SERENITY
Joe Fiorelli of Sound Beach snapped this beautiful photo of Mount Sinai Harbor on his way to Cedar Beach on Sept. 23.
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Wine and Cheese: Sweet wines for the sweet tooth
By Bob Lipinski
Sweet wines are meant for after-dinner consumption, right? Well, yes, and no. There are some sweet and some not so, that are served before and even during dinner. In France a sweet Sauternes wine is occasionally served with the main course and in Italy a chilled glass of sparkling Asti is perfect with light and mild appetizers.
Sweet wines can loosely be defined as wines having noticeable sugar, which is detected in the front of the mouth or tip of the tongue. Sweet wines can be relatively light in body compared to others that are fuller in the mouth with a syrupy rich, fat and lush taste with an almost oily texture. Although there is no legal definition for a sweet wine, it’s generally accepted that wines with over 2 percent sugar are considered sweet.
Sweet wines are made in every country and there are many methods used to make these delicious, luscious wines. The most common methods are:
Dried Grapes: Partially drying grapes after harvest; shriveling berries prior to fermentation. The drying can be in the sun on straw mats or in special rooms, which control humidity. Most European cultures maintain some tradition of partially drying grapes. Examples are Amarone della Valpolicella, vin santo, Sforzato di Valtellina and Valpolicella Ripasso.
Late-Harvested Grapes: Grapes left on the vine so natural dehydration concentrates sugars. Examples are Spätlese, Auslese and wines labeled “late-harvest.”
Botrytis-Affected Grapes: In humid climates, grapes destined for sweet wines may be attacked by a beneficial mold, Botrytis cinerea, which dehydrates the grape and concentrates sugars. Examples are Barsac, Sauternes, Beerenauslese, Tokaji, Bonnezeaux, Cadillac, Monbazillac and Quarts de Chaume.
Frozen Grapes: Grapes are literally frozen, on or off the vine to decrease water content and increase sugar. Examples are Eiswein and ice wine.
Stopping Fermentation: Adding brandy to the grape juice, fermenting wine or postfermentation. Examples are port, sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Banyuls and Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.
Foods that pair with sweet wines are almonds, pistachio, cannoli, cheesecake, chocolate, custards, dried fruits, panettone, pastries, pies, puddings, sorbet, tiramisu and zabaglione, to name but a few. You can even pour sweet wine over ice cream.
Sweet desserts need sweet wines, so choose a dessert that is not sweeter than the wine or the wine will taste dry, thin, bitter and less flavorful. Serve sweet wines cold but not overchilled to get the most flavor from them.
Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need to Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He conducts training seminars on wine, spirits and food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR bkjm@hotmail.com.
Shelter Pets of the Week
MEET FRED AND GINGER!
Check out these cuties!
Recent arrivals from South Carolina, Ginger (white) and Fred (black and white) are 2-month-old Chihuahua puppies currently up for adoption at Kent Animal Shelter. They’re brother and sister and come as a pair, just in time to dress them up for Halloween! Both are so sweet, love to cuddle and give kisses!
Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. The adoption center is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on Fred, Ginger and other adoptable pets at Kent, call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshelter.com.
Editorial: Tale of two methods
It may be difficult sometimes for news consumers to decipher between a news article written by a journalist and a press release composed by a public relations practitioner, especially when the number of the latter outnumbers the former. In an era of websites and social media, press releases are plentiful and can be easily shared. So, readers should take heed.
No offense to those in the public relations field. These are the people who play a valuable role in working with journalists to alert them about interesting stories in their coverage areas and connect them with important people.
However, during times when newsrooms are short-staffed and websites make it easier to post items, many times press releases may appear as articles, though they adopt a public relations position that aims to promote rather than inform. For many news outlets, the luxury of using a press release as only a starting point and digging in deeper with their own reporting has become more and more difficult. And with one quick posting, a story presented by a PR person is shared as news.
When it comes to some short pieces — say about an upcoming career fair, what’s going on at the local library or what awards students or people have won — sharing a short press release isn’t a bad idea. When applicable and appropriate, these pieces can be a valuable tool, because journalists can’t be everywhere.
But when it comes to articles that take on controversial subjects, such as where taxpayer money goes, or where an elected official or political candidate stands, it would be wiser to look for the pieces written by a bona fide journalist. Why? Simply because a press release is written to present the stance of a person or institution, usually from a positive point of view. News articles written by journalists look to represent the various sides of an issue, and when it comes to hot button topics, to find the information that wasn’t revealed. This information is also vetted and double-checked.
It’s important for readers to pay attention to what they are reading. When it comes to contentious events, does the article include all sides? Does it cite documentation that verifies the stated facts? Does it show different points of view and include the names of people who chose not to comment? Be sure to look for multiple points of view from credible, authoritative people with firsthand knowledge of a situation, such as an eyewitness or an expert.
It can be difficult at times. There are those contacts who are inaccessible — some even hiding behind their public relations staff — and with short-staffed newsrooms, a well-written press release can be a big help. But when it comes to articles about contentious topics and important matters, make sure that article you’re about to quote at the dinner table or party or share on social media has been carefully constructed by someone who attends the meetings, makes the phone calls and asks the important questions.
Sharpen your skills when it comes to interpreting information. The skill is essential at a point in time when the ways of democracy are being challenged.
D. None of the Above: Looking to google results for presidential buzz
By Daniel Dunaief
I like to play Google games, just to see how many results I can get on certain search terms. I know I’ve come up with something incredibly specific when the list is 100 or fewer.
Now, to play my game, I sometimes use quotes to increase the specificity of a particular search. For example, I might be interested in hamburgers or “hamburger helper.” The former brought up 481 million in a recent search and the latter, as you might have guessed, was much lower, at 1.3 million. Please know that the figures I am quoting are never static.
Given the highly public nature of the 45th president, Donald Trump (R), I thought I’d check to see how a man who was once a TV personality did on Google. And, from what I can tell, he is winning the search war.
The words “Donald Trump” netted 520 million results. For someone who appears to enjoy the spotlight, even when people are raging against him, that number is impressive. That’s well above the 141 million for Mickey Mouse and the 60 million for our first president, George Washington. Granted, he has been dead for almost 220 years and Mickey is an animated creature. It is, however, below the 633 million for Brexit.
OK, so let’s compare Trump to, say, the 44th president. While President Barack Obama (D) did better than Washington, he didn’t climb as high as Mickey, getting 109 million results. He was, however, twice as popular in the search engine as his immediate predecessor, President George W. Bush, whose name, complete with the “W.,” brought 54.6 million hits. Ah, but then “Dubya,” as he was called, was higher than President Bill Clinton (D), who netted only 33.8 million results.
So, what does this mean? Maybe it suggests that presidents are on a Google escalator and that the modern reality is that the internet has become the way people search for news about the men who have led our country. The 2020 winner likely stands to become an internet search winner, too.
Assuming that the Google popularity contest is relevant, what does it say about the Democratic presidential candidates? Well, a front-runner and former Vice President Joe Biden brought 107 million results. As an aside, that’s well above the 37.5 million results from the person who holds the office of vice president today, Mike Pence (R).
Back to the Democratic candidates. Elizabeth Warren stands at 47.1 million. That beats Pence, but she’s not running for vice president, at least not yet. Whoops, bad Dan. Bernie Sanders, who ran an impressive campaign in 2016, brings up 70.2 million results, which is much higher than Warren, despite her impressive political career. Kamala Harris has 18.5 million results, with others, like Cory Booker, at 5.6 million.
But, wait, is this a popularity contest? Well, yes and no, right? These candidates need sufficient visibility to attract votes. People also need to be interested in them, right? Does former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s 90.9 million results mean she’s more visible than some of the people running for president? No, it’s a reflection of her close run for the highest office in the land in 2016. That is pretty impressive for someone who wasn’t elected, but is well below singer Taylor Swift’s 415 million.
Perhaps the president in 2020, whether it be the incumbent or a challenger, will immediately see a spike in results, as people around the world type in his or her name each day to find the latest news related to the country and to his or her policies.
As an aside, I couldn’t help wondering how often the current president mocks someone or something. The term “Trump mocks” brought up 747,000 results. By comparison, “Biden mocks” only had 14,700 results. Then again, “Trump applauds” had 82,500 results, compared with “Biden applauds,” which had 3,090. No wonder Trump fatigue has set in for some people: He’s everywhere on the internet.
Shelter Pet of the Week: Blue
MEET BLUE!
This week’s shelter pet is Blue, a 2-year-old husky mix from Puerto Rico. Blue may look familiar to our readers — he was featured in the paper back in November of 2017. He was adopted from Kent Animal Shelter and then brought back because the owners fell on hard times.
Blue, who sports one blue eye and one brown eye, would love a big backyard to run around in and would be best in a home without kids. Once he knows you he’s the sweetest boy! Come on down to the shelter and meet him!
Blue comes neutered, microchipped and up to date on all his vaccines.
Kent Animal Shelter is located at 2259 River Road in Calverton. The adoption center is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on Blue and other adoptable pets at Kent, call 631-727-5731 or visit www.kentanimalshelter.com.
SBU’s Pathology team links protein level to pancreatic cancer aggression
By Daniel Dunaief
The prognosis and treatment for cancer varies, depending on the severity, stage and type of disease. With pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the treatment options are often limited and the prognosis for most patients by the time doctors make a diagnosis is often bleak.
Researchers at the Renaissance School of Medicine’s Pathology Department at Stony Brook University have been testing for the presence of a protein called keratin 17, or K17, by staining tissue specimens or needle aspiration biopsy specimens. This measures the proportion of tumor cells that have high levels of expression.
This protein is typically active during embryological development or in stem cells, which are a type of cell that can differentiate into a wide range of other cells. It is also active in pancreatic cancer.
Ken Shroyer, department chairman; Luisa Escobar-Hoyos, assistant professor of pathology; and Lucia Roa, assistant professor of pathology recently published a paper in the journal Scientific Reports in which they documented how the level of this protein can indicate the prognosis for patients. K17 above a certain level typically suggests a worse prognosis.
The Stony Brook scientists want to understand why some pancreatic cancers are more aggressive than others, with the hope that they might be able to develop more effective ways to treat the most aggressive form of the disease.
In the recent research, the level of K17 not only indicated the prognosis for the most aggressive form of the disease, but it is also considered a “cause of making the tumors more aggressive,” Escobar-Hoyos added, which confirmed their previously published research and which unpublished data also supports.
Shroyer suggested that this research paper has been a validation of their plan to pursue the development of K17 as a way to differentiate one form of this insidious cancer from another.
While other cancers, such as cervical cancer, have proven quicker and easier to use K17 for its predictive power, the current work reflects the lab’s focus on pancreatic cancer. As such the research is a “great step forward to generate our first pancreatic cancer paper,” Shroyer said. His lab had previously published papers on other biomarkers in pancreatic cancer.
Escobar-Hoyos indicated that she and Shroyer anticipate that K17, which is one of a family of 54 different types of keratins in the human body, likely plays numerous roles in promoting cancer.
Indeed, K17 may promote the invasiveness of these cells, allowing them to spread from the original organ, in this case the pancreas, to other parts of the body. They are testing that concept through ongoing work in their lab.
The researchers believe that K17 may accelerate metastasis, but that line of thinking is “still at a relatively early stage,” Escobar-Hoyos said.
This protein may also change the metabolism of the cell. They believe K17 blocks the uptake of certain drugs by enhancing specific metabolic pathways.
Additionally, K17 causes the degradation of p27, which is a tumor suppressor that controls cell division.
The researchers used two different ways to monitor the levels of protein, through mRNA analysis and through immunohistochemical localization. In the latter case, that involved staining the cells to look for the presence of the protein.
Roa, who is the first author on the paper, stained the slides and worked with Shroyer to score them.
The assistant professor, who came to Long Island with her daughter Laura who earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s in public policy at SBU, had been a pathologist and medical doctor when she lived in Colombia. She learned the IHC staining technique at Yale University just after she graduated from medical school and worked for six years as a postdoctoral fellow on several projects using IHC.
Roa is thrilled that she’s a part of a supportive team that could help develop techniques to improve patient diagnosis and care.
“We care deeply about developing a tool that will help us to treat patients and we value working together to accomplish this,” Roa explained in an email.
At this point, Shroyer and his team have identified key factors that cause K17 to be overexpressed. They are pursuing this line of research in the lab.
“We think K17 expression is dictated by something different than genetic status,” said Escobar-Hoyos. “This is speculation, but we think it might be triggered based on a patient’s immunity.”
After this study, the pathology team is looking to validate their results through different cohorts of patients. They are working with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and their scientific collaborators at Perthera Inc. to process tissue sections from these cases for K17 staining in their lab.
They are also at the early stages in the development of a collaboration with investigators at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“If we can validate that K17 IHC testing is able to predict a response to the standard of care, then we’ll have permission to start a prospective analysis linked to a clinical trial,” Shroyer said.
Shroyer’s team is trying to understand how K17 becomes activated, what happens when they block that activation, and how it impacts the survival and tumor growth in animal models of pancreatic cancer.
In collaborations with other researchers, they are exploring how K17 impacts the therapeutic vulnerability of pancreatic cancer to over 2,000 FDA-approved compounds.
“There are a discrete list of compounds that are able to kill K17 positive cells,” Shroyer said. He is aiming to start phase 0 trials to validate the molecular model. If the data is sufficiently convincing, they can apply to the FDA to begin phase 1 trials.
He hopes this study is the first of many steps the lab will take in providing clues about how to diagnose and treat pancreatic cancer, which has been an intractable disease for researchers and doctors.
“This paper helps establish and confirm that K17 is an important and promising prognostic biomarker in pancreatic cancer,” Shroyer said. “For us, this is foundational for all the subsequent mechanistic studies that are in progress to understand how K17 drives cancer aggression.”
Attorney At Law: Removal of a fiduciary is not as easy as you may think
By Nancy Burner, Esq.
If you are the beneficiary of an estate or trust and you think that the fiduciary or person in charge is not meeting their obligations, there are procedures in which they can be removed. Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act SCPA §719 lists several grounds upon which a fiduciary can be removed. The grounds are straightforward and include when the fiduciary refused to obey a court order, the fiduciary is a convicted felon, the fiduciary declared an incapacitated person or the fiduciary deposits assets in an account other than as fiduciary of the estate or trust.
However, many situations are not as straightforward as the grounds listed in SCPA §719. While you may be working with a fiduciary that does not act in the manner that you wish, oftentimes, the conduct does not rise to the standard that would warrant their removal.
Courts have held that the removal of a fiduciary pursuant to SCPA §719 is equivalent to a judicial nullification of the testator’s choice and can only be done when the grounds set forth in the statutes have been clearly established. The court may remove a fiduciary without a hearing only when the misconduct is established by undisputed facts or concessions, when the fiduciary’s in-court conduct causes such facts to be within the court’s knowledge or when facts warranting amendment of letters are presented to the court during a related evidentiary proceeding.
Pursuant to SCPA §711 a person interested may petition the court to remove the fiduciary. Some of the grounds listed in the statute include: the fiduciary wasted or improvidently managed property; the fiduciary willfully refused or without good cause neglected to obey any lawful direction of the court; or the fiduciary does not possess the necessary qualifications by reason of substance abuse, dishonesty, improvidence, want of understanding or who is otherwise unfit for the execution of the office. Again, while there are many cases where fiduciaries have behaved badly, courts are generally hesitant to remove fiduciaries unless the assets of the estate/trust are put at risk.
Even though you may be unhappy with the conduct of a fiduciary, not every breach of duty will result in the removal of the fiduciary. Many breaches can be addressed in an accounting proceeding either through surcharge or denial of commissions. While a fiduciary can be removed if conduct that violates SCPA §711 or §719 can be proven, it is often a lengthy and expensive process that involves the exercise of discretion by a court that is hesitant to remove a fiduciary chosen by the testator.
A proceeding to remove a fiduciary should only be undertaken if it can be proven that the assets of the estate/trust are in danger under the fiduciary’s control. Mere speculation or distrust will not be enough to remove a fiduciary. If you believe that the fiduciary of an estate or trust is not managing the estate or trust properly, you should consult with an attorney experienced in estate administration matters that can review the facts and determine the best course of action.
Nancy Burner, Esq. practices elder law and estate planning from her East Setauket office.
Plain Talk: Looking back on the last 40 years
By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli
Fall is a wonderful time of year. On the North Shore, we are reminded of the beauty of the change of the seasons, by the tapestry of colors as the leaves change. This beauty is unfolding despite the horrific political landscape that is demeaning and reprehensible. Hope still lives.
The opiate epidemic continues to claim record numbers of lives from every walk of life, from every socioeconomic system. However, people do recover, reclaim their lives and become productive, contributing members of our community.
For more than three decades, I have lived among the most broken and wounded among us. I’ve been blessed to see human miracles every day. I have witnessed some inspiring human transformations that have strengthened my commitment to stay the course, especially when it has been difficult.
Every fall I think of the countless lives that have enriched me. I also painfully remember those lives that have fallen into the cracks. Their remembrance always challenges me to do more and to never lose hope or give up.
As I think back over the years, I remember different young men from each decade who remind me of why I do what I do. I think of what has become of these men. Each decade has a wonderful group of shining stars. The common denominator is each man was lost, overwhelmed and profoundly wounded. They had lost their way, but with a lot of support and love, they developed coping skills, not only to survive but also to change and transform their lives. They became extraordinary men.
One young man who is now in his 50s is the father of three children. He lives in Wisconsin and is the executive director of a not-for-profit organization that services young people. He is active in his local church and works in youth ministry. Another young man from that decade is married with four children and is a practicing attorney for a large law firm in Chicago.
Another young man lives locally with his wife and twin boys. He is a successful financial broker. He has given back for more than 20 years, anonymously dropping off pizza to the main house every Saturday for dinner. The present community only know him as the “Pizza Boy.”
This group of men from the 1980s refer to themselves as a band of brothers. They continue to connect with each other on a regular basis. Distance has never been an obstacle for connecting.
The 1990s saw the house grow in number with a new band of brothers — more lawyers, teachers, tradesmen and social workers. They all make sure that if they are in town to stop by, say thank you and urge the present community to stay the course and not lose hope.
One of the men from this decade who lives and works out of state recently stopped by with his wife of 15 years and their 12-year-old son. In front of myself and members of the present community he said, “This was and is my home where I learned how to love myself and love others and it will always be where my heart is!”
The men from the 2000s are doing great things. One is an author and a founder of a not-for-profit wellness center, another is a social worker in charge of a street outreach to the poor, while another is in law school on a scholarship. There is also a young man who discovered his gift for music performance who recently received a full scholarship to a local college. He and a band of brothers, through music and song, celebrate the message of hope through recovery and wellness on an ongoing basis within our larger community.
These are just some of the many stories of hope that have sustained me and encouraged me for almost 40 years. A very important part of the story is you — the community; without your love, support and encouragement none of this would be possible. For all of you, I am forever grateful.
Fr. Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.
Cooking Cove: Carrots = 24-karat veggies
By Barbara Beltrami
I think carrots may well be one of the top unsung heroes of the American pantry. Could it be because when we were kids we were admonished to eat our carrots so we could see in the dark? Or because they were accompaniments to the peas that we had to eat or we wouldn’t get dessert? Even cookbooks don’t give much attention to carrots. OK, so they’re not one of those veggies that have come into popularity after prior obscurity. But for me, the carrots are the best part of a pot roast gravy. They’re great with fresh herbs, lemon and butter. Never mind carrot-ginger soup; try cream of carrot soup. And who doesn’t like carrot cake? They’re the golden veggie.
Carrots with Fresh Dill, Lemon and Butter
YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fresh carrots, trimmed and peeled
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
½ stick unsalted butter
Freshly squeezed juice of half a small lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
DIRECTIONS:
Cut carrots into half-inch diagonal slices; sprinkle with salt and pepper; steam until tender, but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Melt butter; in small bowl combine with lemon juice and dill. Place carrots in a serving dish and toss with butter mixture. Serve with meat, poultry or fish.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
YIELD: Makes 10 to 12 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1½ cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
11/3 cups chopped walnuts
1½ cups shredded zucchini
2 cups pureed cooked carrots
½ pound softened cream cheese
6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Dash vanilla extract
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
DIRECTIONS:
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round layer cake pans with waxed paper, then grease with butter. In a large bowl sift dry ingredients; add oil and eggs; beat well; then stir in walnuts, zucchini and carrots. Pour into prepared pans; place on middle rack of oven and bake about half an hour, until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks; when cool, transfer to cake plate and frost.
For the frosting: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter; sift in the confectioners’ sugar and beat until thoroughly incorporated and smooth. Stir in vanilla and lemon juice. Spread between layers, on sides and top of cake. Serve with coffee, tea or milk.
Cream of Carrot Soup
YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 pound carrots, cleaned and peeled
½ cup half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot melt the butter in the olive oil. Add onion, cover and cook, stirring halfway through, until onion is transparent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add broth, water and carrots, and over high heat bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes. In bowl of food processor, puree carrots in small batches, if necessary; return them to liquid, stir to combine thoroughly and transfer back to pot; stir in half-and-half and salt and pepper over low heat until mixture is just hot but not boiling; ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately with a well-chilled sauvignon blanc.
