Smithtown's Women Chefs/Business Owners

What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown

By Nancy Vallarella

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 15% of chefs and head cooks nationwide are women but more than 50% of restaurants are now owned by women according to the National Restaurant Association.  How does Smithtown stack up?  Let’s take a look at the ladies who cook!

Bold, creative, intuitive and newsworthy are the prominent adjectives that come to mind when researching some of Smithtown’s female restaurant/food business owners.  They are bold in their choices to start businesses during economic down-turns in a highly competitive market.  Creative in the products they produce, but also in how they market those products. They are intuitive in understanding their customer’s needs and keep a pulse on their clientele’s ever changing wants.  So far this year, over a four week period, Newsday printed articles about three of Smithtown’s culinary goddesses and their products.

Mid-January, Chef/ Owner Amphia Holmquist of the Thai House of Smithtown was awarded one of the island’s Top Thai tables and her Siam shrimp took the cover of that Newsday’s explore LI issue.  Just prior to Super Bowl Sunday, Elegant Eating’s Tuscan sandwich made a touchdown in Joan Reminick’s article which profiled some of the finest football fare our island has to offer. Sorry Joan but this was hardly news to Lucille Kelly- Sweet Lucille’sSmithtown residents who have enjoyed Owner Myra Naseem’s cuisine for nearly thirty years. It always tastes as good as it looks no matter what the occasion. What better day than Valentine’s Day for Smithtown’s very own Lucille Kelley, Executive Chef /Owner of Sweet Lucille’s to make a Newsday debut with her crown jewel carrot cake? Congrats ladies!

Always refining the menu and offering a cultural experience on weekend nights, Chef/Owner Liz Keschl of Perfecto Mundo brings music, art and psychic-mediums toLiz Keschl - Perfecto Mundo round out the dining experience. She sets her goals high… the english translation of her restaurant’s name is… perfect world. Meet Psychic-Medium Jeffery Wands, April 15^th at Perfecto Mundo. 

Chutzpah or savvy business prowess - which does culinary goddess of Portuguese cuisine, Luisa Batista Owner of LUSO, possess?  She is moving her highly successful restaurant to the west side of Main Street to the rather large and former location of Sertinos Café and Sizzler. With her thirty years of restaurant experience my money is on savvy business prowess. Smithtown eagerly awaits the transformation of the new location.  You go girl!

Maureen Dernbach, Owner of Maureen’s Kitchen, along with her daughters has been feeding Smithtown breakfast and lunch for 27 years. Their altruism is honored by the Smithtown Children’s Foundation with two scholarships - one each for Smithtown High School East and West students who plan on attending culinary school. - Thank you ladies for cultivating culinary talent within our town.

Maria  Mones of Maria’s Mexican and Latin Cuisine, Kristyn Weiser of Fanny Cakes, Florie Robinson of Florie Finales, Erin Pulito of Crumb Belles , Ellen Bedziner of Yogurtini, Claudia La Grega of Faraday’s of Smithtown, Gloria Marsilio of The Garden Grill, the ladies of Our Kitchen to Yours – Maria, Barbara and Toni…  the list goes on.  Oops - Forgot Gail Nelson of Ocean’s Bounty Seafood and her delectable chowders, chillis, crab cakes and coconut shrimp!!

During the month of March, Smithtown Matters would like to honor several culinary goddesses with individual profiles.  Who would you like to know more about? Post a nomination in the Comments area below or on the What’s Cookin’? – Smithtown’s facebook page 

Remember - Smithtown’s Restaurant Week starts Sunday, March 3^rd!

Smithtown Man Arrested For Stealing Gas From 16 Gas Stations

Walter AmerbachSuffolk County Police arrested a Smithtown man last evening for stealing gasoline from 16 gas stations throughout Suffolk County.

During the past four months, the suspect pulled up to gas station pumps throughout Suffolk County in a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee and asked the attendant to fill the tank. When the tank was full, the suspect drove off without paying.

After a gasoline theft on February 26 at the Wave Gas Station located at 386 Lake Ave. in St. James, Fourth Precinct Crime Section put out a notification with the description and plate number of the vehicle.

A Third Precinct sector car located the vehicle at the Planet Fitness gym, 894A Sunrise Highway, Bay Shore. Walter Amerbach, 21, was taken into custody and transported to the Fourth Precinct. Amerbach, of Smithtown, was charged with 11 counts of Petit Larceny.

He will be arraigned today at First District Court in Central Islip.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

It's On! Vecchio Takes Offense To SC Republican Chair's Comments

Last night, at a Deanna Varricho fundraiser, Councilman Creighton formally announced his intention to  seek the position of Town Supervisor currently held by Republican Supervisor Patrick Vecchio.  Mr. Creighton, who is new to the Republican party, received support from Suffolk County Republican Chairman John J. LaValle. Mr. LaValle made comments regarding the lack of economic development under Smithtown’s current regime.  

The following letter was received by Smithtown Matters.

Friends of Pat Vecchio

P.O. Box 634 Smithtown, N.Y, 11787

Chairman John J. LaValle Suffolk County Republican Committee 1150 Portion Road Suite 2 Holtsville, N.Y., 11742

Chairman John LaValle,

It is mind-boggling that you, with your failed electoral record, have the temerity and audacity to come into Smithtown and endorse a candidate for Town Supervisor and demean the stellar government of our town.

What is especially egregious, is that you have no real standing to articulate anything of value or substance on election matters. Let’s look at your record. The Suffolk County Legislature currently consists of Eleven Democrats, two minor party legislators and only five Republicans, a significant erosion of GOP strength under your watch. In January, your candidate for the county legislature of the First District was trounced in a special election by a Democrat. The Republican Party garnered less than thirty-three percent of the vote in a district that favors Republican enrollment. That is pathetic.

Suffolk County’s two Congressmen are Democrats, as is the County Executive. Your congressional candidate, the carpetbagger Randy Altshuler, was defeated by an overwhelming 11,000 votes in 2012. In short, your support and endorsement of anyone is the “kiss of death.”

I am seeking a 13th term as Town Supervisor of Smithtown, and I do so with a great deal of pride, achievement and fiscal integrity. You had two terms as Supervisor of Brookhaven and you departed while your town was under investigation. The Town of Brookhaven was labeled, “Crookhaven,” during your tenure in office. That sobriquet, unfortunately, has affected the candidacies of too many good and able Republican candidates for any office.

There is one good option for you, and that is resignation. You owe it to the Republican Party of Suffolk County.

Patrick Vecchio

The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown Down - Creighton To Challenge Vecchio

By Richard Macellaro

Councilman Robert CreightonWhat most people surmised or knew for the last few months, was confirmed today, when Smithtown Town Councilman Robert (Bob) Creighton announced that, he plans to challenge Smithtown’s longest serving Town Supervisor, Patrick Vecchio, for the Republican nomination for the Supervisor’s Office. 

In an exclusive interview, with this reporter, Mr. Creighton said, “The status quo is unacceptable.”  When asked, “Why are you running for this Office?” the two-term Council member responded, “It’s the right thing to do.”   Further, “this town is suffering due to stagnation.”  Also asked, “Who do you think will support you,” Councilman Creighton smiled saying, “I’ve sensed over the last few months, that many people will support me.”  He continued, “I recognize that this is a difficult challenge for the Supervisor.  The Supervisor has served in that capacity for well over 30 years.  That is a commendable record.”  Further, “in those 30 years, he has had many supporters and admirers.  It’s a difficult task (a primary election challenge-RSM) to say the least.” The Councilman, without missing a beat said, “but, now it’s time for a change, because the Town is suffering.  It is not a business friendly community.”  Inquiring what he meant by saying that the Town is “not business friendly?”   Mr. Creighton declared, “Developers and others interested in moving into Smithtown are not welcomed!  Rather, everything is made very, very difficult.”  “It is almost a hostile environment for people looking to do business with this Town.”  Mr. Creighton seemed frustrated by this, adding, “The Supervisor has done nothing to address or correct this issue.”

Changing subjects, Mr. Creighton discussed Smithtown’s infrastructure.  “The infrastructure needs attention. This was made clear after the storm last year and some of our antiquated equipment could not do the job.”   When quizzed further, the Councilman said, “The Supervisor was stretching the longevity of the equipment to a point where it is beyond its useful life.”  “The Supervisor has no interest in repaving the roads and taking care of the parks.”  Adding, “We must very carefully consider funding these departments in the future.”

In his concluding remarks, Councilman Creighton said, “The Supervisor would like to maintain the status quo.”  “I would like to improve upon the conditions by carefully planning the Town’s future growth and development.”  “We have been essentially a retro-active government and I would prefer to be pro-active.”   It is “very much like the debacle in Washington, D.C.  The Town of Smithtown has been kicking the can down the road, that will ultimately be to the detriment of the taxpayers in Smithtown.”

Reporter’s note.  When I contacted Mr. Creighton, requesting an appointment to interview him on his announcement, he cleared his schedule and we met within 15 minutes of my phone call.  Also, during this face to face interview, Mr. Creighton’s cell phone, was ringing off the hook, with callers congratulating and offering their support (as overheard by me) and him saying, “Yes, this an uphill battle, but I am ready for it.”

Dieting? Watch Your "G"

By Kia Edwards

People who know me know that the nicest reaction I can muster with most fad diets is an eye roll.  With New Year diets still going strong, it’s good to know a bit about the diets that some people recommend.  The Glycemic Index Diet is a popular diet that’s been going around for some time. Originally designed for individuals with diabetes, this diet has branched out to the general population in the form of Nutrisystem, the Zone diet and Sugar Busters.  However, it begs the question: is it a diet worth following?  Let’s check it out.

The Glycemic Index is a numerical scale used to show how quickly and how high a certain food will cause an increase in your blood sugar.  The value is based on glucose, which is given a value of 100.  The thought process is a low to moderate glycemic food item will keep your blood sugar at a more controlled level while a food item that is considered high glycemic will cause an undesirable spike in your blood sugar.  This is a useful concept for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.  Keeping your blood sugar controlled is good for diabetics for obvious reasons.  For non-diabetics, keeping your blood sugar on an even keel can fight the sugar high-sugar crash cycle. 

Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty. How useful is it?  The research is fairly mixed, but it doesn’t say that following the glycemic index is a bad thing.  Some studies show that people lost weight while other studies showed no lasting change in weight loss.   I don’t mind the glycemic index because it encourages you to eat foods such as vegetables, legumes, some fruits, yogurts and oats.  It also discourages eating food that is highly processed since these items tend to be high glycemic (potato chips, french fries, pancake syrup, white bread, you get the idea).  That’s great- something that does the work for me, but most people already know this unless they live under a rock or somewhere similar.

An issue that I do have with the glycemic index is that the values are assigned to individual foods.  This is a problem because we rarely eat one kind of food during a meal, which distorts the glycemic effect.  For instance, if you eat a potato (GI value ranges from 82-100 depending on how you cook it), but you eat spinach or another low glycemic food with it, the glycemic effect becomes difficult to predict.  The solution is to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index, but I won’t knock you if you add in a sweet treat on the odd occasion. 

Overall, the Glycemic Index is a useful little tool if you’re trying to avoid counting calories, go low-carb, or looking for a way to change your eating habits (I also hate the word “diet”- it’s a lifestyle change).  It’s not telling you anything you don’t already know, but it’s good to have reinforcement.  Here’s a list of foods and their glycemic index.  Happy eating!       

Food	Glycemic Index
Low Glycemic
Hummus	6
Peanuts	15
Grapefruit	25
Lentils	25
Fettuccini	27
Mixed Grain Bread	28
Skim Milk	32
Sweetened Yogurt	33
Apple	38
White Spaghetti	41
Sweet Potato	44
Carrots	49
Oatmeal	49
Banana	54
Mid-Glycemic
Short Grain White Rice	55
Whole Wheat Pita	57
Basmati Rice	58
Bran Muffin	60
Fresh Corn	60
Corn Chips	63
Shortbread Cookie	64
Beets	64
Couscous	65
Cantaloupe	65
Pancakes	67
High Glycemic
Graham Crackers	74
French Fries	76
Doughnuts	76
Pancake Syrup	81
Pretzels	81
Rice Cakes	82
Corn Flakes	83
Baked Potato	85
Wild Rice	87

Kia Edwards is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist who lives in New York City. She studied French and Economics at Colgate University, spent 15 years as a high-level competitive gymnast and 6 years as a gymnastics coach.  Her business, La Fortesse At Home Fitness Training, helps clients get healthy with simple at home exercises and nutrition counseling. www.LaFortesse.com