice up date night at LBIF food studio

Photo by Ryan Morrill
Scangarello prepares the evening's
entree before tackling dessert.

The smell of fresh, fragrant herbs intermingled with the pleasant sounds of clanging utensils and easy chatter as three couples gathered in the kitchen for “Date Night in the Food Studio” at the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences on Thursday, July 25. Between discussing cooking tips, sipping red wine and prepping food, the group observed chef Thomas Scangarello of Harvey Cedars as he prepared the evening’s four-course meal. Appetizers included grilled swordfish skewers paired with avocado, mango and fresh lemon and lime juices, as well as freshly diced bruschetta and assorted cheeses.

“That’s the fun – you come learn how to cook, and you eat while you’re cooking and drink a little wine,” said Rick Bushnell of Surf City before taking a bite of swordfish. “I think people overcook fish all the time for some reason. When you watch Tom do it, he just browns it a little bit. It’s really simple stuff. It’s refreshing and doesn’t create a whole lot of heat, so if you’re cooking on a hot summer night, it’s easy to do,” he added.

Bushnell and his wife, Patsy, said they had participated in the culinary program two times prior and had already signed up for the rest of the season’s classes.

“I like the suggestion of things you can do that aren’t that complicated. I’m doing things that I don’t normally do in the kitchen, and I like the camaraderie of it,” Patsy remarked.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
 Dinner includes linguine and
white clam sauce mixed with
a little bit of tomato for color.

Thursday night’s entrée, a pasta duo, was prepared with sausage, Garganelli noodles and baby Portobello and shitake mushrooms, sprinkled with parsley and provolone cheese, as well as linguine and white clam sauce mixed with a little bit of tomato for color to blush the sauce.

“I learn something new every time,” said Scangarello’s daughter, Sara, who was on-site to help. Tom “doesn’t do anything too complicated because he wants people to be able to buy the ingredients and put it together. It always comes out good. It’s simple, but very interesting,” she added.

Scangarello began teaching courses at the food studio three years ago to supplement his career as a planner, representing municipal governments and land developers in New Jersey and Florida. He had approached the Foundation about renovating the kitchen and had the studio revamped entirely by local volunteers.

“I always had a passion for cooking, and frankly I’m trying to make my passion into a way to make income. It’s a lot of fun,” said Scangarello. “There is a lot of stress in my other job and a lot of late-night meetings. But with this, not so much.”

Scangarello said he often purchases his food from local markets. The evening’s ingredients came from the Blue Claw Seafood Market and Okie’s Butcher Shop in Surf City, as well as from Blacky’s Clam Stand in Manahawkin.

“You don’t have to spend hours and hours in the kitchen, but in order to cook

Photo by Ryan Morrill
Shortcake topped with fresh fruit
concludes the evening in the food studio.

good you have to buy good. That’s the whole point of this,” he emphasized.

By the time the entrée was fully prepared, the evening’s participants had nibbled on enough of the delicious appetizers and were ready to indulge in dinner. Each person took a seat at the table, which was covered with a white tablecloth and carefully set with china dishes and the proper utensils. Before sampling the different side dishes and continuing in friendly conversation, they thanked each other for the food before them and the company among them.

“We didn’t make it until tonight, but we’re here and I’m so glad we came. The food looks delicious, and we learned a bunch of new tricks,” said Helaine Greenberg, sitting at the table next to her husband, Jack. The couple, who have a second home in Loveladies, said they had met Scangarello on the beach two years before and had been invited to attend one of the classes.

Marci and Scott Porter, who said they often rent during the summer in Barnegat Light, agreed they were happy to have left the kids at home for an evening at the food studio.

“You meet people on LBI and do stuff you wouldn’t normally do at home. You learn some new recipes and ideas. It’s not intimidating. It’s really fun, actually,” Marci remarked.

“It’s very educational and it’s stress-relieving,” added Scott, while taking a sip of wine.

Happy to see the couples enjoying themselves, Scangarello began cleaning up the dishes and prepping for dessert: shortcake topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries and peaches.

“Date Night in the Food Studio” will continue throughout the summer on Friday, Aug. 9, and Thursday, Aug. 22. Each class is limited to 10 participants and registration is required one week in advance. Registration costs $130 per couple or $100 with an LBIF membership. Call 609-494-1241 to sign up.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.