Culinary Master Series "A Sicilian Christmas" With Chef Paolo Fontana

(L-R) Christine Mazelis, Karen Morreale, MaryBeth Chasteen, Barbara Franco, Chef Paolo Fontana, Pat Biancaniello, Kathy Albrecht, Nancy Vallerella.What did you do Tuesday night? For several Smithtown women, the answer is attend the Culinary Master Series “A Sicilian Christmas” at the SCGP Café at Stony Brook University.

You don’t have to live in Italy, be Italian or go to an Italian restaurant to enjoy the Italian tradition of eating seven fish dishes on Christmas Eve. It turns out that it doesn’t have to be Christmas Eve to enjoy feasting on seven fish and you can combine them into a single dish. That was a message from Chef Paolo Fontana in his presentation  “A Sicilian Christmas” Tuesday, December 2. The presentation was the second in the Culinary Master Series at the SCGP Café (Simons Center for Geometry and Physics) at Stony Brook University. 

With approximately thirty people in the audience, Chef Paolo Fontana demonstrated his technique for preparing his Christmas Eve seafood dish that included shrimp, muscles, scallops, clams, calamari and octopus. He also prepared and shared his recipe for a frittata and panettone.  Cooking was followed by eating. NO One left hungry!

Chef Fontana with octopusChef Fontana emphasized using the freshest ingredients. He encouraged cooks to experiment with ingredients.He shared stories of lessons learned from his Sicilian mother and father. Fontana’s love of cooking was apparent as was his love of his Sicilian heritage. Interspersed with cooking instructions were stories of eating sea urchin, cooking octopus and lessons learned from watching his mom.

You don’t have to be Sicilian to enjoy Chef Fontana’s style of cooking, but if you are, Fontana’s commentary may just bring back some fond memories.

The Culinary Master Series will continue in February  the topic is Aphrodisiacs 

Chef Paolo Fontana  - SCGP Café -100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook University Campus, Stony Brook,, NY 11794

Thanksgiving Day Fire At San Remo Deli In Kings Park

photo courtesy of S.Trehy

Everyday is an appropriate day to give thanks to volunteer firefighters. Thanksgiving Day is no exception. While most people were enjoying Thanksgiving Day dinner and family gatherings, firefighters from the Kings Park FD and several other local fire departments were responding to a fire at the San Remo Deli in Kings Park.

(The information about this fire comes from Jeff DiLavore FD Rant News click here for article)

The Kings Park FD received a call around 6pm reporting a fire at the small strip shopping center on the corner of 25A and Ivy Road in Kings Park. The shopping center houses a pizza shop, cleaners, deli and a vacant store.  The fire was brought under control approximately two hours later. Two firefighters from Kings Park were treated for minor injuries.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Smithtown Fire Marshal, Suffolk County Fire Marshal and the Suffolk County Police Arson Squad.

It's A Tradition - Nissequogue River State Park Foundation's 7th Thanksgiving Day 5k / Turkey Trot

Chalk up another success for the The Nissequogue River State Park Foundation. According to John McQuaid, Foundation President, Thursday’s 7th Thanksgiving Day 5k Run /Turkey Trot brought  1,400 runners to the Nissequogue River State Park.  

This, the 7th annual Thanksgiving Day 5k/Turkey Trot, run is part of a growing trend towards doing something physical before the big Thanksgiving meal. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are more running events on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year.  This is a good thing when you consider that many Americans consume upwards of 3,500 calories at their Thanksgiving feast.  

Runners came from all over Long Island and from as far away as Washington. There were college students and senior citizens. The youngest runners in the 5K were two six-year-olds - Ryder Antonucci from Mattituck and Olivia Digaetani from Oakdale. The oldest runner was 82 year-old Northport resident Dick Berube.

Men’s Division:

1st - Matt Kane from Maple Glen, age 24 took first place with a net time of 15.16.75

2nd - Christopher Connelly, 23, Medford, 15.22.98

3rd - Dan Gargaro 25, Bay Shore, 15.54.37

Women’s Divison:

1st - Brianna Castrogivanni, 22, Commack - 17.29.62

2nd - Callie Hogan,25, Bryn Mawr, 17.39.45

3rd - Sarah Hardie, 18, East Northport, 19.23.17

All results can be found at the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation website  click here

Photos of the event are available at the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation website click here

Theater Review "A Christmas Story" At Engeman Theater

Theater Review - “A Christmas Story” Produced by: Engeman Theater – Northport - Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur

The opening night cast of “A Christmas Story”

The opening night cast of “A Christmas Story”It figures that an enthusiastic cast of sixteen adults and an equal number of youngsters would get a kick out of prancing around in this holiday potpourri at Northport’s Engeman Theater. “A Christmas Story,” which opened last weekend, provides the talented troupe (especially the kids, led by versatile Ethan Eisenberg and magnetic Katie Dolce) with all the playthings any actor could hope to find under the tree for the holidays.

Those toys are: A typically wonderful Jonathan Collins set … expert lighting by Driscoll Otto … mid-20^th century period costumes by Tristan Raines … and the whole works ringing with Craig Kaufman’s precise sound design. Now, turn over the reins to veteran Director, Richard T. Dolce, and you have all the ingredients for a scrumptious yuletide feast!

That would be the case to an even greater degree if Joseph Robinette’s amusing book had contained a couple of memorable songs. Alas, the providing of even one outstanding toe-tapper was apparently too much for Benj Pasek (composer) and Justin Paul (lyricist) to deliver. It’s unfortunate, too, because while the kit of the Engeman cast is overflowing with all the necessary tools … musically speaking, there’s not a lot in this show for them to assemble.

One can understand how the Engeman producers might have been seduced into embracing “A Christmas Story” for their late-fall-early-winter extravaganza. After all, the film (on which the play is based) has become something of a seasonal classic. It’s even preserved as a “cultural, historical, aesthetically significant” movie in the Library of Congress.

That’s all well and good … but the Broadway show’s Pasek & Paul score does not begin to allow for the inclusion of Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Fred Waring’s Orchestra, and the legendary Sammy Kaye … the way the original film “A Christmas Story” did. Deduct such icons from the mix (even though they’re mere cameos in the picture) and any musical is going to suffer.

But that is not the fault of the Engeman cast. If someone handed you the sheet music for ‘Georgia On My Mind,’ but it had the main melody deleted, and consisted only of the bridge, you might be hard-pressed to deliver an entertaining rendition of that beloved song. Those are the tough odds that the Engeman Theater’s performers (including the impressive six-piece orchestra) were up against when told to take the stage and turn a tunefully dry play into a pleasingly festive musical.

Dolce & EisenbergThis is not to say that “A Christmas Story” doesn’t make for a pleasant evening in the theater. No attendee between now and January 4^th will be able to watch young Ethan Eisenberg play the central character, Ralphie Parker, for nearly two hours and not be absolutely enchanted by this boy’s stage presence and vocal range. Indeed, he delivers the Benj Pasek tunes with better styling than they deserve. As for the aforementioned Katie Dolce, we’ll all soon be saying ‘…we knew her when…’ that’s how enchanting she is in her fresh-faced role as the bouncy pre-teen darling, Mary Beth.

David Schmittou comes across as a wistfully reminiscent Narrator (The Adult Ralphie) and Kathryn Markey’s interpretation of an early sixties schoolteacher (Miss Shields) is just about as we septuagenarians recall—stern, but understanding, and even loving. Credit the director for the input. Though Richard Dolce wasn’t around to experience the phenomenon, this reviewer was—and Dolce got Miss Shields right.

In summary, “A Christmas Story” seems to support the hypothesis of many critics that, while countless plays have produced superb motion pictures, the reverse is rarely the case. This premise notwithstanding, how can one fail to enjoy one’s self when actors are having so much fun? The merriment is downright contagious. Especially during the holidays.

______________________________________________________________________

Award-winning writer Jeb Ladouceur is the author of nine novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. In Ladouceur’s new thriller, “Harvest,” an American doctor is ordered to perform illegal surgeries for a sinister gang of vital organ traffickers in The Balkans.

Smithtown's 2015 Town Budget NOT Approved By Town Board

by p.biancaniello

Smithtown Town BoardSmithtown’s 2015 Town Budget did not pass.  The budget failed to receive the necessary three votes to become the official 2015 Town Budget.  Supervisor Vecchio and Councilwoman Nowick voted in support of the budget, Councilman/Deputy Supervisor McCarthy abstained (a $30,000 increase in the Deputy Supervisor’s stipend, the position McCarthy holds, was included in the budget)  Councilmen Wehrheim and Creighton voted NO.  Prior to voting on the 2015 budget, there was a vote on a resolution amending the proposed budget which passed in a three - two decision with Vecchio, McCarthy, Nowick voting YES and Wehrheim and Creighton voting NO. 

According to Supervisor Vecchio the budget amendment became necessary due to the fact that the proposed transfer of Highway Department employees would not occur on January 1 as initially budgeted. Instead the transfers will take place in July of 2015. Therefore predicted savings in the highway budget would not happen. The amendment provides funding for the highway department with current personel staffing. Also included in the amendment were salary increases for certain town employees.

To understand what happens in 2015 you need to understand the budget process. 

The function of preparing the town’s budget rests with a town’s Supervisor.  After creating a budget the Supervisor  presents it to Town Council members and the public. Council members, after examining the budget, may offer amendments/changes to the budget and the changes may or may not be incorporated in to the budget.  Town Board members then vote to schedule a public hearing on what is now called the Tentative Budget. The public is invited to comment on the budget. At this point changes may be made to the budget but generally are not significant changes. A resolution for the town board to accept the budget is placed on the Town Board agenda to be voted on. The vote is largely symbolic since NYS Law mandates that the Town has a budget. Failure to approve the budget means that it becomes the budget without the support of the Town Board.  

L-R Councilmen Creighton and WehrheimSo how did it happen that this all Republican Board did not support the Supervisor’s Budget? It pretty much boils down to communication or a lack of it. Since the campaign of 2013 there has been very little communication between the Supervisor and Coucilmen Creighton and Wehrheim.  It was a messy election followed by Oathgate, followed by the $30,000  increase in the Deputy Supervisor’s stipend for 2014, and now a budget that according to Councilman Wehrheim “is more than a budget, it is the restructuring of Town departments and the way services are provided to the residents of Smithtown without any discussion or input from Council members.”

Wehrheim has concerns about the Supervisor’s plan to transfer Highway Department employees from their department to the Municipal Services Facility (MSF). “I am concerned about snow removal and the impact the proposed changes in leaf and brush pick-ups are going to have on the residents. I asked Superintendent of Highways Glenn Jorgensen if he had concerns about the proposal and he indicated that yes he did.” Councilman Wehrheim provided a copy of a memo  on which all members of the Town Council signed their names seeking written assurances from  Director of Environment and Waterways Russ Barnett, Supervisor of Municipal Services Facility Matthew Gorecki and Superintendent of Highways Glenn Jorgensen that they would work together for a smooth transition. According to Councilman Wehrheim not one of the named department heads has responded.

In addition to the structural changes, Wehrheim is not happy with the unannounced salary increases given to select employees which were part of the adopted amendments to the Proposed Budget Thursday evening. “I am not making a judgement call on whether or not they are warranted. I do believe they should have been part of the original budget and there should have been a discussion about it. Why give salary increases to people when they will be receiving two scheduled increases in January and July of next year?” Wehrheim supplied a copy of notification about the amendments received from Town Comptroller Louis Necroto. “This is the only notification, no discussion, no other information was provided.”

So how much how much have the salaries been increased and what was the justification for the increase? Councilman Wehrheim didn’t know. Presumably Councilwoman Nowick and Councilman Mc Carthy know as they both supported the budget amendment.

Without support from the Town Council Smithtown has a 2015 Budget. 

*Town Comptroller Louis Necroto was not available at the time this article was written.