Pulse Magazine - Spring 2022 - Hofstra University

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Our Voice.

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MENU PULSE MAGAZINE

Food Insecurity

Food For Thought

Food Deserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Athlete’s Diets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Composting Food Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Gender Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Climate Change and Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Eating Disorders on the Rise . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Healthy Food Banking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Black Women with Eating Disorders . . . . . 28

Food Bank Donation Guide. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Ethics of Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Culinary School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Reducing Meat Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Long Island Eats

Just Snackin’

L.I. Cookbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Rise of Charcuterie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Ice Cream Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

TikTok Helps Beginner Chefs . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Serving Joy at Coco’s Confections . . . . . . . . . 15

Cannabis Eats Across the Island . . . . . . . . . 17

Prohibition to Pandemic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Unusual MLB Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Oldest Pizzeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Uber Eats Wants You to Eat Local . . . . . . . . 37

The Best Bacon, Egg and Cheese . . . . . . . . . . 40

Diet Foods for Dogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Freeport’s Nautical Mile is Evolving . . . . . . 44 Graphic by Jillian Tkaczyk and photos by Gabrielle Pascal

Sarah Baum Frank’s Red Hot

Editorin-chief

MEET THE TEAM

Brianna Rae Cauliflower Wings

What plate are you passing?

Jillian Tkaczyk

Senior Creative Director Gabrielle Pascal

Anna DeGoede Mac & Cheese

Creative director

Fried Plantains

Photo Editor

Creative Director/Copy Chief Fruit Salad

Megan Naftali

Madeline Armstrong

Rebecca Williams

Oatmeal

Pot Pie Soup

Managing Editor

Fried Pickles

Assistant Managing Editor

Taylor Nicioli

Annabel Hofmann

Managing editor

Francis Argueta Lasagna

Business and Printing Manager Tiffany Acosta

Crab Cakes

Advertising Director Sushi

Associate Copy Chief

Megan Lamont

Darian Kukral Tacos

Tostadas De Tinga

Food and dining editor

Associate food and dining editor Acai Bowls

Social media director

FROM THE STAFF

I

n a divisive world, there is one thing that tends to unite people — food. Food keeps us alive, it keeps us going, it keeps us close and connected.

melting pot that is Long Island. We also developed a better understanding of the forces that move our world, the things that make Long Islanders tick, and, of course, ourselves.

For many of us, Long Island is home, whether we have lived here our whole lives or chose to move here. The Island is roughly 1,400 square miles, and we covered the food scene here to the best of our abilities in this 48-page issue, and believe us, it wasn’t easy.

The Spring 2022 issue of Pulse comprises 25 stories and required hours of hard work and dedication to produce. Without the perseverance of our passionate staff, this magazine would not be what it is today. In many ways, working on this publication has brought us all together.

From Tiffany Acosta’s story on gender disparity in the culinary industry, to Megan Naftali’s profile of a modern speakeasy, to Gabby Pascal’s analysis of eating disorders and race — this issue will open your eyes to the vast expanse that is the dinner table. Our project took staffers across Long Island. From the streetside eateries of Hempstead to the salty waters off Freeport and the agricultural fields of Calverton, our exploration of food, farming and dining unearthed the best that the Island has to offer. It also revealed the deeply rooted inequities that the region still faces. In creating this magazine, we gained a deep appreciation for the

At first, we were classmates, and now we are proud to call one another friends. We would especially like to thank our exceptional professor, Scott Brinton, for guiding us and imparting the necessary knowledge and tools to assemble this magazine over the past three months. Our hope is to make an impact on the place that has impacted us so greatly — Long Island. The people and places that we have covered mean more to us than anyone will ever know. We hope you enjoy being a part of our Pulse journey as you sift through the pages to come. Stay hungry and bon appétit!

SIGNED,

The Staff of Pulse

Photo cover and template designs by Brianna Rae Supporting photography by Gabrielle Pascal

COOKING THROUGH HISTORY with the Hofstra University Special Collections BY ANNA DEGOEDE

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rickety library cart full of aging books with handwritten titles, rarely touched, holds an unexplored wealth of vibrant, tantalizing cooking recipes and meals. The cookbooks found on this cart in Hofstra University’s Special Collections are yellowed with time; their brittle pages and spines feel as though they might flake off into pieces at any moment. In the reading room, which is accessed through the bottom floor of the Axinn Library, the cookbook authors are church and community members from different Long Island towns. Recipe origins extend from Hempstead to Islip and Bridgehampton, with themes ranging from Mediterranean to German and Jewish recipes. A majority of the cookbooks were brought into the collection by acquisitions curator Bronwyn Hannon, according to Michael O’Connor, a consultant

Hofstra’s collection of cookbooks is extensive and includes historical and cultural cookbooks from each of Long Island’s main towns.

with the Special Collections department. Although Hannon’s job was a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic, the collection she curated remains a striking legacy of her work. The collection features a wide variety of cookbooks from Long Island starting as early as the 19th century. “The cookbooks from the 1800s were already at Hofstra, for whatever reason, because they are an essential part of Long Island history rather than for a cookbook collection specifically,” said Debra Willet, senior library assistant for the Long Island Studies Institute.

Reading chronologically through the titles is like taking a time machine and jumping through fragments of the past. Recipes titled along the lines of “World War I Cake” in one book and “Blitz Torte” in another serve as a reminder of the history contained in the unassuming spiralbound books. Although the large-scale consequences of wars provide the most obvious historical lens through which to read these cookbooks, a more subtle factor that influenced these recipes was the advancements in food science when each cookbook was published. Professor Sharryn Kasmir, chair of anthropology and director of the food studies minor at Hofstra, suggested that cookbooks often showcase common household cooking items that were common for the members of the organizations that compile the recipes for each book. “They’re kind of self-produced, self-published books, and those recipes contain items that would have been popular or common in households at the time,” Kasmir said. “Canned vegetables or Jell-O molds in the 1960s would be a really historical telltale.” In fact, Jell-O, which is known as gelatin in its unbranded form, rose to prominence in the 1900s and into the Special Collections cookbooks simultaneously. One book, Bridgehampton’s 300th anniversary cookbook, which was published in 1956, contained numerous recipes using gelatin. One of the several gelatin reOne of many carts full of cookbooks from the cipes in that cookbook was Lime Special Collections department. Sherbet, provided by Mrs. John Naylor. The ingredients list for this dessert is relatively normal from a modern perspective: water, sugar, PULSE

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lime zest, lime juice, egg whites and of course, gelatin. The result: a fresh, icy, citrusy dessert for a hot summer’s day. However, as the novelty of ingredients like gelatin wore off, so did the number of times trendy recipes such as Lime Sherbet appeared in the cookbooks. By the end of the Special Collections shelf, there are little to no gelatin salads present. Gelatin was not the only ingredient to undergo a shift in popularity. Shellfish grew in prominence over time, too, according to Charity Robey, a food journalist and member of the Culinary Historians of New York. Unlike gelatin, shellfish continued to become more highly sought after as time progressed, and never faded from favor. “If you look at books from the ’50s on Long Island, you may find recipes for shellfish and for different kinds of fish, but they’re not going to be recipes, for the most part, that are for company or that are fancy, because at that time that was not really considered to be fancy food,” Robey said. Even shellfish recipes from a copy as late as the 1974 “Oysterponds Country Cookbook” remain relatively understated: Community member Carole Luce’s scalloped oyster recipe contains no hints that this dish might be served at a dinner party, and the ingredient list requests only oysters, milk crackers, butter, milk, pepper and paprika. Other recipes from the Special Collections cookbooks feature more unconventional ingredients because of the various cultural influences different communities on Long Island have had on their creation. “If you look at cookbooks across different communities, it tells you a lot

about cultural distinctiveness, but also class differences, race differences and work,” Kasmir said. For example, in “Iranian Kosher Recipes,” written by Ester Moreh, a member of the Ester Chapter of Hadassah in Great Neck, a recipe for Koresh Nana Jafari features kiwi, mint and apple­­ — ingredients that non-Iranians might have never cooked with in tandem. Similarly, “Midway’s Favorite Kosher Recipes,” compiled by the women of the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, highlights a wide variety of Jewish recipes. Matzah Balls, Challah and Israeli Salad are just a few of the recipes found in this book. Here, preparations involve locating ingredients difficult to find in grocery stores where there is not a large Jewish population, such as pareve margarine, lekvar and matzah meal. Willet said that while the collection is extensive, Special Collections will continue to keep an eye out for more diverse food cookbooks. “The only way we could acquire more is if it were produced by an ethno-geographic location, for example a Hispanic or Asian community. If any of those communities put out a cookbook, we would be interested in that,” she said. Ultimately, cookbooks will continue to be impacted by current events, developments in cultural diversity and technological advancements. Although there may not be as many print cookbook options to add, as the rise of the Internet has led to an abundance of online recipes, the lasting legacy of the Special Collections community cookbooks reminds us of the meals, drinks and desserts that came in the decades before today.

The dishes at right were made by the author with recipes from Hofstra University’s Special Collection of community cookbooks.

Lime Sherbet “Bridgehampton’s 3 0 0 t h A nn i v e r s a r y ”

M at z a h B a l l s “ M i d way ’ s F avo r i t e Kosher Recipes”

K o r e s h N a n a J a fa r i “Iranian Kosher Recipes”

P h o t o s b y A nn a D e G o e d e PULSE

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THE RISE

Of

CHARCUTERIE By Brianna Rae

Photos courtesy of Nicole Gubelli PULSE 10

“People were just trying to think of new ideas for date nights.” - Corrina Cafarelli Charcuterie Queen

W

ho doesn’t love finger food? To have a selection of the finest meats, delectable cheeses and fresh fruits at your fingertips sounds like a dream come true for a night in. You may have noticed that the catering of your favorite events has shifted to large tables of fancy grapes, creamy goat cheeses and oven-roasted almonds — what we now refer to as a “charcuterie board.” Whether quarantine has prompted your DIY charcuterie habits or you’re just interested in the craft, Corrina Cafarelli is here to help. Cafarelli, the self-proclaimed Charcuterie Queen of Long Island, explained the intricacies of an arrangement. With 30,000 followers on Instagram (@the.charcuterie.queen) and a feature on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” her charcuterie habits are far past the point of intrigue. This is now her lifestyle, her career. Her cheeses are imported from around the world, from France to California, as her kitchen and follower count continue to grow. The idea was sparked around the summer of 2019, when a

friend’s husband suggested going full-time with the hobby. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the opportunity presented itself. “All the restaurants were closed. People were trying to think of new ideas for date nights — just something different to do inside, to just order a cheese board with your glass of wine,” Cafarelli said. “It’s something that they hadn’t done in a while.” Gabby Macallister, a Hofstra University junior drama student, prepares impressive boards for herself and her friends. She finds the delectable, divine dining experience of charcuterie to be an outlet to show her love, appreciation and hospitality. “Everyone is always excited to see whatever is on that plate,” she said. “I love how unifying [the boards] are — they always seem to bring a positive and cheerful vibe.” Accessibility is also a prime reason that Macallister loves charcuterie. “They can be used for any meal of the day — and that is quite honestly my favorite part,” she said. Whether you work with the finest ingredients from a gourmet shop or the most accessible from your local grocery store, one thing is for certain: Charcuterie is a unifier, bringing a sense of community, aesthetic appeal and dynamic flavor to any gathering. “I love what it brings,” Cafarelli said “I feel like it’s still hitting me to think that I’m able to do this as a full-time career.”

At left: GABBY MACALLISTER’S PERSONAL BOARD.

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DOWN TO THE BA SICS:

New chefs cook up inspiration from TikTok

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ost college students have little free time in their schedules. Between classes, homework and jobs or internships, a lot stands in the way of their ability to develop new skills like cooking. In the search for fast, easy information, many have turned to TikTok as a quick way to learn. TikTok "is a much more digestible way to consume food media,” said Kelly Scott, an alumna of The Culinary Institute of America and owner of the TikTok account @kellyscleankitchen. “You don’t have to sit through long YouTube videos and can get to the good stuff much quicker.” @Kellyscleankitchen teaches viewers how to cook, targeting beginners with its “Basics of Cooking” series, in which Scott reviews techniques that some may not know how to do, such as how to cut different foods and how to cook them correctly. She even talks about pointers that many are not taught and often overlook, like how to hold a cutting knife. Her TikTok account has amassed 185,900 followers and has received an overwhelmingly positive response from fans. When Scott is told by her viewers that they have successfully followed one of her videos, it “makes [her] day,” as her goal is to make cooking seem “less intimidating” for beginners. Scott’s videos not only showcase

By Jillian Tkaczyk

technique, but also focus on the background of the technique. “I feel like the most important thing to provide is the ‘why’ behind it... because then it's actually educating versus just copying," she said. Describing how Scott would have benefitted from someone teaching her the basics when she was in college, she commended the TikTok food community for “helping tons of college students who have limited resources for cooking, whether that be lower cost items or dealing with a lack of a kitchen.” Content creators across TikTok using their platforms to offer beginners an unworried start highlights the importance of easily accessible information for the public, as well as how TikTok can inspire users to learn skills that they otherwise would not have thought about, or would have struggled to learn on their own. Serena Torres, a Hofstra University junior, is a TV studies production major and social media influencer. She uses social media as an emotional and creative outlet, as well as a way to spread positivity. “#Posivibes is a phrase I started saying in high school and everyone loved it so I decided to make it my motto,” Torres said. “Positive vibes, to me, is anything that makes me happy: a painting, a small conversation with my grandma or simply the color pink.” PULSE 12

Torres emphasized how important it is to spread correct information on social media and use platforms to make a difference, as influencer’s content is “art that moves another person." In 2020, she created a small campaign for the Black Lives Matter movement in which she and 14 others ran 8.46 miles to honor George Floyd after his death. While she is involved in activism, her content is a mix of education and entertainment. She posts TikToks covering topics such as fashion and beverage reviews. A popular sub-genre that has acquired a large community is informational cooking videos, which heavily interest Torres. “I thoroughly enjoy cooking videos on TikTok,” she said. “TikTok provides a lot of inspiration when I’m looking to cook. I’m not going to sit and look through a book — I’m trying to quickly see if I like something enough to try.” Torres goes by @spupcake on all social media, including her TikTok, where she recently posted a video of her making a ham and cheese sandwich. As a full-time student, she does not have access to a kitchen, but would like to enter the cooking side of TikTok more. She plans to make more content following recipes when she gets her own kitchen, so stay tuned. Hofsta sophomore TJ Cerasi credits Sunder’s account, among others, as the

“GET TO THE GOOD STUFF MUCH QUICKER.” - Kelly Scott, owner of @kellyscleankitchen on TikTok

Photos courtesy Adobe Stock

foundation for his interest in learning to cook. “I have seen so many viral TikTok videos of amazing-looking meals that I just had to start trying to recreate them myself," Cerasi said. “Since then, TikTok has taught me how to make the most out of my air-fryer, especially on a budget.” Accounts that focus on cheap “college” meals interest Cerasi the most, as they cater to his demographic. As a college student, he makes the most of his means in an air-fryer, as this is the most time efficient manner of cooking.

“I first got an air-fryer for my roommates and I to reheat food easily,” Cerasi said. “Since then, TikTok has taught me how to make the most out of my air-fryer, especially on a budget.” Another side of the TikTok food community features content creators who cater to audiences with limited resources, specifically college students. Raunak Sunder, owner of @collegechefron on TikTok, teaches viewers how to cook meals on a budget, as many of his recipes require $5 or less. Also, many of his rePULSE 13

cipes are done in an air-fryer, as college students are often without access to kitchen or lack the time to prepare a full meal. TikTok’s fast pace and easily shareable content has made it easy for beginner cooks like Cerasi to dip their toes into the world of food. The app serves as an advocate for those who may feel intimidated about learning to cook, which is why the free, helpful information found on TikTok is so important.

PARADISE IN ONE FELL SCOOP

ADDITIONAL INFO

By Megan Naftali

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aying out on a beach, feeling the warm sand beneath your skin and ice cream in hand is what may be viewed as paradise. Little do people know that Paradise is an ice cream parlor in Mastic Beach, Long Island, three miles away from Smith Point Park Beach and the ideal summer day. When people walk into Paradise Ice Cream shop, they are greeted with a multitude of eye-catching colors and 51 delicious flavors. Some of the standout colors include blue from Cookie Monster Crunch, yellow from Peanut Butter Moose Tracks and a mix of red, blue and yellow from the Superman flavor. Paradise Ice Cream has been a staple of the community for 15 years, but before it became Paradise, it was Uncle Louie G Ice Cream. The shop is also known for its delectable ice cream throughout the community. It even had one Northport native drive over 30 miles for ice cream to meet the girl of his dreams. “I first met my girlfriend in person at Paradise Ice Cream. It’s one of those small town places [where] no matter what you are doing or where

you are, you take those memories with you,” said Jacob Edwards, a Long Island resident of 25 years. Ice cream can make people forget about their bad day and bring a smile to their faces. This is the owner of Paradise Ice Cream, Yakov Fuzailov’s favorite part about operating his shop. “It is fate, it brought me out here and put me together with this place,” Fuzailov said. “I saw the person working behind the counter [and] I fell in love with it, with putting smiles on people’s faces and nobody walks out of here unhappy.” The ice cream comes from three different distributors, which include Calip Dairy, Panza Ice Cream and the Hershey Company. Fuzailov asserted he favors all the flavors which he carries and compared the experience to trying to choose a favorite child. It is evident that he holds much pride in his work and loves serving the community and meeting new people. “I’m self-made [and] everything is made with love,” Fuzailov said. “It is very hard to survive, but I see that I did something right.” Ice cream photos by Megan Naftali

Yakov Fuzailov, owner of Paradise Ice Cream, holding the cookie monster crunch flavor. Photo by Megan Naftali

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SERVING JOY AT COCO CONFECTIONS

Terrence Kenniff, from left, owner, with employees Shannon Sackett and Megan Heavey.

By Taylor Nicioli

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errence Kenniff, owner of Coco Confections and Coffee and “chocolate wizard,” has been serving joy to his customers daily since the opening of the store three years ago in April. Originally intended to be a chocolate and tea shop based on Uzbek culture, Coco is now a well-loved haven for the pairing of chocolate and coffee in Sea Cliff, with their tagline, “two beans: infinite indulgence.” Inspired by Brooklyn Chocolatier Michael Rogak, “son of a son of a candymaker,” Kenniff told the “chocolate legend,” half-jokingly at the time, that one day he was going to be a part of the chocolate-making field. Sea Cliff was where his family had resided for a calmer life, and he found the joy in helping local families celebrate their special occasions. Coco Confections has everything from deep, dark, robust chocolatey coffees to delicately light, citrusy-tasting coffees, paired with truffles and anything that you can dream of chocolate-dipped. Kenniff, who has been in the foodservice industry for the past 30 years, including 20 years at one of the top catering facilities in New York, said he keeps his products on the higher end, like his hand-painted truffles. “The chocolate-making process is fun and frustrating all at the same time,” said Kenniff. “Chocolate is temperamental, pun intended. There is a science to it and there is an art to it.” Kenniff credits the creation of his shop to the happiest day of his life, when he and his wife had handed out Earl Grey truffles as wedding favors. Now, Kenniff continues to aid people in their celebrations with handmade chocolates within the community near his shop and even shipping across the country. “Chocolate transcends everything; it transcends age, culture, mood,” said Kenniff. “We celebrate with chocolate; we use chocolate to comfort and soothe. In prosperous times, we eat chocolate, and in difficult times, we eat chocolate.” The customers that come in regularly describe the shop as a “personalized experience” and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. The shop has customers that come in every day, as well as customers that come from out of town on their occasional visits to the Island. “Coco Confections is a community,” said Kenniff. “We try to keep everything local here at the shop because a business has a responsibility to its neighborhood. It is really nice to become a part of this community and be a part of people’s lives in this way.”

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Photos by Taylor Nicioli 15

FROM PROHIBITION TO PANDEMIC By Megan Naftali

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t first glance, you would never know what lies below. An inconspicuous bookshelf in the back of a frozen yogurt shop has the ability to transport you back a century in time. A small statue bust on the right side of the bottom shelf stands between you and history. You pull the bust forward, the door to the past opens, and the first thing you see is the original tin wall covering from the 1920s and a staircase leading you to a speakeasy, a secret bar created during Prohibition, now known as Charlotte’s Speakeasy. You walk down the stairs and suddenly hear the distinct sound of jazz music. Your heart beats along to the rhythm of the smooth sounds. Your excitement hits a high when you spot the bar to the right, because for one night you are escaping reality for a moment you will never forget. Prohibition began in the United States on Jan. 17, 1920, under the 18th Amendment, which banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. In 2020, a global pandemic erupted, almost exactly 100 years after the start of Prohibition. “It was very difficult at the height of Covid-19, even when we were allowed to open, the restrictions were so stringent that we were losing money every night that we were open,” said Nick DeVito, co-owner of Charlotte’s Frozen Yogurt and Charlotte’s Speakeasy in Farmingdale. “People said to us, ‘You are a speakeasy, just sneak everybody in there,’ but the State Liquor Authority perhaps was not as good humored as the police officers back in the 1920s.” Charlotte’s Speakeasy is owned and operated by brothers Nick and John Devito, who bought the space not knowing

Bartenders Richard Brace, left, and Robert Teed prepare the bar before opening. Photo by Megan Naftali

the rich history of their new establishment. When the real estate agent took them on a tour, they entered through the cellar doors in the backyard, the only way to get into the speakeasy at the time. Unsure of what was down there, the real estate agent suggested they use the space for storage. The DeVito brothers didn’t know what that space would be yet, but they knew it was destined for greater things. “When we came in, we cut [a] hole in the floor, we put the staircase in, but we didn’t do anything with it,” DeVito said. “Then the mayor, [Ralph Ekstrand], shows up one day and asks how [we] like having a speakeasy in [our] basement. I said, ‘We like that. What are you talking about?” After realizing they own a Prohibition Era speakeasy, the brothers decided to restore the space to what it once was, this time legally. “We got the [Farmingdale] Village officials and the mayor to come downstairs before we spent any money and [to make sure we could],” DeVito said. “The mayor said, ‘We love this idea. This is historic, it’s cultural, it will bring people from all over, and it’s a bit of Long Island history.’” The speakeasy, now with a modern twist, cherishes the past by highlighting elements that were left behind. Wood columns that used to support the ceiling now hold up your drinks, as the wood was used to make the top of the bar counter, according to DeVito. Additionally, each menu has a piece of the original tin wall covering on it so everyone who grasps a menu holds a little bit of the history. Photos from the 1920s plaster two of the speakeasy’s walls, and as it turns out, they are actual photos of the DePULSE 16

Pineapple Express mocktail crafted by Robert Teed. Ingredients include coconut sorbet pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup and ginger beer. Photo by Megan Naftali

Vito brothers’ relatives, combining the speakeasy’s history with their family history. “There’s a photo of my grandparents on the boardwalk in Long Beach 1920, my grandmother in Bethpage 1917 and my grandmother in front of the 1929 Ford,” DeVito said. “My mother’s name is Charlotte, my grandmother’s name is Charlotte, as well. We named the frozen yogurt store after my mother and the speakeasy after my grandmother.” Drinks served at the speakeasy are not just reminiscent of the drinks served in the 1920s, but they are those drinks, according to Robert Teed, a bartender at Charlotte’s Speakeasy. “We are very fortunate that since about 2009, there has been a cocktail renaissance, and a lot of companies have brought back what would have been dis-

Exterior of DeMarco’s Department Store circa 1920s. Photo courtesy the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society and the Farmingdale Public Library Digital Photograph Collection

continued spirits,” Teed said. “For that reason, and because of people like Dave Wondrich, who is a cocktail historian, we have access to the recipes that were used at the time and oftentimes the spirits that were being used, so to the best of our ability with the ingredients at hand, we are actually recreating those same cocktails.” Some cocktails offered at the speakeasy include the “French 75,” a mix of gin or cognac, lemon, sugar and champagne and the “Mary Pickford,” named after an actress in the 1920s, with aged white rum, maraschino liquor, pineapple, pomegranate, Peychaud’s

bitters and lime. Ten other cocktails are listed on the menu, along with wine and beer offerings. Bartending at the start of the pandemic was difficult as food was allowed, but alcoholic beverages were not. It made Teed feel as though his craft was lesser. “Fortunately enough,” he said, “it wasn’t completely like [Prohibition] because people were allowed to make to-go cocktails, so the industry held out for a while, but at a point, they stopped allowing to-go cocktails and when that happened it was 25% capacity. The people who were making serious money bartending now have very limited ability to keep the lights on and pay their rent,” Teed said. “What happened because of it is a lot of people paired down their staff so places [were] not run as efficiently as they want to. It’s more stress for everybody working, and the product sometimes suffers, but like fine dining, people genuinely care so you have people who still strive for that higher [end] result, but to an extent, it’s a bit reminiscent of [Prohibition].” Before the DeVito brothers renovated and reopened the speakeasy with the frozen yogurt shop as a front, Frank DeMarco owned DeMarco’s Department Store. No official documents show that a speakeasy existed at that Farming-

“I wanted to be the one to finally deliver it to where it was supposed to go.”

A bottle from the shipwrecked Lizzie D, gifted to Charlotte’s Speakeasy by an unnamed donor. Photo by Megan Naftali

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A Long Island speakesy 100 years in the making dale location, since it was illegal at the time to have one and there are no documented police raids. DeMarco’s store is estimated to have opened in the 1920s, and DeMarco was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, according to Toniann Contarino, a librarian at the Farmingdale Public Library. When Charlotte’s Speakeasy is open for business, DeVito likes to show people photographs of the outside of the building from the 1920s and show them the old escape route. On the way to the escape route, there is a table with mementos from the past and objects that people have gifted to the speakeasy. One such item includes a bottle from the shipwrecked Lizzie D. The Lizzie D was a tugboat that left New York Harbor in 1922 to allegedly assist a distressed schooner and vanished in a strong storm. There is speculation that the Lizzie D carried illegal liquor. The ship was found in 1977 when divers discovered the ship with crates with hundreds of bottles of Kentucky bourbon, Scotch whiskey and Canadian rye, about 15 miles off the coast of Long Island, according to the Mob Museum. “What are you giving this to me for?” DeVito said. “Look, about 100 years ago, this was on its way to you and it missed by [a few] miles. I wanted to be the one to finally deliver it to where it was supposed to go,” said the man who gave DeVito the bottle.

Photo courtesy of Nataliya Vaitkevich / Pexels

THE MUNCHIES

WITH LEGALIZATION, CANNABIS-INFUSED DISHES RISE IN POPULARITY By Darian Kukral

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ecadent fudge-covered cake pops, fresh zingy chicken tacos and sugar-coated lemon berry cupcakes aren’t the only dishes and desserts that can be infused with marijuana. In fact, nutritional fat and marijuana are the best of friends. When the two interact, it causes a unique high. Any fat such as butter, coconut oil, olive oil and even bacon fat can be infused with marijuana. Marijuana-infused baked goods, culinary plates and beverages have become a new trend in a number of states. From household ingredients to small businesses and restaurant empires, marijuana is popularly used in the kitchen. The Marijuana Regulation Taxation Act (MRTA), passed on March 31, 2021, legalized

adult-use (21-plus), recreational cannabis in New York State. With legalization came the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), governed by the Cannabis Control Board, to regulate adultuse, medical and cannabinoid hemp (CBD). The OCM issues licenses and regulates this new industry. Many cooks with a passion for the plant, novice or expert, have since started businesses specializing in marijuana-infused food. According to David Falkowski, founding president of Open Minded Organics (OMO), a certified hemp grower, marijuana-infused food has become noticeably more popular on Long Island after the MRTA passage.

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Photo Courtesy Alesia Kozik / Pexels

A Caprese Sandwich. Photo courtesy Open Minded Organics.

“Especially now with the passage of the MRTA, decriminalizing marijuana and edible products had a delay in receiving regulations which led to licensure,” said Falkowski. “I know many would like to call it a gray market, but it’s not. I would definitely say that edibles, consumables, chewables, etc. have been the largest growth sector in products in the cannabis space here on Long Island.” Many Long Island business owners have taken advantage of their culinary skills to create restaurants and bakeries specializing in edibles. Places such as OMO create their food from the cannabis plants that they grow in their facilities. OMO opened a food truck in 2021 that included fresh infused foods and treats for customers to buy and sample. “In 2018, when the next round of hemp licenses opened up in New York, we received orders right away because we already understood the cultivation, and most importantly, the processing of these products,” he said. “When we brought products to market early, many people were grateful it was us because we had that long-standing relationship with them.”

Korean fried shitake. Photo courtesy Open Minded Organics.

MAKE SURE YOU “KNOW YOUR MAMA” For Falkowski, OMO has become a company distinguishable from other hemp organizations because of its licensure. “First and foremost, always know your mama,” said Falkowski. “In other words, you will want to know where this stuff is coming from, right? Is it a trusted friend who made it and has already consumed some of it themselves? Buy from a reputable source and ask questions and know what it is that you’re consuming.” Fifteen years before receiving a hemp license in 2018, OMO was growing certified organic mushrooms, vegetables and herbs. While operating farmer’s markets and processing foods like pesto sauces, OMO also

had a long-existing customer base before selling marijuana infusions. “You could cook a little cannabutter on the stovetop and make an edible infused batch of brownies, but there’s only one way to find out how effective they are — through eating them and experimenting,” Falkowski said. “Whereas when there is access to analytics, as a licensed manufacturer would use, infusion starts to get a lot more professional and easier.” The rise of marijuana-infused food has become a great market for Dead Baked Treats, a Long Island certified baker that has been in the food industry for eight years. With an allergen and gluten-free certification earned under AllerTrain in 2019, Dead Baked Treats’ owner, who does not wish to be identified, has continued to keep her transparency by creating her own natural, safe environment of marijuana-infused treats to help customers feel comfortable with where they may be purchasing from. Since 2015, Dead Baked Treats’ owner has also been certified by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) as a food manager and handler. After attending culinary school for years and working as a head bread baker, she quickly moved to create her own small bakery business within the marijuana industry. “Some people never really cooked before and some may think that if you grind up the weed and add it in the food, it will work right away, but a lot of people don’t understand the true science and effects behind it,” she said. “There are true culinary lessons to learn before cooking with cannabis.”

MARIJUANA’S PLACE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY “There are hundreds of ways to infuse marijuana with food,” Dead Baked Treats’ owner said. “Some practices start with concentrating products, maybe using [carbon dioxide], making a butane hash oil or an alcohol tincture.” When gifting treats, Dead Baked Treats tries to connect with the customer to gauge the perfect infusion for each individual. Whether you have pain or insomnia, Dead Baked Treats has you covered. “I have a lot of people that have back pain, insomnia, and I also know a lot of people that unfortunately have cancer, and it helps them in so many ways,” said Dead Baked Treats’ owner said. “An indica dominant hybrid in my baked goods is usually what I

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Italian Rainbow Cookies. Photo courtesy Dead Baked Treats.

go for because it allows individuals to earn a relaxed feeling, to take away certain pain and to overcome insomnia.” Dead Baked Treats also uses all-natural ingredients without including nuts, peanuts, gluten, dairy or fish. Misean Fredricks, Hofstra University junior public relations major and Long Island native, prefers marijuana-infused food when he needs to creatively relax, including infused pizza, brownies and lollipops. “The taste is just a giant plus, but marijuana-infused food has always been something to turn to when I need to clear my mind,” said Fredricks. Dead Baked Treats has long dreamed of becoming one of the first fully medical marijuana-infused bakeries on Long Island that helps local customers with helpful and professional advice. “I just know a lot of research, and I’ve done my training. I have even traveled to the states where it is completely legal to learn and understand the business and creation of marijuana infusion,” said Dead Baked Treats’ owner. “There are no bakeries on Long Island, and my goal in life is to be one of the first fully medical bakeries very soon.”

A SLICE OF LONG ISLAND

At one of the region’s oldest pizzerias

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ddie Fanelli established the famed Eddie’s Pizza in New Hyde Park in 1931. Now owned by Joseph DiVittoro, it’s one of Long Island’s oldest pizzerias. It began as a bar, serving its renowned thin-crust “Bar Pie.” Throughout the years, the bar grew into a full-size, sit-down restaurant, but the casual atmosphere and cheesy goodness of the pizzas remain. The pies at Eddie’s Pizza are different from those of other pizzerias; in the basement below the restaurant, the crusts, or shells, are made from the original recipe brought over from Italy. They are also prebaked to allow the pizzas to be prepared quicker and just as customers want them. “So, half toppings, whatever combos you want, it’s made fresh in the brick ovens,” DiVittoro explained. He said also said that, unlike a regular pizza, the Bar Pie only has seven or eight grams of fat and 270 calories per slice. And Eddie’s Pizza strives to make a difference in the community. The restaurant does charity work in the area, such as allowing children with special needs to come in and make their own pizzas. DiVittoro said one of the best parts about Eddie’s Pizza is “the kind of clientele we get in here: people of all creeds, colors, races, different economic backgrounds and everything else.” Story and photos By Annabel Hofmann PULSE 20

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME —

WITH FOOD FROM AROUND THE GLOBE By Jillian Tkaczyk

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one are the days of peanuts and Cracker Jack, as the variety of foods offered at Major League Baseball stadiums continues to expand and improve. While hot dogs and beer are still seen as most fans’ classic fare, baseball lovers/foodies can look forward to higher-end meals, often with an array of international options, at the stadium. Here’s a look at some of what can be found. Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees, features more than 50 restaurants and is ranked first among stadiums as most expensive. One recent addition to the stadium offers fans an unusual dining option — sushi. Benihana, a hibachi-style Japanese restaurant, operates in Section 127, and its menu will become larger this year. The most notable restaurant at Yankee Stadium that screams luxury is NYY Steak, a baseball-themed steakhouse donning the colors of the Yankees. It is a full sit-down restaurant that offers fancy entrees, drinks and desserts for fans to enjoy before the game. This upscale spot has received rave reviews, earning four stars on Yelp, and is known for high-quality and delicious steaks. Baseball games are typically

viewed as American, and the food options are usually lacking in diversity. The Seattle Mariners’ home field, T-Mobile Park, does not adhere to the traditionally American concession stand offerings. Arguably the most unusual option comes from Edgar’s Cantina, a Mexican eatery with a great view of the field. There, fans can find chapulines, or toasted grasshoppers. They are a common snack in Mexico, and the Mariners introduced them as a novelty to their stadium in 2017. Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, is another stadium that is commended for its wide variety of foods. A noteworthy eatery at Target Field is Hot Indian Foods, a local brand that began as a food truck before entering the stadium. The chicken tikka and chana masala have gained a fanbase for their flavors, as well as their warmth, as the stadium is often cold. Whether a beloved team wins or loses, fans are sure to triumph with the riveting food options offered at MLB stadiums. As the 2022 season kicks off, be sure to visit one near you to enjoy the many restaurants that are now up and running. Photos Courtesy Adobe Stock PULSE 21

Jordyn McDonnell competing in the 3k Steeplechase event at the Princeton Invite. Photo Courtesy Hofstra University

THE ATHLETE’S DIET BY FRANCIS ARGUETA

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orning workouts, weight room sessions, breakfast, school and work are just a few things that make up the day of a student athlete. What is indispensable among them is eating, and finding the time to eat is often what athletes leave for last, though it may be the most important part of their days. For some, their diets might consist of roughly the same meals every day to ensure they don’t lose or gain too much weight. For others, their diets might depend on how much time they have to eat in their busy schedules. Regardless of what diet is followed, there are varying methods one can use to eat healthily and get in shape. While college athletes play sports, they are also students. That means their time is divided between their participation in their sports and classes. Many also hold jobs, often during the week, but also on weekends at times. College athletes’ time is precious, and how much time they have in their

scheddules could make the difference between eating right or not for many. Jordyn McDonnell, a Hofstra University junior cross-country and long-distance track runner, dorms at school. She finds it difficult to eat at Hofstra because of her busy schedule. “At school, it’s very hard to eat because I’m always rushing around, and I feel like I’m never actually enjoying what food I eat,” McDonnell said. One to two meals a day gets McDonnell through school and practice, but most important to her is lots of coffee. If she is running late, she might not eat before class and just have her coffee in the afternoon. When she is able to eat, she might have a sandwich, salad or rice bowl with chicken. Team members traditionally go to the Starbucks on campus after their morning runs, and McDonnell sometimes gets a bagel with cream cheese as well. If she has more time, she orders eggs with home fries on weekends. The track team occasionally goes off

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campus to parks and fields for its runs, and members eat at other bagel places afterward. McDonnell said that she doesn’t eat before practice or a meet (only water) and that she eats better during winter and spring breaks because she has more time to herself. “At home, I’ll eat whatever, whenever, because there’s more stuff there than here,” she said. Dinner is McDonnell’s favorite because it’s her biggest meal of the day and she gets to relax and enjoy it more. She typically has pasta, a rice bowl or anything else that might grab her attention at the student center. If it’s after a race, she and her teammates go out for pizza, Chinese or fast food. Carlos Santos Jr. is another crosscountry and long-distance track runner from Stony Brook University, where he’s finishing his senior year. Santos averages a five to six meals a day, because as he puts it, “I never get full and I’m always hungry.” Santos’ meals generally consist of

“I BELIEVE LIFE IS ABOUT BALANCE AND NOT FULLY REMOVING ANYTHING FROM YOUR LIFE.” - Silvestre Macias, Soccer player rice, chicken, beans, salads, water or Gatorade. He doesn’t have a go-to dish to eat every day, but he tries to keep it consistent with the normal grains and foods that he’s accustomed to. The meal that Santos eats most often is chicken parmesan and pasta the day before a race to get his carbohydrate levels up. Santos said he doesn’t change his diet much because he doesn’t want to interfere with his routine. “I’m confident with my diet because it’s easy to follow and consistent,” Santos said. “I’m very healthy, I barely get sick, and my metabolism and immune systems are great.” Someone who eats just as much as Santos is Justin Umanzor, a junior weightlifter also from Stony Brook University. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound 20-year-old takes his diet very seriously to maintain his weight. He trains year-round, so he doesn’t have a break in his diet either. Umanzor eats two breakfasts to start his day. His first is made up of two egg sandwiches (two eggs each) on whole wheat bread, with mayonnaise and ketchup. He eats the second breakfast an hour or so later — another egg sandwich, this time with one egg, and a peanut butter and banana sandwich. His lunches typically include grilled chicken and rice, and he also eats two dinners. The first one is protein based, so he chooses from chicken, steak or salmon. The second is much lighter, as he eats cereal with almond milk and a peanut butter sandwich. Though Umanzor has a busy schedule, finding time to eat is fairly easy because his meals are typically simple to make, and he’s a fast eater. When asked if he considers himself to be healthy, Umanzor said, “I wouldn’t consider myself healthy because I eat to gain mass and strength. Personal health is a secondary factor.” Silvestre Macias is a goalkeeper for the Molloy College soccer team who also lifts weights four to six times a week. Macias eats three to four meals a day, with light breakfasts because he has early practices. These generally consist of smoothies or fruits so he

doesn’t feel heavy during drills. “I would say my meals are usually based on high protein, easily digestible meals with frequent consumption [rice and ground beef or turkey] because I often struggle to build up an appetite,” Macias said. He points to his lack of appetite and busy schedule as reasons that he sometimes struggles to eat, but since he isn’t overly strict about his diet, it’s easier to follow. He thinks he’s “moderately” healthy because, though he’s very active, his struggle to eat and lack of sleep impact his wellbeing. During breaks from school, he feels looser and doesn’t stress about his diet as much as he does during the soccer season. “I let myself enjoy food a bit more, and I’m more lenient when it comes to going out with friends,” Macias said. “I believe life is about balance and not fully removing anything from your life.” Whether racing miles in spikes, pumping iron at the gym or stopping balls from flying into a net, student athletes need to eat. There’s more than one way to succeed at your craft, and these athletes justly personify that.

Photo courtesy Crunch Fitness

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Carlos Santos Jr. running the 3k Steeplechase at the U23 Panamerican Junior Games. Photo Courtesy Pan-American Sports Organization

Photo courtesy Recipes By A Pantry

THE GENDER GAP

Photo courtesy L o u i s H a n s e l

IN THE CULINARY INDUSTRY

BY T I F F A N Y A C O S T A

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right lights and heat pouring from stove stops and ovens. Chefs yelling out orders while the sizzling of meats and vegetables fills your ears like a symphony. The medley of sweet and salty smells fills the air and catches your attention. Focused on plating a filet of salmon on a bed of greens, you look up and you see the head chef… Is it a man or a woman? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021, only 22.8% of women were head cooks in a restaurant. That means that 77.2% of head chefs are men. Living in a more inclusive society, why is it that men dominate the culinary field? Throughout history audiences see female icons and figures as the poster girls for anything related to food; from 1950s food ads to the stereotype of having a wife or mother cooking and cleaning for the family, women have

always been put in the kitchen not by choice but by obligation. Why is it that cooking, which is so often associated with women, but the culinary industry is male-dominated? Celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Gor-dan Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain, Jaime Oliver, Wolfgang Puck, Alton Brown and Mario Batali come quickly to mind. But only a few female chefs such as Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, Julia Child and Anne Burrell are recognizable. According to DataUS.io, in 2019, 1,263 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). 54.2% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 45.8% were awarded to men. “I think one of the largest drivers for this divide is that women are smart enough to get out of the industry,” said Eric Lomando, chef and owner at PULSE 24

Orto. “The physical environment of working in the kitchen is typically uncomfortable. The stress on the body is brutal, and the hours and pace of work are exhausting, both physically and mentally. You have to put top effort and focus in 10 to 12 hours a day. The toll takes on personal lives is another extraordinary challenge.” Although more women are going to culinary school, many don’t remain in the industry. “The industry, on the whole, is facing a labor issue as less and less young people are interested in working in kitchens,” Lomando said. “The difficulty of the job and the pay scale are driving people away from the industry, and I think that in order to even out those percentages the entire industry needs to change, and the job needs to become more attractive and less demanding on the whole.”

PHOTO BY MEALPRO

“FROM MY EXPERIENCE, IT’S STILL EASIER FOR A MAN TO GET A JOB IN THE CULINARY INDUSTRY THAN FOR A WOMAN. ” - Suchanan Aksornnan Chef, BaoBurg

In restaurant kitchens, one typically sees the head chef being a man but food preparation and serving workers are 61.2% women. This means roles like cutting vegetables, being a hostess and other minor roles are dominated by women who are given little credit and little pay. The highest-paid people in restaurants are chefs, who are typically men, and the lowest paid are cashiers and counter attendants, who are typically women. “My first thought is, well, misogyny. I remember reading Kitchen Confidential and saying, ‘Oh no,’” said Melissa Bouchard, head chef at DiMillo’s on the Water in Freeport. “Although I have experienced over-sexualized conversations and behaviors, I would have to say nothing to that extent. I had already been in the business for quite a few years at this point, so it didn’t make me run, but I can certainly see how jarring that would be to a younger woman looking for a career in this field. It’s very apparent by Anthony Bourdain’s book, and many others, that sort of behavior was almost celebrated, and to some extent still is.” In restaurants, there are unequal promotions that lack transparency, lack of chef leadership training, unequal pay and hostile work environments, with a masculine culture of sexual harassment, strict discipline and long working hours. “From my experience, it’s still easier for a man to get a job in the culinary industry than for a woman,” said Suchanan Aksornnan, chef at BaoBurg in Brookyln. “Men, generally speaking, may be more competitive and can withstand setbacks better. It’s not just about talent, it’s about perseverance, grit.”

How do we fix the problem? As an industry that exudes physical and emotional abuse and hardship, it’s unhealthy for all involved. What needs to change, which is one of the hardest steps, is making a successful environment that makes women feel safe and included in the kitchen. Next is having the industry decide on a sector-wide level that it is committed to having women join professional kitchens, influence the world of food and make decisions that affect how we operate. This can be with women being judged on television shows and being awarded or acknowledged for their work. “I believe it’s changing the way everyone speaks and reacts to each other, and it’s creating a more inclusive world, not just in the workplace,” said Bouchard. “No matter the problem, or the driving force, people need to take accountability for their actions, and the #metoo movement has opened many an eye to that. What was once celebrated is now being exposed for the inexcusable behavior it always has been. The pay gap needs to be examined as well. I don’t want to get personal, but I can speak to that as well.” Last are engagement, communication and recruitment. Restaurants should consider reaching out to recruit female employees. Enrique Olvera, who is a Michelin starred chef, hired Daniela Soto-Innes to be head chef at Cosme in New York City. Because of the opportunity, she is one of the youngest chefs named World’s Best Female Chef by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and has been also awarded a Michelin star.

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WOMEN IN CULINARY WORK PLACES

WHEN ISOLATION LEADS TO ILLNESS

EATING DISORDERS RISE IN PANDEMIC By Madeline Armstrong

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remember the first time I made myself purge,” said Abby Elyssa, a 26-year-old journalist from Dix Hills. Elyssa started engaging in bulimic behaviors such as this when she was 9 years old to cope with negative emotions and did not receive help until after graduating from college. “I heard my parents fighting and I felt like I couldn’t control it. It made me feel better, in control," she said of purging. Bulimia is an eating disorder in which individuals consume large amounts of food and then either purge (force themselves to vomit), take laxatives, engage in extreme exercise or fast. At 21, Elyssa received outpatient therapy and saw a nutritionist, both on Long Island. She went on to co-create EDLI (Eating Disorders Long Island), which advocates for eating disorder recovery on Long Island, allows people to share their stories and provides support during recovery. There are six types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, diabulimia, orthorexia nervosa, drunkorexia and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED). They affect people across all races, genders, body sizes, sexuality and socioeconomic status. Although Elyssa does not believe in full recovery from an eating disorder, after years of hard work, she no longer engages in bulimic behaviors. She currently works with Danielle Sharon, EDLI co-creator and a speech language pathologist who watched her sister work through eating disorder recovery. Together, they seek to support those on Long Island suffering from eating disorders, which are on the rise, according to a number of eating di-

Photo courtesy Danie Franco / Unsplash

sorder specialists on the Island. “Our therapists are full, our nutritionists are full, most of our experienced clinicians are booked and have waiting lists,” said Sondra Kronberg, executive director of the Eating Disorder Treatment Collaborative, a founder of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and president of the Eating Disorder Council of Long Island. “The pandemic has only made it worse.” According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 28.8 million Americans will suffer from eating disorders in their lifetimes. Additionally, eating disorders are the second deadliest mental illness, resulting in 10,200 deaths each year. Resources for treating eating disorders continue to be sparse, and the pandemic only worsened the issue. “There’s a lot of research that shows that the pandemic has increased and exacerbated the eating disorder crisis in the United States,” said Rebecca Eyre, CEO of Project Heal, a national eating disorder foundation that focuses on equitable access to care. “We noticed that people who had been in recovery from an eating disorder for some time had relapsed and attributed that to the stresses and the losses of the pandemic.” According to the World Health Organization, 72% of mental health services for adolescents were halted in 2020. Additionally, Taquet and colleagues conducted a study that analyzed 5.2 million health records of people under age 30

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and found that the diagnosis of eating disorders was 15.3% higher in 2020 than in previous years. Long Island, in particular, has seen an overwhelming number of people with eating disorders over the past two years. “There’s been a pretty big increase [in patients] since the start of the pandemic,” said Jeffrey DeSarbo, medical director of the ED-180 eating disorder treatment programs on Long Island. DeSarbo worked at Monte Nido Glen Cove, a residential hospital that treats eating disorders, and said the facility has had to place patients on month-long waitlists. Since Monte Nido is a residential hospital, it is among the highest levels of care that a patient can receive and is reserved for those with extreme, life-threatening cases. “We had patients who we felt were needing treatment, and by August [2020], it was difficult to get patients into the proper level of care, with six, eight, 12-week waiting periods, which can be difficult with an eating disorder,” he said. Elyssa and Sharon said they believe it makes sense that the pandemic would increase the risk of an eating disorder. “This has changed the world, and people with eating disorders don’t like change,” Elyssa said. DeSarbo shared this observation. “A lot of behaviors are based around control and

“IF YOU’RE WAITING FOR EARLY SIGNS OF ORGAN FAILURE TO TREAT A MENTAL ILLNESS, YOU’RE NOT DOING THINGS CORRECTLY. I THINK WE HAVE A CULTURAL MISCONCEPTION THAT’S REALLY COSTING PEOPLE THEIR LIVES.” - Rebecca Eyre, CEO of Project Heal

Abby Elyssa and Danni Sharon, above, co-founded Eating Disorders Long Island.

trying to establish a sense of control,” he said, “so when the pandemic hit, that completely undermined individuals having a sense of control.” Another aspect of the pandemic that contributed to the increase in eating disorders was food scarcity, according to Eyre. “We were all panicking that our food system was going to be interrupted,” she said, “so everyone was going to the grocery store and hoarding all this food, and [there were] empty shelves… which is a literal nightmare for someone with an eating disorder.” Additionally, isolation can lead to eating disorders. This is one thing many people faced during the pandemic when there were lockdowns and social distancing was enforced. “Isolation is the friend of the eating disorder because it keeps you from getting what you need and feeling anything other than the eating disorder,” Kronberg said. The pandemic increased the risk of relapse for those in recovery, as well as the chances of the onset of an eating disorder for those genetically predisposed. At the same time, in addition to access issues, there are also numerous healthcare barriers keeping people from receiving treatment. “It’s one of the most inequitable spaces in all of healthcare,” Eyre said. “Less than 20 percent of people [with an eating disorder] ever receive care.” According to Eyre, most people, including medical professionals, have had a very narrow idea of what an eating disorder is. She said she believes that bias

affects insurance coverage, with 80 percent of patients facing insurance barriers. “Most eating disorder treatment is only authorized by insurance if a person needs ‘medical necessity,' and unfortunately, that’s often defined as being underweight, having abnormal labs or having an abnormal EKG,” she said. “Less than 6 percent of people with eating disorders are medically underweight. If you’re waiting for early signs of organ failure to treat a mental illness, you’re not doing things correctly. I think we have a cultural misconception that’s really costing people their lives.” Elyssa and Sharon have found this barrier to treatment evident on Long Island. “Resources are scarce for eating disorders, especially where we live,” Elyssa said. When Sharon’s sister sought treatment for her eating disorder, she had to leave her family and home to find care off the Island. “She would have loved to be able to stay local,” she said, “but the level of care that was needed was not able to be found here.” Project Heal has a number of initiatives to help those struggling with eating disorders. Anyone who is suffering can contact the orga-

nization and it will do what it can to provide support and find care for that individual. Last year, Project Heal offered help to more than 2,700 people, and the group aims to assist over 5,000 people this year. It will also launch a clinical assessment program through which individuals will be able to receive free assessments with clinicians. Kronberg said she believes a number of preventive measures can be taken to reduce or stop eating disorders. “In this culture, particularly here in Long Island, it’s almost like weight, eating and ‘gyming’ have become the new religion,” she said. “Every day walking out of your house, being told your body is not OK, is traumatizing. The eating disorder is sort of their solution, except because of their genetics, they get trapped in it.” Kronberg said education in schools, the home and the media about people's worth not being their weight or what they look like can help prevent the onset of eating disorders. During the pandemic, Kronberg started a free support group that has been a “lifeline” to people around the world, with between 150 and 500 people attending each week. “I think treating this like a chronic mental illness instead of an acute medical condition would be very helpful,” Eyre said. “The more we can expand our sense of what an eating disorder is and what it looks like, the more we’ll be able to identify it and care for it in our society.” Elyssa agreed that more work needs to be done, but is optimistic about the future. “I think the good thing that came out of Covid is that people have an increased attention to mental health,” she said, “so I think we are headed in the right direction."

Photo courtesy Jennifer Burk / Unsplash

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, contact the NEDA helpline at (800) 931-2237 or text NEDA to 741741.

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IGNORED AND INVISIBLE B Y G A B R I E L L E PA S C A L

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ating disorders can strike anyone. Yet, there is a population of people suffering from them who go unnoticed: Black women. The National Health Service reported a 216% rise in hospital admissions for eating disorders among Black people from 2017 to 2020 alone. So why is it that when eating disorders are discussed, Black women aren’t included? “In general, there’s not enough knowledge about eating disorders. That leads to a lot of misconceptions, and treatment providers struggle to provide the right

treatment,” said Dr. Jeffrey Desarbo, psychiatrist and medical director of Ed-180 Programs, an eating disorder treatment center in Garden City. The studies draw their participants from treatment centers, where the population is mostly white women. Given these circumstances, results will always be disproportionate. It leaves out those who cannot afford treatment, are unwilling to seek it or don’t have wealth to fall back on during treatment. For Black women, another factor is mistrust of the healthcare system. There is

already a long history of Black people being abused in the name of medical research and racial biases in medicine. The Endometriosis Foundation of America also reported health conditions affecting Black women receive little government research funding. Trust is essential in medicine. When repeatedly broken, it’s difficult to mend. When Black women’s healthcare is pushed aside, it devalues its importance. Binge eating isn’t studied enough compared to anorexia, even though it’s the eating disorder that Black women struggle with most.

BLACK WOMEN & EATING DISORDERS P H O T O CO U R T E S Y M AT E U S

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MISUNDERSTANDING AN D REPRESENTATION Myeisha Brooks, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in California, said representation also contributes to the problem. “Eating disorders are oftentimes seen as a ‘white women’s issue.’ We are typically overlooked or unseen. Oftentimes, Black women who struggle with eating disorders don’t even realize that they’re suffering from one, because even within their own family systems, it’s not acknowledged as an issue.” Food is a communicator of love. In several cases, overeating is praised in Black communities. On the other side, eating can be an act of self-preservation. For those coming from poverty, the idea of “finishing the plate” means more than community. When the uncertainty of when the next meal will come from looms, battling with binge eating becomes deeper and more complicated. In environments like this, voicing that you’re struggling with binge eating can feel impossible. How do you voice what you’re struggling with if you cannot give it a name?

TRAUMA Black women experience trauma, violence, and abuse at rates disproportionate to that of other populations. These experiences are closely linked with disordered eating. After enduring a traumatic event, those experiences can become internalized and intertwined with one’s identity; they may feel undeserving of nourishing themselves and love. “It’s about agency and control. It’s coping, and you’re using food as a mechanism to cope,” said Dr. Mazella Fuller, co-editor of “Treating Black Women with Eating Disorders: A Clinician’s Guide.” For Black women experiencing daily microaggressions, racism or misogynoir — dislike of Black women — food becomes more than nourishing, it’s soothing.

THE RELATIONSHIP TO THE BODY Kena Watson is a master’s-level licensed psychologist and owner of Still Frames Therapy and Wellness PLLC in North Carolina. She said for Black women, our unique relationship with our bodies is another factor in eating disorders. “It’s not just the thin ideal,” she said, “but the curvaceous ideal. How do you feel that you fit into that and what does that mean to you? We have to go beyond the physical body and consider these larger issues, like colorism or texturism. Being able to ask those types of questions can help that person impact what’s underneath and what’s fueling that disordered eating.”

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Graphic courtesy Creative Commons

“WE’RE EXPECTED TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING IN SILENCE.” - Myeisha Brooks

P hoto courtesy salomon byuma / pexels

There was a point in my life when I underwent a drastic weight change from self-starving. No one in my family knew the cause; hardly anyone understood why I would not eat as much as anyone else. Initially, the weight loss was celebrated. When I lost certain curves I had, the praises became rarer. Now, I was shrinking too much. “You’re still a Black woman. Remember that,” one relative said. I knew the periods of starving and binge eating were hurting my body, but I felt stuck. I no longer had the body I was “supposed” to have while trying to fit into a mold that never once considered the bodies of women who looked like me. Food no longer felt nourishing; it was stressful and scary. A stereotypical idea of what a Black woman looks like is this voluptuous, flat-stomach figure with a very particular waistline. Sure, there may be some Black women who look like this, but to assume this perception onto a whole population is misguided. Worse, it perpetuates standards nearly impossible to meet — standards not just perpetuated by white people. For the Black women who don’t fit into that, the “othered” feeling is exacerbated. We don’t fit into white standards or ones sometimes perpetuated by our own communities. Struggling with an eating disorder becomes far more isolating than the disease already is. Society believes Black women are naturally strong and self-sacrificing. Perhaps this seems admirable, but therein lies the issue. Beneath this supposed invulnerability, there are human beings who feel pain like anyone else. The idea of having to be, or always being strong, further alienates Black women suffering from eating disorders. An insidious consequence is the subliminal message that Black women’s issues are insignificant. Since we are naturally sacrificial, we gracefully quiet our pain to soothe that of others. “We’re expected to deal with everything in silence,” Brooks said.

Marriage and family therapist

“You don’t get a clear picture of what a Black women’s struggle is because we are put into this little box where the picture is already painted for us, so anything we say or do is either diminished or we don’t feel empowered to share our truth.” Since Black women are constantly taught, whether blatantly or externally, that their suffering holds no importance, how does one possibly expect them to ask for help? The assumption of strength does more harm than empower; it pushes a burden that no one should bear the weight of. Black women — whether it be their accomplishments or struggles — are constantly misunderstood and ignored. However, just because something goes unseen does not negate its existence. We are not impenetrable. We are human beings, too.

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LONG ISLAND’S ‘FOOD APARTHEID’ By Sarah Emily Baum

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hen Vee, a sophomore Hofstra Univer- into what experts call “food swamps” — areas sity student, came to the United Sta- over-saturated with unhealthy food options, tes from overseas, she was excited to such as fast food chains. As a result, many live on her own. In between classes, she would communities of color will also disproportioget what she needed from the campus and the nately face health issues like diabetes, heart surrounding town. She could get her textbooks disease and obesity, according to the National from the campus bookstore and breakfast, lun- Institutes of Health. “If you really want to address a person’s ch and dinner from the on-campus eateries. It need for comprehensive food support, you’re was all just a short walk from her dorm. Doctors told Vee, who asked that her last going to have to have a major supermarket in name not be used, that she had a serious me- the community,” Pachter said. He emphasized dical condition, and the solution was to change the impact of decades of redlining and segregaher diet. Suddenly, Hofstra’s dining options tion, which created pockets of low-income neiweren’t sustainable. She wanted to buy healthy ghborhoods. These divides are especially defifoods from the supermarket, but none were in ned in Long Island, dubbed “one of the most walking distance. Like 4,000 other Hempstead segregated suburbs in America” by Newsday. This divide dates back to the 17th and 18th residents, Vee doesn’t have a car. centuries, when “It feels like thethere were slaves re’s nowhere near on Long Island. where I live that is Twentieth-century accessible and afdiscriminatory houfordable for me to sing policies barget the food I need,” red Black people Vee said. “It’s scary from purchasing because it’s not just homes in certain an issue of money, neighborhoods like but an issue of just Levittown. having a store close Dr. Angela enough.” Odoms-Young, asVee lives in Associate professor sociate professor of Hempstead — one of nutritional sciences nutritional sciences of 13 census tracts at Cornell Universithat the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has classified ty and director of the Food and Nutrition Eduas food deserts in Nassau County. These are cation in Communities Program, compared the defined as “low-income tracts in which a subs- racialized disparity in food access to apartheid. “Food is power,” said Odoms-Young. “If tantial number or proportion of the population has low access to supermarkets or large gro- you’re looking at controlling people, one way cery stores.” Across Long Island, food deserts to do it is their ability to access food, acquire disproportionately impact low-income families food, grow food. All of that is rooted in the history of oppression of people.” and communities of color. Odoms-Young said the solution is multilayeAccording to Long Island Cares, the region’s largest food bank, 1 in 4 Long Islanders stru- red. Policy-makers need to address the needs ggle with food insecurity; 70% of those come of consumers and families, through funding from BIPOC populations. Food deserts en- social welfare initiatives like the Supplemental compass 67,500 people in Nassau County and Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Super310,683 people in Suffolk, according to recent market and healthy food businesses need to have tax incentives to open up in low-income government reports. Food deserts occur because major grocery areas. Farmers in communities of color need chains are less likely to put stores in low-in- to be empowered to supply their communities come areas, said Paul Pachter, CEO of Long with independent, thriving food ecosystems outside of corporate interests. Island Cares. “People should have the right to define their “Supermarkets are not spread equally,” he said. “These decisions are made more based own food and control the economy as it relates upon economics than on humanitarian beliefs to their food,” Odoms-Young said. “We need that people should have access to all this fresh food sovereignty — a food system that is focused on the local community, where the people food.” To fill this gap, many communities evolve are able to have power.”

“FOOD IS POWER. IF YOU’RE LOOKING AT CONTROLLING PEOPLE, ONE WAY TO DO IT IS THEIR ABILITY TO ACCESS FOOD.” - Dr. Angela Odoms-Young

Photo courtesy Adobe Stock

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WHAT MAKES ETHICAL COFFEE?

Ground Central Coffee Company in Lynbrook. Photo By Brianna Rae

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six-dollar price tag for your morning latte might be jarring, especially if you’d expect a friendlier fee from your local ma-and-pa coffee shop. The vanilla latte in your hands, however, has traveled through many others to reach the insulated, neatly printed and primed cup that is now comfortably placed within yours. The farming, shipping and labor of the beans all have their own ethical guidelines that come into play in the price of your cup of joe. The aesthetic and culinary value of coffee has soared within this past decade. The cafe is seen as a place of unity, study and social value. French-pressed, poured over or simply just brewed, coffee is a staple of many of our mornings. It’s the eye twitch in our busiest of all-nighters; it’s the backbone of our morning small talk. Crunch time and mundane conversations alike, there’s no riddle to it — coffee fuels Long Island. According to MacroTrends 45-year coffee pricing chart, the average price per pound of coffee has increased 76% since 2021. This nearly surpassed the biggest price-per-pound spike recorded in history, documented around 1994. When we adjust for inflation, however, the results are shocking. What do we mean, then, when we speak of “ethical” coffee? It roots back to the community aspect, as Desiree Royer, manager of Ground Central Coffee Company in Lynbrook, explained. As a self-proclaimed humanitarian, she thrives on creating an inclusive and ethically sourced environment. “Being empathetic towards all people, that’s definitely a skill I’ve learned being in the hospitality industry,” she said. Ground Central, with six locations in the New York metropolitan area, inclu-

YOUR CUP OF JOE

BY BRIANNA RAE des fair trade, limited waste and charity in its mission. It also prides itself on its attention to the finest of details, such as the specific weight of espresso and the “perfect” temperature of the milk. Josh Castronuovo, a Hofstra alumnus and prior Starbucks barista, commented on the food waste that he witnessed during his year on the job. He explained that the display cases of food were discarded at the end of the day, leaving him with an unsettling feeling. “I hated the idea of wasting food,” he said. “I lived in a house of seven. Someone was bound to eat it — just goes to show that the food was edible.” On its website, Starbucks lists many ethical practices, including its waste reduction and ethical reframing goals, expected to take full force by 2030. “As part of our ongoing aspiration to ... become a resource positive company, we are continuously looking for ways to better manage our waste,” the website states. Ground Central, meanwhile, uses apps like TooGood2Go, a discount wholesale food app, to sell end-of-the-day pastries at half-price. Ethical production, sale and consumption requires a reduction in food waste, which, in turn, benefits the environment, including helping to mitigate the climate crisis. “A lot of people can’t afford a fivedollar pastry,” Royer added. La Colombe Coffee, Ground Central’s supplier, notes the further implications of its contributions. The business pratices fair trade (sufficiently funding the farmers and

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workers who distribute the bean), alongside funding educational tools for local coffee harvesting communities. Its ethics statement, distributed in its shops, reads: “We believe in doing good, both in our backyard and in the communities we do business with across the globe. We operate with future generations and the health of our planet in mind.” You can see this mentality in the finest of details. Even the straws are recyclable, paper-free and do not dissolve in water like certain other ecofriendly alternatives. “They’re actually made from the agave plant,” Royer said. The next time you stride into your shop, jarred by the prices, pay attention to the work that goes into your cup. Investigate the ethics, as a quick Google search can provide aid in deciding where to give your business. According to Macrotrends, your cup is, by comparison, at the lowest price it’s been since the ’90s. We may not notice it — primarily because of inflation — but the higher cost is worth the livelihood of the farmers, the effort of local baristas and the environment. “We believe in leaving a better world for future generations,” La Colombe Coffee states on its website.

BACK TO

THE DIRT THE NEW YORK CITY COMPOSTING PROJECT, HOSTED AT QUEENS BOTANICAL GARDEN, GIVES THE COMMUNITY A CHANCE TO POSITIVELY AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT BY PUTTING THEIR FOOD WASTE BACK INTO THE EARTH INSTEAD OF IN A LANDFILL.

by Rebecca Williams

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he earthy scent of oranges and sawdust swept through the air at Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) on a Monday morning in March. Volunteers and staff gathered around a pile of food waste and scraps, chopped it to bits with shovels and laughed. The group became a community, centered around their sense of accomplishment and their passion for bettering New York’s environment. "They come together because of their interest in working outside,” said Chelsea Encababian, QBG’s compost project manager. “They come together because of their interest in climate change issues, trying to revitalize soils, just wanting to have fun.” Although composting can be fun, the environmental and fiscal effects of mass food waste are not. According to a study published in the American Journal of Agriculture Economics, the average American household wastes 31.9% of their food, estimated to have a total cost of $240 billion or $1,866 per household. The food waste doesn’t solely extend to households, but to companies as well. The same study found that 72 billion pounds of food are wasted before it’s even sold because of appearance, irregular size or any damage that occurred during shipping. Many Americans don’t think much about food waste or its consequences. Banana peels and eggshells being tossed into the kitchen trash after breakfast is not unusual and often not given a second thought. However, those scraps don’t just decompose in a landfill. Food waste emits methane, a greenhouse gas that accounts for 30% of global warming according to the United Nations

Environment Programme. This air pollutant causes one million premature deaths per year. These statistics may seem overwhelming and intimidating, but that’s where composting comes in. “It’s kind of hard to grapple with the levity of such an issue,” said Encababian. “And what’s so powerful about composting is that it is a real, tangible and also short term way that you can make a huge impact

“IT MAKES MY TRASH MUCH LESS SMELLY. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS.” - Mika Hawley Volunteer

in your community and divert food scraps from landfills.” Composting breaks down waste using an aerobic process, which greatly reduces harmful methane production. Food waste creates gas it decomposes no matter the method. But, by exposing the waste to oxygen during the aerobic process, you can PULSE 34

decrease the methane levels and increase the carbon dioxide levels. Methane is 28 to 36 times more harmfull than carbon dioxide to our atmosphere, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In a landfill, food waste decomposes in an anaerobic process. This means no oxygen is introduced and the waste suffocates, producing methane and warming our planet. Landfills account for 14.1% of all human-related methane emissions. By composting, not only can we greatly reduce our methane emissions, but also we can save resources. According to the EPA, enough water and energy to supply 50 million homes goes into a year of food waste in the U.S. Composting can also assist the quality of our soil. Rick Carr, the farm director and previously the compost production specialist at Rodale Institute, works on a 333-acre research farm where waste is turned to compost for the soil. “We are reducing our need for synthetic fertilizers, which are very costly to produce and have their own environmental impact," said Carr. "We don’t have to use the synthetic fertilizers like nitrogen and phosphorus and potassium as much or at all." Queens Botanical Garden emphasizes a similar “closed-loop cycle,” where all horticulture waste from the gardens, along with food waste from community members, is used in the compost. Some of that compost is then reused in the garden’s soil as a fertilizer, while the rest of the compost is distributed to the com-

Volunteers use pitchforks to thoroughly mix a combination of food scraps, horticulture waste, sawdust and water. Photo by Rebecca Williams

munity to be used in their gardens. Composting benefits the entire community, atmosphere and Earth. This is why QBG prioritizes educating the public on composting in a hands-on and engaging way. “We have workshops ranging from a lot of different topics that really go into detail about composting and also that are fun,” said Encababian. “Like we have painting with food scraps…we have classes on meet your fungi, meet your microbes…all of our adult programs are very hands-on.” The Queens Botanical Garden partnered with the Department of Sanitation to begin the NYC Compost Project (NYCCP) in 1993. This was revolutionary, as it was the first partnership of its kind to focus on outreach and education for New Yorkers regarding composting. For the next 29 years, QBG hosted the NYCCP and continued to facilitate its growth within the community. In 2019, the organization had 578 volunteers working with the project. They reached more than 12,000 people during outreach events and activities. In the last fiscal year, the NYCCP, along with zero waste partners, received $7 million in funding. However, in new budget proposals for New York’s 2023 fiscal year, that budget is cut in half to $3.5 million. “In the next few weeks, you’ll see 'save our compost,' talking about reaching out to folks to testify, give written testimonies, verbal testimonies, speaking on behalf of compost, the importance of the

funding,” said Encababian. Composting, a real solution to reducing human-caused emissions, is becoming more popular in many communities. According to the EPA, composted food waste increased from 23.4 million tons in 2015 to 24.9 million tons in 2018. Secured funding for composting sites, such as the NYCCP, is needed to support this increase. As Queens Botanical Garden continues to pursue its goal of education through hands-on workshops and volunteer days, the number of composters in the city is expected to grow alongside it. A study commissioned by the National Waste and Recycling Association revealed that 67% of non-composters would be willing to make the switch if it were more convenient. The good news is that composting can be convenient and done easily in your home or apartment. If you don’t have access to an outdoor space, you can store food scraps in a dedicated area of your freezer until you are able to take it to a community drop-off station or directly to an organization, like QBG. By keeping them in the freezer, you don’t have to worry about smell or bugs. Composting is easy to understand, and QBG strives to promote adding it into your daily routine. “We make sure that this information on composting is accessible and that you can bring it home and feel confident enough to bring it home,” said Encababian. “Education is key for us at QBG.” PULSE 35

A volunteer at QBG sifts the final compost pile, atop a PVC pipe dotted in holes. This will allow oxygen to be distributed throughout the compost. Photos by Rebecca Williams

IS YOUR HAMBURGER WORTH IT? THE ETHICS OF MEAT By Madeline Armstrong

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Photo courtesy of szabo victor

here has long been a stigma around vegetarian and vegan diets. While it can be inconvenient and sometimes expensive to refrain from eating meat and other animal products like dairy, there are many health, environmental and ethical benefits to cutting out meat or even just limiting meat intake. Vegetarian and vegan diets have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. This stems from a higher intake of antioxidants, fiber and micronutrients. Additionally, plant-based diets are often rich in sources of unsaturated fat such as nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil. Cutting out meat can also improve a person’s gut health since a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes is high in dietary fiber. Reducing meat also helps the environment. Livestock production accounts for 30% of current biodiversity loss, according to Susanne Stoll-Kleeman, chair of sustainability science at the University of Greifswald in Germany. Additionally, meat production requires a significant amount of water. A study by the UNESCO Institute of Water Education found that it takes 5,200 gallons of water to produce 2.2 pounds of beef. Meat production also leads to deforestation. Walmart, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Burger King are among the companies that are responsible for the loss of rainforests because of ranchers who cut

Photo courtesy Dose Juice / Unsplash PULSE 36

them down to make room to raise cattle for hamburgers, according to a recent Greenpeace report. The companies indirectly source their cattle from protected areas in the Amazon rainforest. Finally, reducing meat consumption helps mitigate the climate crisis. According to a study by bioethicist Jan Deckers, the farm animal sector is responsible for 65% of all human-made emissions of nitrous oxide and 37% of all human-made methane emissions. At the same time,the conditions that animals are kept in are often inhumane. According to The Humane League, 200 million land animals are killed around the world daily, including 25 million in the United States alone. It's not necessary to become a vegan who only eats cashew cheese and Impossible burgers to reap the rewards of reducing your meat intake. One way to increase health and reduce the risk of heart disease would be to swap red meat for leaner chicken or fish. Another simple step would be to stop buying fast foods. Meatless Monday is a global campaign that companies like Starbucks have promoted to urge people to eat meat-free one day of the week. It’s not necessary to make a major lifestyle change to increase your health, be more environmentally conscious and reduce the number of animals being slaughtered every day.

Photo By Megan Lamont

UBER EATS WANTS YOU TO EAT LOCAL How the food delivery app is helping small businesses

By Megan Lamont

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fter a long day, cooking isn’t always the best option. When you’re craving takeout, but don’t want to drive and pick it up yourself, food delivery apps can be the way to go. From cheap fast food to your favorite local restaurant, Uber Eats, a popular food delivery app, has many options. In 2021, Uber Eats announced its Eat Local initiative, through which the company pledged $20 million to support local businesses. Uber Eats enforced free delivery from independent restaurants and extended a 0% commission rate for all pick-up orders to further spread awareness. Since Covid-19, these apps have been used more than ever as a way to limit exposure to the virus. Small businesses have suffered greatly from the pandemic, with the Long Island Association saying one in six businesses on the Island, including many restaurants, have closed because of the pandemic. Anna Wiebus, a Hofstra University student from Yarmouth, Maine, delivers for Uber Eats.“When I deliver, it’s definitely a mix of local and chain businesses, but I think I do get more local businesses when I get orders,” Wiebus said. “I honestly don’t even know most of the restaurants I pick up from.” Since Eat Local started, Uber Eats has taken more steps to help local restaurants. In January, the company announced a new initiative, Grants for Growth, pledging another $1 million. Since then, Uber Eats released its first merchant impact report, publishing data collected from local restaurants. According to the report, 95% of merchants from single, local, independently owned

businesses reported that working with Uber Eats helped their business during the pandemic. Some 80% of merchants from that same group reported they were more profitable with Uber Eats than without it. “I think that the support local pledge that Uber Eats made is a really awesome thing,” Wiebus said, adding that it is something she can “definitely see in action” when she drives. With such a diverse population, Long Island has restaurants that celebrate many cultures, support different diets and appeal to a variety of palates. “They have hundreds of options for restaurants and add more very frequently,” Wiebus said. “I think it’s really awesome for the community and local restaurant owners.”

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“I THINK I DO GET MORE LOCAL BUSINESSES WHEN I GET ORDERS.” - Anna Wiebus Uber Eats driver

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF

AGRICULTURE Greenhouses protect plants from increasingly frequent severe rainfalls.

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ast, uninterrupted amounts of space are among the most striking characteristics of the drive out to the North Fork of Long Island. It is a stark contrast to the hundreds of buildings and roads of Hempstead. Out there it’s easy to understand how agriculture can be such an important part of Long Island’s history and economy. There are farm stands, vineyards and animal pastures everywhere you look. With 560 farms and 30,032 acres of farmland, Suffolk County has the fourth highest value of agriculture sales in New York, bringing in $225.6 million in 2017. The region also has 69 wineries, the most in the state. As a result of climate change, winters are becoming milder and shorter, and summers are growing longer and hotter. Additionally, severe rainfall events are becoming more common. Farmers and vineyards are forced to adapt to these changing conditions and find ways to protect the land for the future. Most Long Island agricultural operations are small, family-owned farms, including Sang Lee Farms Inc. The farm was started in the mid 1940s, after World War II, by the current owner’s father and uncles. This long history of farming in the area

By Annabel Hofmann

means that Lee’s family has witnessed changes in weather and storm patterns over the years. Lee explained that Long Island’s average last frost date is usually May 15, yet recently, the last frost has occurred much earlier. Additionally, farmers can harvest crops later into the fall, extending the growing season from previous years. While a longer growing season is ideal for crop production, Lee said there are also downsides to the warmer temperatures. “The middle of the summer when the temperature is higher than average and not entirely optimum for crop growth, we do see disease issues and fall off in the yield that we get with some crops,” he said. “It’s a double-edged sword.” Excessive heat is not good for vegetable plants, but it can increase the quality of wine that comes from the grapes that vineyards grow. This occurs “because wine grapes like heat, and they like sun and dry conditions,” said Richard Olsen-Harbich, the winemaker at Bedell Cellars. “I’ve been making wine here for 40 years. The varieties that we’re growing now get riper and make better wine than they used to, back 25 to 30 years ago.” Olsen-Harbich said vineyards are starting

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to plant grape varieties that thrive in the heat, which would have been harder 20 years ago. However, hotter temperatures also lead to an increase in yield from the grape plants, which decreases the quality of the wine produced from the grapes. “Quantity does not necessarily relate to quality,” Olsen-Harbich said. Additionally, grapes grown in hotter conditions can produce wine with a higher alcohol content, which people tend to avoid, Olsen-Harbich said. Robert Carpenter, administrative director of the Long Island Farm Bureau, said that intense rain events are another effect of climate change that farmers are having to deal with. “So it used to be a three or four inch rainstorm was once every few years. A five-inch storm was maybe once a decade or once every 20 years. Now we’re seeing them with a little more frequency,” Carpenter explained. These intense rainfalls are detrimental to crop production, can make plants susceptible to diseases and force farmers to increase their fungicide usage, according to Sandra Menasha, vegetable and potato specialist for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. “They’re just very intense, very destruc-

“FARMERS WERE STEWARDS OF THE LAND LONG BEFORE ANY OF THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS BECAME AWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.” By your name

- Robert Carpenter Long Island Farm Bureau

Workers at Sang Lee Farms in Peconic prepare seedlings for planting.

tive to the soil when you have intense rainfall like that. And the soil is pretty much what is like the heart of growing produce or most crops. And if you don’t have healthy soil, it’s going to be very hard to produce a crop,” Menasha said. Lee also emphasized his concern about the threat of extreme rainfall. “Knock on wood, we’ve been fortunate so far not to have an extreme weather event. But if it does happen, it would be pretty much a disaster for us. We just kind of have our fingers crossed right now.” There are tactics that growers can employ to attempt to mitigate negative effects of climate change. One method is investing in soil health by adding organic matter such as compost and grass clippings, enabling the soil to sequester the elements carbon and nitrogen at the top where the plant’s root systems are, according to Carpenter. “If you can build a healthy soil and regenerate the soil, you can instill a lot more resiliency within the system to better handle these extreme conditions from climate change,” said Menasha, echoing the need for a focus on soil health. Cover crops and buffer zones can help protect soils. Cover crops are planted to regenerate the soil and protect it from erosion between planting seasons. “If we’re cover cropping, properly and on time, and there’s a quick freeze and high winds, then hopefully we won’t have soil loss due to wind erosion, which has taken place here on the North Fork and was very bad last winter,” Lee said. Buffer zones catch runoff of both water and soil sediment after rain events. They protect bodies of water from pollution

Photos by Annabel Hofmann

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while keeping important nutrients and soils on the farmland. Carpenter emphasized that farmers have voluntarily invested a great deal of time and effort into practices to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect the soil for the future. “There’s a perception that farmers just go dump all kinds of things on to the soil and the land, which is a big misconception, because farmers need that land to be productive, not only for today, but what about their kids and their grandkids and their great grandkids?” he said. “Farmers were stewards of the land long before any of the environmentalists became aware of what was happening.” Olsen-Harbich, of Bedell Cellars, is a founding member of Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing, a nonprofit that educates growers about and certifies them in sustainable practices. “We felt we wanted to be proactive and get out in front of it, not wait for government regulation to come and try to do something for us. But we wanted to get out and do it ourselves.” Lee added that there is a belief that we will always have food in this country and because of that, issues of food insecurity are often swept aside. However, as an insider into the world of food production, he doesn’t think we should be so sure. It’s possible that in the near future, the U.S. will be a net importer and rely on other countries for our food. “I think food production should be one of the highest priorities that the United States has or should have,” Lee said.

FREEPORT’S NAUTICAL MILE IS EVOLVING By Taylor Nicioli

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n the outside, the street is quiet. Few cars drive down the stretch of the mile, passing restaurants, bars and fish markets seemingly unoccupied during the winter months. The water is still, as boats stay docked at their posts. Inside the businesses, the scene is quite the opposite, as their stools and booths are filled with customers — locals — that come in regularly for fresh seafood, to share a laugh and a drink with one another. During the off-season, the Nautical Mile in Freeport may not be at its usual liveliness, even described as a ghost town, yet the restaurants and markets stay afloat with the help of the locals and the community. For the past decades, the mile has been a staple for the Long Island seafood culture, as many restaurants provide the unique promise of “ocean to table.” However, in recent years, the mile had to work harder to keep business running. Ivan Sayles, owner of two restaurants on the mile and the president of the Merchant’s Association, described it as nothing short of a community. “There’s a saying, a rising tide doesn’t raise people who don’t have a boat,” said Sayles. “The mile is that boat.” One of the busiest spots on the mile is a fish market that’s been around since the ’60s, which sells to many neighboring restaurants. The 2 Cousins Fish Market is a crucial business on the mile, keeping a reputation for its cleanliness, and selling to regular customers that prefer the freshly-caught market fish over grocery store fish. “We are actually very busy right now, selling a lot of fresh fish,” said Kevin Holton, general manager. “People are finding out more and more good things about seafood, how healthy it is, and how fish has high protein and low calories. In general, people are eating more seafood.” The Nautilus Cafe, one of the restaurants that buy from 2 Cousins, and the highest-rated restaurant on the mile, take pride in their ability to have high standards when it comes to seafood. Their menu ranges from fried oysters and baked clams, to grilled salmon, pan-seared ahi tuna and blackened swordfish. Aohan Fandino, a waiter and bartender for the past three years, calls the restaurant a hidden gem of South Shore. “We have tourists that come to see the mile, and we have customers that have been coming here for 33 years.” While the customers in the winter season are enough to keep businesses running, it is no surprise that many are looking forward to the traffic the warmer weather brings. “It is crazy down here in the summer,” said Brian Crofton, the owner of the Nautilus Cafe. “With the live music on the weekends, Saturday night is packed and you can’t PULSE

even get down the street. Labor Day comes and it’s all over.” In 2024, a 100-room Hilton Garden Inn will come to the end of the Nautical Mile, with a waterfront view. Many business owners are eager to see this hotel built, in hopes of bringing even more tourism to the mile. “We are looking forward to the hotel opening to get more traffic down here, so it is less seasonal,” said Crofton. The mile is the place to go to get a flavor of the seafood culture of Long Island, and not just from the restaurants and the fish markets. The Nautical Mile is also the destination for dinner cruises, another advantage to being set right on the water, and is a unique way to hold celebrations and gatherings with friends and family. “There is no question that the Nautical Mile is the jewel of the island,” said Tom Bentsen, vice president of Sapphire Cruises. “If you really want to get a flavor of Long Island during the summer, you’ll come to the mile.” The Nautical Mile, similar to many businesses, is still in recovery from the pandemic. “Typically we would have a very strong Christmas season, and New Year is the biggest night of the year. We would expect to fill two boats, but this year, people were scared to gather due to the variant,” said Bentsen. This is not the first time that the mile had to pull through from a setback. In 2012, the Mile was left devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Geraldine Goldchain, a resident of Long 40

While some businesses shut down, Bracco’s Clam and Oyster Bar, one of the restaurants known for its live music, took advantage of the hurricane to renovate its previous fish market into an inside restaurant. “Bracco’s is the cornerstone of the mile. It represents what the mile is,” said Thomas Micciulli, the general manager. “You have fresh seafood, you’re on the docks and with the local people. It still has the South Shore feel of the mile and is staying true to its roots.” Micciulli worked at the market when he was a teenager and returned in recent years following the hurricane. “After the hurricane, the mile was eight feet underwater,” said Micciulli. “This bar brought an energy to the mile and more people were coming back, which is what everyone needed.” Recently, the high-energy bar and restaurant toned it down at late hours for the residents across the way. The Nautical Mile has seen its ups and downs as it has recovered from devastation in recent years, yet the promise of fresh and local seafood stays the same.“Seafood is our culture,” said Sayles. “There is no kid that grew up on Long Island that hasn’t been fishing with their father. Seafood is a huge part of our culture, and we are very lucky to have that.”

“WE HAVE TOURISTS THAT COME TO SEE THE MILE, AND WE HAVE CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING HERE FOR 33 YEARS.” - Aohan Fandino Waiter at the Nautilus Cafe

Beach, reminisces on the mile before the hurricane. “It was very lively and known for its great seafood restaurants. After Sandy, a lot of the restaurants were devastated and none of them opened back up. It was a turning point.” Other Long Island residents claimed that the mile became more of a bar scene for the weekends. However, many restaurants have looked at Sandy as a turning point and took measures into their own hands to renovate and bring back the liveliness of the Mile.

View from the bridge of a Sapphire Cruise ship used for dinner crusies.

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Photos by Taylor Nicioli

HEALTH FOR ALL

Island Harvest’s approach to food banking By rebecca williams

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hen CEO and President Randi Shubin Dresner was recruited to Island Harvest in 2001, she had already been working for nonprofits for over 20 years. However, the small organization housed in donated space four flights above a Mineola bank pulled on her heartstrings. There were no offices, no place to store food. The two trucks used for transport had gaping holes in the floors. Yet, she saw its potential. “I was hooked," she said. The staff was determined and passionate about their shared goal: to end hunger and food waste on Long Island. “We were scrappy, but we were accomplished and doing important work," she said. Over the next 21 years, they worked tirelessly to accomplish their goal by facilitating Long Island’s largest hunger-relief organization. “We now have a staff of 65 people, and we are averaging a distribution of about 18 million pounds of product a year out into the community. That represents about 16 million meals that we supplement and support,” she said. Island Harvest partners with retailers and supermarkets to procure donations that are then inspected and inventoried. Food is labeled, sorted and stored at the organization's Melville homebase. Working with more than 400 community-based nonprofits, Island Harvest distributes food to virtually every zip code on Long Island, with a combination of school programs and home deliveries. “We're doing home deliveries to people who are senior citizens, people with disabilities, veterans and people during these past two years who are afraid to come out because of Covid,” Dresner explained. “We bring the food to them." In a world where Coca-Cola is king and “shelf-safe” foods are most often donated, this organization takes a different route. Island Harvest prioritizes fresh produce and healthy options and focuses on quality of donations and distributions. Dr. Marianna Wetherill, associate professor of health promotion sciences at the University of Oklahoma, highlights the impor-

CEO and President of Island Harvest Randi Shubin Dresner. photo by rebecca williams

tance of healthy food options in her studies ld overall stability in a household and making sure there’s more quality and vaof food insecurity and hunger. “They want healthier options than what riety available for people’s diets." Island Harvest strives to be a “holisthey’re currently being provided," said Wetic organization” that works to combat therill. "By starting with patient needs, hunger, foster a community and provide you’re really helping to support patient autotools and resources to allow people to nomy and allowing them to play a more actiimprove their lives. ve role in their health.” “To be an inclusive organization is to Island Harvest works in health education, be responsive to the community that we with the goal of not only providing healthy are supporting,” said Dresner. options, but also teaching people how to actively incorporate those foods into their diet. “We can’t make decisions about what kinds of food people need," she said. "We have to talk to them and understand what kind of foods they want. We want to teach them about healthy eating." By the end of 2022, the organization plans to have completed renovations on a new fridge and freezer unit. A “re-pack room” will also be operational, allowing bulk donations to be repackaged into single-servings for easier distribution. Additionally, a “nutritional demonstration center” will be made available with cooking stations to teach participants how to prepare healthy, easy and inexpensive meals. “Food banks do so much more An Island Harvest staff member unloads boxes than fight hunger,” said Wethe- of donated yogurt. rill. “They’re also helping to bui- Photo by rebecca williams

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Photo courtesy T h at ’ s a w r a P P r o d u c t i o n s

V o l u n t e e r s a t a LO n g I s l a n d f o o d d r iv e i n L e vi t t o n .

STOCKING THE SHELVES

A guide to food bank donations BY ANNA DEGOEDE

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quantity of people making donations can lead to a build-up of unwanted items at times. To maximize the donation’s impact, many websites recommend directly asking a food bank, such as Island Harvest, a food bank organization local to Long Island, what it prefers to receive. Don Miller, the public relations representative for Island Harvest, said, “Island Harvest Food Bank does take food that needs refrigeration, mostly from commercial donors like supermarkets and food distributors.” While Island Harvest may accept refrigerated items, people looking to contribute refrigerated items should ask a food bank if there is a refrigeration system before donating any items that need to be kept cold. Miller pointed to several resources that help improve the quality and variety of food donations, including Feeding America, a non-profit network of food banks around the country. According to Feeding America, staple items are among the things that are often overlooked when people think about what to donate. Salt, fa m i l i e s pepper, sugar, condiments and various spices are a way to liven up the other basic food items that people might

ell-meaning individuals lugging grocery bags of bread and old cans of soup to the food bank might be surprised to learn that most of their donations will get thrown out instead of going to the homes of people who need them. While contributing to food banks is a common activity for those looking to make a difference or get some community service hours in, the sheer

I s l a n d H a r v e s t d r iv e s a s s i s t i m pac t e d by t h e pa n d e m i c . Photo courtesy T h at ’ s a W r a p P r o d u c t i o n s

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receive from a food bank. Food for people with dietary restrictions, like gluten free bread, Kosher foods and Halal foods are also good ways to promote diversity within food bank programs. Items that should not be donated include food in glass containers, food with damaged packaging, expired food and sugary baked goods. However, there are more ways to assist food banks than just providing food. Island Harvest, like many other food banks, accepts monetary donations. Donating with time and volunteering also helps organizations immensely. Options for volunteering with Island Harvest include assisting with food collection and distribution, helping in warehouses and aiding with office work. Those with gardening space have another option. According to Miller, some gardeners “consider planting a row of vegetables for Island Harvest Food Bank in their backyard vegetable gardens and donate excess produce to the food bank.” Lists for food banks in the Long Island area can be found at the following websites: www.foodpantries.org/ci/ ny, foodbanknyc.org/get-help, feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank and, of course, islandharvest.org.

Photo by Megan Lamont

THE BEST BACON, EGG AND CHEESE AROUND:

LONG ISLAND’S SIZZLIN’ LOVE AFFAIR WITH A CLASSIC DISH By Megan Lamont

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he sound of sizzling bacon accompanies the scent of melting cheese in the kitchen of Jessen’s Delicatessen. Scrambled eggs are placed onto a roll with great care. Cheese follows, melting as it meets the roll, and the sandwich is completed with crispy bacon. The scent is mouthwatering. The bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is a Long Island staple. It can be put on a roll or a bagel. The eggs can be cooked in any style but are classically scrambled. The traditional American cheese can be swapped out for your favorite type. Bacon finishes the sandwich before the optional salt, pepper and ketchup. It’s a versatile meal to go, crafted to be enjoyed anywhere, from a day at the beach to your daily lunch break. The bacon, egg and cheese may be a Long Island specialty, but its history starts across the Atlantic Ocean. British factory workers in the 19th century used to eat “bap” sandwiches on their way to work, according to HuffPost. The bap consisted of a soft roll, an egg and some sort of meat, typically sausage. The sandwich made its way to the United States during the Industrial Revolution and was popularized in the

1950s and ’60s. It was around this time when fast-food companies like McDonald’s created their versions of the sandwich. There are many delis and bagel stores lining Long Island streets. Thousands of bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches are made every day, but according to Long Islanders themselves, nobody does it quite like Jessen’s Deli. Pulse asked 60 Long Islanders which establishment makes the best bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. While many other establishments across the Island were named, Jessen’s was the clear winner with 18% of the vote. Located on Little East Neck Road in West Babylon, Jessen’s Deli has served customers since 1967. The company refers to itself as “your friendly neighborhood deli” on its social media platforms. The staff jokes around with its regulars and is quick to offer service when a new customer enters. The atmosphere makes you feel at home within a few steps. Robert Spencer, a deli associate, said customers are the first thing that comes to mind when considering what makes Jessen’s stand out among the rest, noting they are “a very unique, very special breed of people.” He also said

the staff and high quality of the food add to the deli’s charm. “Their food is always fresh and delicious,” said Marie Cannetti, a Babylon resident. “The place is immaculate.” Though the staff puts a lot of care into the food they sell, Spencer believed there was another reason behind the success of their bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. “I really do think the Long Island water has a lot to do with it,” Spencer said. “We have quality rolls, bagels [and] heroes.” Spencer’s theory checks out scientifically. New York water is among the softest in the country, meaning that it has low concentrations of calcium and magnesium, according to Food & Wine. Soft water is a bit saltier in taste because of the increased presence of sodium ions, which influences the gluten inside the dough. Thus, the dough is much softer and stickier compared to areas with harder water. Mary Capobianco, of Babylon, has gone to Jessen’s for years. “The food tastes great and the staff is friendly and helpful,” Capobianco said. “I will continue going there for their egg sandwiches.”

“THEIR FOOD IS ALWAYS FRESH AND DELICIOUS.” - Marie Cannetti, Babylon resident

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Photos by Megan Lamont

In addition to the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, Jessen’s offers other specialty breakfast sandwiches. The “McJessen Special” includes egg, cheese and sausage on an English muffin. The Croissant-wich offers an egg with grilled ham and swiss cheese on a croissant. They even offer a breakfast burrito in a wrap. The deli also offers a salad bar, an extended menu for every meal of the day and catering for events, including barbecue. “Our high standards and passion for consistently excellent food is our formula for success. Every offering is prepared daily from the best and freshest ingredients available. Our capable staff pride themselves on providing the freshest, best and most unique offerings,” according to the deli’s website. After experiencing Jessen’s service firsthand, you will be pleased to see how well the eatery lives up to its standards.

Robert Spencer, deli associate, crafting a bacon egg and cheese.

Customers line up for their morning fare.

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CULINARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? B Y T I F FA N Y A C O S TA

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hile most four-year universities are full of students with varying interests, culinary schools are different. The focus is solely on food, not just how to cook it but also gastronomic history and restaurant management, among other subjects. Many people are there to chase their dream of running their own restaurant. But the question remains, what are they doing now? Two of the most prestigious culinary schools in the United States are The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). Richard Simpson, ICE’s vice president of education, said that more than 15,000 graduates have become award-winning chefs, restaurateurs, food media personalities and culinary entrepreneurs across the nation. CIA alumnus Michaael Henville graduated with an associate degree in culinary arts and a

bachelor’s degree in hotel and motel management and now works as the executive chef at Oualie Beach Resort on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean Sea. “The CIA opened my eyes to a whole new world of culinary arts and the food industry,” said Henville. “The strict regimen of classes and lectures kept our heads focused and tested our love for this industry. Knowing that I was being taught to become one of the world’s most renowned, loved and respected chef instructors humbled me and gave me an even deeper appreciation for this institution.” One graduate who started his own restaurant is Robby Beaver, chef and owner of The Frisky Oyster in Greenport, in Suffolk County. The CIA “covers so much more than functional, everyday cooking ­— from entire courses on specific areas of the world,

to menu development, to food psychology, to finance and business ownership, to food safety and understanding required chef certifications that must be renewed annually,” Beaver said. “Culinary school offers an immersive experience,” he continued. “It’s a dedicated time carved out to focus on learning fundamentals, building skills, honing technique and building connections. The support of the professional staff and all their prior experience is unique to a structured culinary school program.” Beyond owning restuarants, some graduates aim to pass on the art of cooking by starting their own schools. Lisa Basini, founder of Baking Coach, an entertainment company offering programs that teach baking to adults and children, earned her certification in baking and pastry arts from the Culinary

Academy of Long Island. “I started the Baking Coach to share my love of baking,” said Basini. “When the business started, we were teaching only in people’s homes. Today we have a commercial kitchen and a designated classroom to conduct group and private workshops.” Victor J. McNulty, who was classically trained at The French Culinary Institute in New York City, started The Cook’s Studio when he saw the need for recreational cooking classes on Long Island. Culinary education gives an opportunity not only to aspiring chefs but also to business managers, food studies scholars, critiques and restaurateurs. It’s up to the students to decide for themselves what kind of education they want to have.

“CULINARY SCHOOLS OFFER AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE.” - Robby Beaver Chef/owner

PHOTO BY LISA BASINI D r a w i n g o f t h e C IA b y A n a l i s e B e r e s PHOTO COURTES Y LINDA BASINI PULSE 46

BARK AND BITE:

WHAT GOES INTO THE DIET OF MAN’S BEST FRIEND By Darian Kukral The K-9 Shop crew members.

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ave you ever wondered what, or if any, nutrition really goes into your pet’s kibble? All kibble falls under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulation, which states, “All animal foods must be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances and be truthfully labeled.” It turns out that the ingredients in kibble are processed together and cooked. According to the American Kennel Club, required ingredients include: protein sources (such as beef, poultry, fish, and eggs), grains, cereals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Some brands are heavy on carbohydrates or have low-quality ingredients and added sugar, which can harm pets if they consume too much. Changing your pet’s daily diet can go a long way with their health. Whether it be an organic or raw diet, your pet will be thanking you from the inside and out. The K-9 Shop in Lynbrook brands itself as all-natural and lives by the motto, “Real dogs eat raw.” From rabbit feet to kangaroo bark, The K-9 Shop makes a healthy diet for dogs possible. “We’re raw and natural. We do a lot of different things because we don’t believe in kibble,” said Rober Tucker, one of

Cornucopia’s organic canned pet food.

the founders of The K-9 Shop. “We sell chicken, turkey, beef, rabbit, lamb, a lot of fishes and versatile products. What makes us different is that some of our products are locally sourced right here on Long Island.” Tucker also emphasized the importance of knowing how to care for your dogs and how vital it is to start paying attention to their diets. “Kibble was only created a couple hundred years ago as a convenience, just like McDonald’s was created as a convenience for us humans,” said Tucker. “Feeding your child McDonald’s every single day is like feeding your dog kibble every day. Soon, people recognize their dogs’ health issues and they come in here to get a more nutritious lifestyle for their dogs, and it gives them a longer, happier life with less health issues.” According to Cornucopia, a Long Island-based organic pet food manufacturer, nutritious organic food is the correct way to feed your pet. They sell several products including their famous canned food diet, superfoods and even organic broccoli sprout powder. All Cornucopia foods are certified USDA organic, except those containing fish. “All kibble on the market right now is

the equivalent to putting organic kale in the microwave for an hour,” said Kristina Broderick, co-owner of Cornucopia. “You’re just going to kill every raw vitamin, mineral and any good, nutritious aspect of organic kale. And that’s what happens when you feed your pet kibble, because of the extruding process and the heat when it goes into the granulator, it kills all the good live enzymes.” The K-9 Shop is particular with the quality of ingredients that are in the dog food it sells. “We only allow what dogs were meant to eat: no rice, no carbohydrates, no corn, no fillers, no preservatives, no potatoes. When you pick up a bag of kibble and you look at the ingredient label, it’s a mile long, but on ours, you may see one or two words,” said Tucker. “We have to look at the way it’s farmed, because to be organic, it has to be farmed organically as well.” When thinking about your own diet, try to consider your pet’s health as well. Taking action in changing your pet’s diet could change their life. “Eat how you would want your pet to eat and feed them as healthy as you feed yourself,” said Cornucopia co-owner Michele Broderick.

Organic frozen dog food from The K-9 Shop. Photos by Darian Kukral

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