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Irish Apple Cake

By Heidi Sutton

Whether your shamrock spirit leads you out for a local St. Patrick’s Day parade or you’re more of a stay-at-home leprechaun, there is one tradition all can agree on: delicious Irish food. 

Serve with Sweet Irish Soda Bread and share a sweet way to complete the meal in style with Irish Apple Cake, a classic dessert to top off a filling celebration. This version is easy enough to prepare with a handful of everyday ingredients for the cake, a crumbly topping and homemade custard for the finishing touch, courtesy of Family Features.

Sweet Irish Soda Bread

Sweet Irish Soda Bread

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:  

4 tablespoons butter melted

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

4 cups self-rising flour

1 cup currants or raisins

2 tablespoons sanding sugar optional

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 F. Mix melted butter and sugar then add buttermilk. Mix in flour and currants (or raisins). Flour hands and counter. Add sanding sugar to dough, if desired, and knead into ball. Grease small Dutch oven or pie plate and bake 40 minutes. 

Irish Apple Cake

Irish Apple Cake

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

3 cups self-rising flour

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 stick butter cubed

3/4 cup sugar

4 apples of choice peeled and cubed

2 eggs

1 cup half-and-half

Topping:

1/2 stick butter

3/4 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

Custard:

6 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

2 teaspoons vanilla 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease and flour 9-inch round springform pan. In large bowl, sift flour with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Using fork, cut butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Add sugar and apples; mix well. Stir in eggs and half-and-half until mixture reaches thick, dough-like batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

To make topping: In bowl, mix butter, flour and sugar to create crumbled mixture. Sprinkle on top of batter in pan. Bake 1 hour. Check with toothpick to make sure middle is completely done. If not, bake 5-10 minutes. Let cool on rack.

To make custard: Whisk egg yolks and sugar. In saucepan, bring half-and-half to boil. Add one spoonful half-and-half at a time to egg mixture, whisking while adding. Once whisked together, return to saucepan and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Serve custard over cake.

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Image by Alexandra Koch from Pixabay

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

As more teens learn about artificial intelligence, more are using ChatGPT in doing their schoolwork. According to K-12 Dive, an industry newsletter, between 2023 and 2024, the number doubled. What has also increased is the way in which students can cheat on assignments.

Like every new invention, there are pluses and minuses. Using ChatGPT as an aid can be of help by providing new ways to view information. It can create a metaphor or write a synopsis and offer a different perspective. It could also complete the homework in a false manner that deprives the student of real understanding, much like copying someone else’s notes, even if he or she gets a good grade.

And with so much pressure for good grades, some students may find it easier to cheat, especially in this way that is harder to detect, than to actually learn the new material. Of course, the person they are really cheating is themselves. While AI cheating may offer an academic pathway for short term success, if misused it undermines intellectual growth and also challenges students’ moral and ethical development.

Cheating, of one sort or another, has always existed in academic circles. One way I can recall, when I was in college, was to use Cliff Notes to summarize a plot. These were intended to enable a term paper on Tolstoy’s “War & Peace” or Dickens’ “Bleak House,” for example, without the student having to read the actual thick book. The student may have made it through the class but at what price?

Other forms of cheating included hiring someone to write that term paper for the student, or even hiring another student to take a final. We all knew in school that cheating, in various ways, existed.

So how can cheating be prevented?

The answer is, it probably can’t. But according to the K-12 Dive Newsletter, it can be minimized by creating “a culture of integrity” within which to dissuade cheating.

I can tell you how my college did so in the early 1960s. There was an Honor Board made up of students elected to that position for one year. Anyone accused of cheating or any other improper act could be brought before this jury of peers and either found innocent or, if deemed guilty, appropriately sentenced. Trials, which were few, were held in private, as were verdicts. Innocent until proven guilty was the mindset, and integrity was valued.

That said, I am sure people still cheated without getting caught.

As for catching those misusing ChatGPT, teachers are urged by the Newsletter to read assignments and consider them in light of what they know about each student’s abilities. Testing with pencil and paper in class is revealing. AI use for homework won’t help on a class test.

“Noting the absence of expected concepts or references used in class or the presence of concepts and references not taught in class,” is a giveaway, according to K-12 Dive.

And further advocated in the Newsletter is the idea that students will be less likely to cheat if they understand the moral principles at play, as discussed in the school.

Let’s applaud ChatGPT for what it can do. It can prove to be a helpful tool if used transparently. Students should be taught how.

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METRO photo

Upon waking up in the morning, the first thing most of us do is open the weather app, reservedly hopeful. It feels as if winter should be over as we enter March, but as the weather for the day appears on our screens or televisions, we are greeted with a little cloud icon. Again. 

Despite lengthening daylight hours and sporadic days of sunshine, Long Island enters March under cold and cloudy conditions. The low temperatures keep many inside clutching a hot beverage. In the summer, there would still be plenty of daylight hours to still take advantage of: a comparison that we can’t help but indulge in.

There are some days where our only outdoor time involves walking from the car to the front door; this lack of exposure to the sun as well the inability to pursue hobbies such as hiking, playing sports, swimming or gardening can cause seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

SAD is characterized by oversleeping, overeating and social withdrawal in addition to decreased energy, loss of pleasure in hobbies and difficulty concentrating or making decisions, to name a few. 

While many don’t experience the impacts of the season drastically enough to have a SAD diagnosis, the lack of time outdoors and under the sun undoubtedly has an effect on our behavior and outlook. 

On a chemical level, researchers theorize that vitamin D, which we produce when we are exposed to sun, plays a role in the production of serotonin, otherwise known as the “happy chemical.” According to the National Institute of Mental Heath, the lower levels of vitamin D are common in people who suffer from SAD. 

Furthermore, fewer daylight hours can cause the body to begin producing melatonin earlier, leading to oversleeping. 

The uncomfortable weather understandably keeps us indoors, away from our hobbies, leaving us feeling unfulfilled. The days seem to pass faster without activities to break up the monotony of being indoors. 

Luckily, we can take vitamin D supplements to compensate for our lack of sunlight exposure. While this can abate the chemical impacts, it is important to pay attention to how the season changes our lifestyle choices and to try to mitigate that or supplement it with something else. 

Perhaps, instead of gardening outside, we decide to devote ourselves to a collection of houseplants. We can invest in some hand-warmers and warm weather clothing  to continue hiking and walking without becoming uncomfortably cold. Or, we can take up a new engaging hobby like painting, knitting, or rock-climbing. Moving our body in some capacity is also important to make sure we stay in shape and boost our endorphins, which can decrease symptoms of depression, stabilize our mood, and help us manage stress. 

As we enter the home-stretch of cold-weather, we should check in with our personal and physical needs.

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Irish coffee Cheesecake

By Heidi Sutton

If St. Patrick’s Day inspires feelings of hearth and home rather than leprechauns and green beer, you can celebrate tradition with warm, filling meals that harken back to Irish heritage. Irish stews are certain to conjure up some nostalgia while a delicious cheesecake is a perfect way to honor tradition regardless of your ancestry.

Irish Sláinte Stew

Recipe courtesy of Family Features

This Irish Sláinte Stew offers a warm welcome to guests with your own way of toasting to the holiday – Sláinte is “cheers” in Gaelic. This hearty meal is perfect for a crowd with traditional stew meat slow-cooked in a Dutch oven with beef broth, spices, carrots, potatoes, herbs and an Irish draught beer. Serve alongside crusty bread that’s ideal for soaking up each delicious drop.

INGREDIENTS:

Irish Sláinte Stew

Oil for drizzling

1 pound stew meat

1-2 pinches salt plus additional to taste, divided

1-2 pinches pepper

3 tablespoons flour

48 ounces beef broth

1 cup carrots diced

1 cup celery diced

3 cups potatoes diced

1/2 onion diced

2 tablespoons garlic pepper

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried chives

1 bottle Irish draught beer of choice

crusty bread for serving

DIRECTIONS

In Dutch oven over medium heat, drizzle oil and brown stew meat with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over meat. Add beef broth, carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, garlic pepper, thyme, rosemary and chives. Add Irish draught beer. Bring to boil, stirring, 5 minutes. Simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with crusty bread.

Irish Coffee Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy of National Honey Board

Share a sweet way to complete the meal in style with a delicious Irish Coffee Cheesecake. For a fun St. Patrick’s Day twist, drizzle green crème de menthe over whipped cream just before serving.

Irish coffee Cheesecake

YIELD: Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

For Crust:

2 1/3 cups (about 10 oz.) – shortbread cookies, crushed

2/3 cup – oatmeal

2 T – honey

1/2 cup – butter, melted

For Filling:

2 (8 oz.) packages – cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup – honey

2 T – Irish whiskey, or milk

1/4 cup – powdered French Vanilla coffee drink mix

2 T – flour

4 – eggs

For Topping:

1 cup – heavy whipping cream

2 T – honey

1 T – Irish whiskey, optional

1 T – powdered French Vanilla coffee drink mix

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine crust ingredients (crushed cookies, oatmeal, honey, butter) in a large bowl, mix well and pat into bottom, and halfway up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup honey, whiskey, 1/4 cup coffee powder, and flour; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time and beat just until blended. Pour mixture into crust.

Place cheesecake on a cookie sheet, and bake 40 to 45 minutes until cheesecake is puffed and center is set. Turn oven off, and allow cheesecake to cool for 15 minutes with door ajar.

Remove cheesecake to a cooling rack and cool 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around sides and remove the pan. Allow cheesecake to cool 30 minutes more; then place in refrigerator to chill.

Meanwhile, make topping by whipping cream until thickened. Add 2 T honey, 1 T whiskey, and 1 T powdered coffee, and whip until peaks form. Pipe or spread on chilled cheesecake and serve.

 

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'Eel Spearing at Setauket (Fishing Along Shore)' by William Sidney Mount, 1845. Courtesy of the Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY
Glenda Dickerson introduced the members of the Christian Avenue community seated in pews on the theater stage and set the tone for the play. Courtesy of Three Village Historical Society.
Lynda Gravatt portraying Rachel Holland Hart. Courtesy of Three Village Historical Society.
Lucy Hart Keyes, (88) interviewed by oral historian Fai Walker. Mrs. Keyes said, “My mind is so clear - bout as clear about back then as it is about now.” Courtesy of Three Village Historical Society.
A scene from the play. Photo from Three Village Historical Society
A scene from the play. Courtesy of Three Village Historical Society.

By Beverly C. Tyler

In 1986, Glenda Dickerson, a theater arts professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, began an oral history project with her students, interviewing members of the African American Christian Avenue community. This resulted two years later in a four-day theater program which she described as a “living exhibit…a portrait of a community past and present.” 

“When William Sidney Mount painted ‘Eel Spearing at Setauket (Fishing along Shore)’ in 1845 on contract for George Washington Strong he made, as far as we can tell, an exact representation of the landscape, but the people – painted later in his studio- are the past. The boy is thought to be William Sidney Mount himself and the woman, by tradition and folklore, is Rachel Holland Hart. They are perhaps a look back at an even earlier time when the 19th century was only in its infancy.” according to the exhibit and play “Eel Catching in Setauket” by Glenda Dickerson. It was Mount’s painting that inspired Dickerson to title her project “Eel Catching in Setauket.”

Before the theater experience, theater-goers were treated to a bus ride from the university to the African American Christian Avenue community, with a tour of the Bethel AME Church, graveyards and Legion Hall and then a meal shared with members of the community. 

In the play, the actors portraying the members of the Christian Avenue community, the members themselves who contributed their oral histories, and the theater-goers, described by Dickerson as “eel catchers,” were together on the stage as joint parts of the play. Dickerson wrote in the souvenir journal and theater program, “An eel catcher is a person who loves people and old pictures and history and characters and folklore and drama and textures and art and fun and laughter and doesn’t mind experiencing them all at one time.” 

Theodore Green, a descendant of Rachel Hart, was Glenda Dickerson’s guide and advisor, for the eel catching oral history project. In his story “The Hart-Sells Connection” in the Three Village Historical Society book “William Sidney Mount: Family, Friends, and Ideas”, Green wrote, “The woman is recognized to be Rachel Holland Hart, a housekeeper for Judge Selah Brewster Strong 3d…At the time the picture was painted, she was fifteen years of age…In planning the picture, Mount may have recalled scenes from his own childhood, when he was taught fish-spearing by an old Negro by the name of Hector.”

In the opening of the theater experience, Lynda Gravatt, portraying Rachel Holland Hart said the words Mount credits to Hector, “Slow now, we are coming on the ground. On sandy and gravelly bottoms are found the best fish. Look out for the eyes, there! Ha! Ha! He will grease my pan tonight.”

Seated behind Gravatt were the members of the Christian Avenue community. For the play, they took premier places on benches and pews in the Stony Brook University Art Center’s theatre as a dramatic feature of the presented living history.

As described by Dickerson, “The purpose of this living exhibit is to paint a portrait of a community, past and present. When you walk into the exhibit, it will be like walking into [the] souvenir journal. You will hear some of the same words. You will see the same photographs. You will see the stories leap to life as though from your own imagination.

“The photographs, the artifacts and the actors will tell stories that are sepia-toned, ebony, butterscotch and tea-rose, just like the women and men who shared their memories and their personal belongings with the project.

“The personal artifacts in the exhibit are not only displayed under glass to be contemplated in solitude and silence; they are living testaments to the warmth and generosity of Christian Avenuers. The prayer caps and church hats worn in the drama are not costumes, but actual items worn by the community. The pages of the souvenir journal, which document Bethel AME Church’s long and rich history will come to life as you read them. The eel spear Rachel Holland Hart carries is an authentic one.

“The magic circle of Christian Avenue – past and present – will stay with you. The trees have dappled the Avenue in the same way for a hundred years; the houses have held their secrets that long. Bethel’s bell has toiled seemingly forever. And the people have walked the Avenue from Setauket’s beginnings. Some of the folks lay in Laurel Hill, others in Bethel Cemetery; some have moved to far-flung places, others are still there. In my vision, they are one with the eelers and other workers who first came to Setauket, not voluntarily, and stayed to make history. In my vision, the autumnal elders will live forever, safe in the magic circle, shining like springtime. On Christian Avenue, it is forever Indian summer.” 

Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Rd., Setauket, NY 11733. Tel: 631-751-3730. WWW.TVHS.org 

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Studies have shown that adding blueberries to your diet can lower your blood pressure. Pixabay photo
Non-clinical readings may paint a more complete picture of your risks

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

Nearly 120 million U.S. adults, just under half of the population, have hypertension (1). Of these, only 25 percent have successfully controlled their blood pressure to less than 130/80 mmHg, the high end of “normal” blood pressure.

For the remaining 75 percent, the risk of complications, including cardiovascular events and mortality, is significantly higher.

What increases our risk of developing hypertension? An observational study involving 2,763 participants showed that the top three influencers on the risk of developing high blood pressure were poor diet, modest obesity, and cigarette smoking, all of which are modifiable (2).

What increases your risk of complications?

Being significantly overweight or obese, smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, family history, age, increased sodium, depression, diabetes, low vitamin D, and too much alcohol all increase your risk (3).

The good news is that you can improve your risk profile (4).

What is the effect of gender?

One of the most concerning complications of hypertension is cardiovascular disease. A large observational study with a 31-year duration found that isolated systolic (top number) hypertension increased the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in both men and women between 18 and 49 years old, compared to those who had optimal blood pressure (5). These complications were not affected by onset age.

When the results were sorted by gender, women experienced the greatest effect, with a 55 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease and 112 percent increased risk of heart disease death.

When  to measure your blood pressure

Most of us have our blood pressure measured when we’re at a doctor’s office. While measuring blood pressure in a clinic can be useful, a meta-analysis of nine studies showed that high blood pressure measured at nighttime was potentially a better predictor of myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) and strokes, compared to daytime and clinic readings (5).

For every 10 mmHg rise in nighttime systolic blood pressure, there was a corresponding 25 percent increase in cardiovascular events. The nighttime readings were achieved using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM).

A factor that might increase the risk of nighttime cardiovascular events is masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH).  MUCH occurs in those who are well-controlled during clinic readings for blood pressure; however, out-of-clinic readings indicate their blood pressure is uncontrolled.

A study of 167 patients found that medication non-compliance was not a significant factor in those experiencing MUCH (6). Of the participants experiencing MUCH, 85.2 percent were fully adherent with their prescribed medications, a number similar to the group that did not experience MUCH.

Interestingly, in the Spanish Society of Hypertension ABPM Registry, MUCH was most often seen during nocturnal hours (7). The study’s authors suggest that ABPM may be a better way to monitor those with higher risk factors for MUCH, such as those whose pressure is borderline in the clinic and those who are smokers, obese or have diabetes.

A previous study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension suggested that taking at least one antihypertensive medication at night may be more effective than taking them all in the morning (8). Those who took one or more of their blood pressure medications at night saw a two-third reduction in cardiovascular event risk.

Blueberries and blood pressure

Diet plays an important role in controlling high blood pressure. Lowering sodium is critically important, but adding berries may also be beneficial.

In a study of post-menopausal women with pre-hypertension or stage one hypertension, daily consumption of 22 grams of blueberry powder, the equivalent of one cup of fresh blueberries, reduced systolic blood pressure by a respectable 7 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg over two months (9).

This addition of a modest amount of fruit had a significant impact. Blueberries increase nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax and reduces blood pressure. While the study used blueberry powder, an equivalent amount of real fruit might lead to an even greater reduction.

High blood pressure and possible cardiovascular complications can be scary, but lifestyle modifications, such as making dietary changes and taking antihypertensive medications at night, can reduce your risks.

References:

(1) millionhearts.hhs.gov. (2) BMC Fam Pract 2015;16(26). (3) uptodate.com. (4) Diabetes Care 2011;34 Suppl 2:S308-312. (5) J Am Coll Cardiol 2015;65(4):327-335. (6) Hypertension. 2019 Sep;74(3):652-659. (7) Eur Heart J 2015;35(46):3304-3312. (8) J Am Soc Nephrol 2011 Dec;22(12):2313-2321. (9) J Acad Nutr Diet 2015;115(3):369-377.

Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.

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Irish Beef and Beer Pot Pie

By Heidi Sutton

Everyone has corned beef and cabbage on the brain come St. Patrick’s Day. But these other flavorful dishes might appeal to a greater number of people with Irish roots.

Shepherd’s Pie is a savory dish made of minced lamb that originated in England but also made the jump to Ireland, where it became a popular comfort food. While Shepherd’s Pie can be made with freshly cooked ground meat, it also is a fine way to use leftovers from a previous meal. 

Many families have their own ancestral recipes for Shepherd’s Pie, but for those looking to cook the dish for the first time, try the recipe below, courtesy of Alton Brown, which appeared in Season 12 of his hit show “Good Eats.”

A hearty home-cooked meal loaded with flavor and sure to fill you with cheer, Irish Beef and Beer Pot Pie is made piping hot to warm up any St. Patrick’s Day party.  Full of hashbrowns, carrots, peas and beef, it’s a twist on tradition served with puff pastry topping the tasty stew. A cup of your favorite stout beer, of course, will come in handy for deglazing the skillet to ensure you enjoy every bit of beefy flavor.

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:  

1 1⁄2 pounds russet potatoes

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1⁄2 pounds ground lamb

1 3⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt

3⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1⁄4 cup half-and-half

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk

1⁄2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1⁄2 cup English peas, fresh or frozen

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400 F. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1⁄2-inch dice. Put them in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, drop the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in an 11-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the meat, salt and pepper, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour, toss to coat, and continue to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly until the sauce is thickened slightly, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the half-and-half and butter in a microwave-safe container and nuke until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes (a masher is an excellent tool for this, though a hand mixer will do), then add the hot half-and-half mixture, as well as the salt and pepper. Mash to smoothness, then stir in the egg yolk.

Add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and spread evenly in an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling over, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooking rack and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Irish Beef and Beer Pot Pie

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”
Irish Beef and Beer Pot Pie

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 pound ground beef

1 cup stout beer

3 tablespoons flour

1 can tomato puree 15 ounces

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 cup beef broth

1 bag hashbrowns with peppers and onions 28 ounces

1 can carrots 14 ounces, drained

1 can peas 14 ounces, drained

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 sheet puff pastry thawed

1 egg

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400 F. In large skillet or Dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain and set aside. Over medium heat, deglaze skillet with beer and whisk in flour. After thickening, whisk in tomato puree and add Worcestershire sauce. Mix in ground beef, garlic powder and beef broth. Add hashbrowns, carrots and peas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place puff pastry sheet on cookie sheet. Beat egg and brush over pastry. Bake 10 minutes. Place hot puff pastry on top of beef mixture and serve.

 

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METRO image

By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

Every month it seems that the world is becoming more unsettled and divisive. No matter what one’s political affiliation, all of us would agree that there is waste and mismanagement within the federal government. It is very troubling.

However, it doesn’t help that all kinds of accusations are being made about theft, fraud and mismanagement and very little is substantiated with legitimate proof. Dedicated public servants with impeccable records, some with spouses and children, are being fired without real notice. We can and should do better.

Attempting to freeze federal grants that benefit the poor, the needy, those battling mental health issues and our veterans, honestly is unconscionable and heartless.

For more than 40 years, I have refused to take federal money because I worried that one day I would have to face what my colleagues and the nonprofit world are facing. The anxiety and unconscious stress that so many are feeling right now is so unnecessary.

The work that the not-for-profit community does in our local community and in our county is beyond words. The countless lives saved and transformed could fill pages upon pages of any newspaper if their stories were told.

As an educator, what is equally troubling is how we cannot have transparent, critically thought out conversations about the real issues that concern all of us. It seems sometimes that the people we elect leave their heart and soul at the steps of the Capitol. We have elected a senator and a Congress person to represent us, not to mindlessly repeat what the party leadership speaks.

The next generation is watching us and what we are showing them from the classroom to the workplace. 

We are so blessed to live in one of the greatest countries in the world. We are a melting pot of every race, creed, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and social status. Every American has a voice that must be heard. We must not be afraid to express ourselves, especially if it goes against our leadership. That’s the beauty of our nation. Every voice, no matter who’s speaking, is important and must be respected. 

Americans should never be afraid of reprisal for expressing respectfully what they feel and what they think.

When are our elected representatives going to represent us and what we feel is important? When are we going to elect representatives that lead and not follow?

Isn’t that what democracy is all about?

Father Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

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Igor

ADOPT IGOR!

This week’s featured shelter pet is Igor, a black, domestic short-haired male cat up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter.

Approximately seven years old, this enchanting boy arrived at shelter as part of the Town’s Trap, Neuter, Release program (TNR). Sadly, he was found covered in scars, which reveal what an incredibly rough and heartbreaking life he lived on the streets. Despite his hardships, Igor remains sweet and gentle, with a heart full of love just waiting to be embraced by a special human companion who can bring him joy and happiness.

Igor

While Igor takes some time to trust people and is a little shy when meeting new faces, he is loving and affectionate with his caretakers. Once you meet Igor, he’ll happily spend endless hours by your side, soaking up all the love and affection you have to offer. He is an endearing fella who will effortlessly pull on your heartstrings by purring through every stroke, pet and snuggle one lucky family can dish out, making up for years of neglect during his time living on the streets. Igor deserves his happily ever after and will make a wonderful addition to an adoring family’s heart and home.

The Smithtown Animal Shelter believes Igor would do best in a quiet home. However, a home with older children, calm dogs, and possibly cats would be okay as well.

All of the felines at the Shelter are current on vaccines and have received a full workup (blood work, Feline HIV & Leukemia tested, physical exam etc.) by a board certified veterinarian.

If you are interested in meeting Igor, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with him in the shelter’s Meet and Greet room.

The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575 or visit www.townofsmithtownanimalshelter.com.

 

 

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Research associate Dr. Ejiro Umaka is pictured with BNL’s sPHENIX detectorEjiro Umaka at the sPHENIX. Photo by Kevin Coughlin/BNL

By Daniel Dunaief

Despite their importance in making a turkey sandwich, a clarinet, and an adorable puppy wagging its tail possible, quarks and gluons don’t figure into the realm of subjects discussed at water coolers, which, incidentally, also depend on the interaction between these subatomic particles.

Ejiro Umaka has the opportunity to change that, at least for a general audience including national legislators, in under three minutes while using only one slide.

A Research Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Umaka won $2,000 at BNL’s second SLAM competition, in which she and nine other junior scientists presented their research in front of a live audience. Umaka planned to present her work this past Wednesday, March 5th to an audience of politicians, judges and people generally interested in science.

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY1) attended the previous event and extended his congratulations to Umaka.

“Dr. Umaka’s unwavering commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and her exceptional curiosity exemplify the pioneering spirit that positions Long Island at the forefront of research and technological development,” LaLota wrote in an email. “I am confident that [she] will represent Suffolk Count with distinction, and I eagerly anticipate her continued achievements.”

While the winner of the national competition will receive $4,000, the opportunity to compete and to describe her work for a general audience has already provided important experience for Umaka.

“I am honored to represent BNL,” Umaka explained in an email. “I am thrilled to discuss my work to a large audience without the usual scientific jargon, which has led to a deeper understanding of my work.”

During the SLAM competition, these scientists, whose competition will be live-streamed, use three minutes to inspire, captivate, and enlighten audiences whose decisions could affect future support and funding for important research projects.

In 2023, when Daniel Marx, Deputy Group Leader of the EIC Accelerator Design Group at BNL, traveled to Washington to represent BNL, he met several politicians from around the country, including Reps LaLota and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY2).

The politicians, many of whose districts, like LaLota’s included a national lab, were “certainly interested,” said Marx. He recalls speaking with Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN3), who served as Chairman of Energy and Water Appropriations.

Fleischmann, whose committee sets the budget for the Department of Energy and the national labs, was “very interested in having a conversation with us about the interplay between science and politics and how we can work together on that.”

Marx also enjoyed meeting with Bill Foster (D-IL14), who has a PhD in physics and has signs like “I love physics” in his office. “He has a really good grasp of what’s going on,” Marx recalled.

Foster asked penetrating and important questions about Marx’s work on developing the Electron Ion Collider.

Quarks, gluons and slowing down

Umaka is looking forward to representing BNL at the national competition and to sharing the science she does with a national audience.

Umaka works at the sPHENIX experiment, which is a radical makeover of the original PHENIX experiment. The experiment collects data at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, or RHIC.

The size of a two-story house with a weight of about 1,000 tons (or about five adult blue whales), the sPHENIX detector will capture snapshots of 15,000 particle collisions per second.

After the superconducting magnet at the core of the sPHENIX traveled across the country from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California to Brookhaven, it was installed in 2021. Umaka arrived at the lab before the sPHENIX was assembled.

“It’s not every time as a physicist or junior researcher that you start off with an experiment that is new,” said Umaka. 

The sPHENIX had to work out some early challenges. Initially, the experiment planned to use a mixture of gases in the time projection chamber that included neon. The war in Ukraine, however, created a shortage of neon, so the lab switched to a different gas and added isobutane. The group celebrated with an isobutane cake. Fortunately, the supermarket hadn’t run out of them.

Umaka explained in her winning talk that her experiments allow the team to explore the universe as it was millionths of a second after the Big Bang, when the primordial soup that contained quarks and gluons came together to create the world we know.

She compares the process at sPHENIX to having chicken soup in the form of the quark gluon plasma. The researchers then shoot small objects within a jet that are similar in scale to the other ingredients in the soup so they scatter off each other. From there, they can deduce the microscopic nature or point like structure of the plasma.

The role of sPHENIX is to record jets that come from the collision of nuclei that release quarks. 

“The jet shoots through the soup, and this is why we can use jets as a probe,” Umaka explained.

In the experiments, the soup exhibits collective behavior, which is similar to the response of a school of fish that turn in unison when disturbed. When the researchers look at the soup on the level of individual quarks and gluons, the particles should behave like molecules in a gas. 

By recording lots of collisions, sPHENIX increases the likelihood of finding and recording desirable jets useful for probing the soup at the level of individual quarks and gluons.

“We want to discover how the fluid-like (collective) nature of the soup emerges from fundamental interactions of quarks and gluons,” Umaka explained. 

Nigerian roots

Born in Nigeria, Umaka moved to Houston in her teens when her parents transferred to the United States. When she was younger, she wasn’t confident in her science aptitude. She took difficult courses in which the social structure worked against her advancement as a woman.

In Houston, she took a particle physics course. The professor suggested she’d do well in his group and that she’d get to go to Geneva to do research.

“Sign me up,” she recalled saying, and she did.

A resident of Brookhaven, Umaka enjoys visiting the mall, reading books, attending yoga classes, listening to music and talking with family.

As for the SLAM event, Umaka appreciates the way the competition has increased her visibility.

“If people like the talk, they will invite you to do other stuff, which is great,” she said.

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To watch Ejiro Ukama give her presentation at the National SLAM competition, click here and go to 1:48.

 

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