Posts from — July 2008

Writing this month’s canvas articles really opened my eyes. Last month, I was taking my old motorboat out for its initial run, after putting it on the mooring in Cold Spring Harbor. With more than 25 years under her belt, the Krusty Krab still plies the local waters confidently, and I was glad to see that everything was running well. I took a run up to the Sand Hole in Lloyd Neck, and noticed some baymen working the mud flats for clams at low tide. It seemed like—if you didn’t have to do it every day for a living—clamming could be a lot of fun. That inspired me to write July’s “Tasting Notes” column about one of my favorite dishes: linguine with white clam sauce, which my wife happens to specialize in. I figured, I would drink a few beers and see how many local clams I could bring home for Jen to cook.

While I was out there, I asked my fellow clammers about techniques and where to hunt them, and was surprised to discover that clamming—and shellfishing in general—was a dying industry on Long Island. I had heard of the brown tides and trouble with the local lobster harvests, but I had simply assumed—what with the “Oyster Festival” and a lengthy Long Island history of shellfishing—that the Island was still a major producer of clams, scallops, and oysters. I discovered that I couldn’t be more wrong.

I started to look into the situation further, and ended up talking with the head of the New York Seafood Council, Roger Tollefsen. He explained that Long Island, which once was the leading exporter of bay scallops, has been comparatively bereft of shellfish for the past quarter-century. I was surprised to learn that the harvests are so small, that New York no longer exports its shellfish. With the massive local focus on the environment—especially around Peconic Bay, which has become one of the world’s most pristine estuary systems—I had imagined Long Island would be teeming with seafood. I couldn’t be more wrong. Roger explained that the problem was that Peconic Bay had become too clean.

I wondered if it was really possible for an ecosystem to be too clean? Roger’s take on the situation was highly compelling. Basically, he argues that by taking out all of the pollution out of Peconic Bay, the scallops and clams have nothing left to eat.The science seems to bear out the argument. So, I guess we are stuck with a very pristine Bay, but decimated seafood industry. As someone who loves the environment and shellfish, it makes for a tough choice. Like the proverbial beat of the butterfly’s wing, everything we do in a closed system affects everything else. In the Peconic Bay, taking all of the nitrogen out of the water makes it very difficult for shellfish to spawn and grow naturally.

I don’t know whether or not adding more waste into the bay and bringing back the shellfish is the right thing to do, but it’s going to require a lot of thought and hard choices. The solutions that are correct for other estuary systems may not be right for ours. As a writer for the leading magazine on Long Island covering sustainability, it would be easy to simply present The Nature Conservancy’s stance, which is the politically correct viewpoint. I think it is more interesting to see how real people are affected by environmental policies, and learn more.

I don’t know if putting more waste into our bays to promote shellfish is the right thing to do, but I know that a Long Island without a decent oyster is just wrong. Food for thought.

By Chris O’Hara, canvas Tasting Notes columnist

By Joanne Schenker

Right in the middle of Woodbury’s little village, where the firehouse was recently renovated and the roads were re-paved and traffic was up the wazoo, is a beautiful bit of Nirvana. Yoga Oasis is a spiritual retreat that gives your body and soul everything it needs less the stress, daily “to-do” lists, and everyday worries of the world. Check it all at the door and strip down to the bare essentials because in this 110-degree room, you’re gonna sweat—for 90 solid minutes. But don’t worry, you’re not alone—you’ll be going through it with about 25 other people, who in no time will become your yogi friends. It’s Bikram Yoga, and it’s amazing, addictive, and life altering. Its benefits on the body are incredible—both inside and out.

Owner Mary Grace is a certified Bikram/Ashtanga instructor who will expertly guide you through the 26 postures with enlightening words of wisdom and gratitude. You’ll probably work harder than you ever have at any gym, but you won’t sweat in vain. Eventually you’ll become leaner, limber, and lighter in your mind (especially when the endomorphins kick in around 3 p.m.). The other instructors are excellent as well—if you’re lucky maybe you’ll catch James Onnikian teaching COGA (calisthenics/yoga), a high performance boot camp taught by this Golden Glove kickboxing champion. Don’t let the headstands and handstands intimate you. With time, you’ll be doing them, too.

In preparation for class, you’ll need a large towel (or two), a washcloth and a yoga mat. Don’t forget to bring at least two large bottles of water so you stay hydrated. The studio rents mats and sells water and other hydrating treats if you happen to forget yours. Dress as light as possible and drink lots of water before class, as well. Try to skip the caffeine before your practice, as it is dehydrating.

After the first class, you may feel tired. Very tired. That’s normal and part of the detoxing process. It may take a few classes, but you will eventually feel incredibly energized, and any aches and pains you might have had will probably melt away. It’s a moving meditation that will stretch your muscles, increase your range of motion, improve your circulation, and strengthen your core. Yoga Oasis offers a multitude of classes in Bikram, Ashtanga, and COGA. Teacher training, massages, and workshops are available as well. To get more information, please visit the website at www.yoga-oasis.com. For more information on the benefits of Bikram yoga, check out: www.bikramyoga.com.

Come share some sweat. You’ll be amazed at what your body can do. And your soul will thank you. Namaste.

The other day this big white Hummer came flying out of a parking lot cutting me and some other folks driving down New York Ave in Huntington off. As many of my fellow Long Islanders know this is an all too common occurrence here, so I’m used to it. Anyway, I’m sure the gentleman who also happened to be talking illegally on his cell phone had somewhere very important to be. Surely that was the reason he proceeded to inch into the intersection at the red light and then cut off the on coming traffic, yes a second cut off in less then 2 minutes, to make his left turn.

Maybe he was hurrying to the gas station to fill up one more time before gas hits $5 per gallon or maybe he was running to the Hummer Dealer to get a new one before the brand is sold by GM or possibly discontinued. Either way I hope where ever he was in such a rush to get too worked out for him.

Witnessing this I couldn’t help but wonder how much gas he actually burns in those few seconds that he nails the gas pedal and cuts everyone off. This wonder comes to me almost every time I see someone doing it, especially in a big SUV.

As I posted about a politico faux pa, regarding biofuels, the other day this incident brought me back to the post and the information I read.

For those who are wondering why a slice of pizza is starting to slowly inch closer to $3. How come that loaf of bread you need is no longer an impulse buy, it requires a sit down family discussion. I thought I’d share some information about biofuels, the connection to our food prices and why filling a Hummer with this stuff might be worse then continuing to fill it with straight gasoline.

Check out these biofuel facts and give them some thought as you consider your next purchase, as flex fuel vehicles may not be the best alternative for you to consider.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas Magazine

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I had the pleasure of spending the Independence Day weekend in the Berkshires at my mother’s lake house, where we saw a plethora of wildlife, took long walks with our dog, went kayaking, and enjoyed some of the local cultural offerings. The area around Lenox, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington, is a hotbed of activity in the summer, drawing crowds of people to attend local theater, dance, and music, stroll countless galleries and museums, and dine in restaurants hawking a delicious array of seasonal, locally grown foods. It’s truly a cultural mecca, and one that I’m happy to see being emulated here on Long Island in more and more areas including Huntington and the East End.

A couple of highlights of the weekend included stumbling upon a gallery in Kent, CT, on the drive up to Massachusetts, where an amazing sculpture drew our attention enough to prompt stopping for a closer look. A giant raven perched upon an equally giant acorn was poised on the precipice of a thick stone slab bench. “This would be fabulous at the edge of the lake,” I said to my husband, before inquiring about the sculpture and finding out it was sold (alas, at $38,000 it was way out of our price range, anyway, but it’s nice to dream). Later in the weekend we attended “All’s Well that Ends Well,” at Shakespeare & Co., which put a fresh spin on the classic with a troubadour leading the chorus with a sort of Celtic-rock schtick. Apparently it received a terrible review, but we thoroughly enjoyed it; after all, how boring can it get performing the same play year after year, decade after decade, century after century; it was refreshing to see the director take a chance by breathing a modern twist into an old saw. Campy, yes, but fun nonetheless, and Shakespeare doesn’t really get campier than “All’s Well that Ends Well” so why not take it to the Nth degree? Bah humbug is all I can say to the reviewer.

We are so lucky to have such a wide array of cultural happenings available to us here on Long Island, and nearby in New York, the Berkshires, Boston, and D.C.  Pity the poor fool that says “There’s nothing to  do!” as there is PLENTY to do and see. Just take one look at the canvas calendar of events and you’re sure to find something fun to do. I’m looking forward to the upcoming canvas events, including Open Mic Night on July 10 and Green Drinks on the 17th. Hope to see you there!

This is the first time I blogged twice in the same day, I couldn’t let this go without sharing though. From Organic Consumers Association:

POLITICAL PLUNDER OF THE WEEK:
WHITE HOUSE LIES TO THE WORLD ABOUT BIOFUELS
A new report from the International Monetary Fund estimates that biofuels are responsible for as much as 30% of the global food shortage. Despite this fact, at the United Nation’s emergency food summit in Rome, USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Edward Schafer, defended the U.S. government’s decision to spend billions of dollars subsidizing corn and soybean-based ethanol and biofuel, falsely claiming that biofuels contributed only 2% to 3% of the overall increase in global food prices over the past year. According to USDA spokesman, Jim Brownlee, Mr. Schafer was unaware that his statistics were off by nearly 90%.