Amy Paulin to Co-Host Program on Sexual Assault at SHS
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NYS Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88), along with the Scarsdale High School PTA, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Services (SFCS), and the Scarsdale Coalition on Family Violence, will co-sponsor a "watch and discuss" program with a panel of experts on the documentary Audrie & Daisy at Scarsdale High School's Little Theater on November 30 at 7 PM.
Audrie & Daisy, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, is a stark and provoking examination of the aftermath of sexual assault on family, friends, schools and communities from acclaimed filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk.
The documentary chronicles the stories of Audrie Pott and Daisy Coleman, two underage high school students, who were victims of sexual assault by school acquaintances, assaults that were caught on camera. Both girls were bullied by their peers following the attacks while their assailants received little punishment. Audrie & Daisy takes a hard look at America's teenagers coming of age in this new world of social media bullying while examining how and why these teens continued to be victimized after they were sexually assaulted.
"These are stories about young women who were sexually assaulted when they were too drunk to consent, by boys they considered friends. We then come face to face with the protracted bullying and public shaming these teens endure after their assaults in their school and area communities," said Paulin. "This film illustrates so many issues that we need to talk about as a community – the roles of alcohol in consent, social media and bystanders. It is not about pointing fingers, but about raising awareness so we can work together to make sure young people in high school, who will go off to college and face the same issues, do not experience sexual assault and the wrenching aftermath in this world of instantaneous connectedness."
Paulin will serve as the event moderator with Kristen Bowes, General Counsel and Title IX Coordinator for Mercy College, Anna Utsinger, a graduate student and former Operations Coordinator of Students Active for Ending Rape (SAFER), and Katie Cappiello, the founder of The Arts Effect NYC and author of SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence, as the guest panelists.
Reservations for the event can be made here.
Cookbook Club Draws a Crowd to the Library
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The Scarsdale Cookbook Club brought two well-received guests to the library to share their culinary, diet and lifestyle wisdom.
Victoria Moran provided inspiration to vegans and non-vegans alike at the Scarsdale Public Library on Saturday, October 8. Highlighting the health benefits of veganism, its advantages for the planet, and the ethical rationale behind her commitment not to eat or wear animals or animal products, Moran also offered practical tips for leading a vegan lifestyle. One of her missions is to enable people to live healthy and compassionate lives as Main Street Vegans® in the real world. Moran is the author of numerous books, including the iconic Main Street Vegan, she is the founder of the Main Street Vegan Academy, which trains and certifies vegan lifestyle coaches, and she hosts the Main Street Vegan radio show/podcast. Those who attended her talk were treated to complimentary passes to SoulCycle, and they sampled vegan fare courtesy of the newly opened Organic Pharmer on Garth Road and Masala Kraft Café, a vegetarian Indian restaurant, on East Hartsdale Avenue. The event was part of the Scarsdale Public Library's Scarsdale Cookbook Club series.
On Sunday November 6th, attendees were treated to an Indian cooking demonstration and food tasting from Masala Kraft Café, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Hartsdale. Chef, cookbook author and blogger Rinku Bhattacharya created aloo gobi, which is cauliflower and potatoes, while sharing her thoughts on Indian cooking, spices and sources for good ingredients. Rinku is the author of food blog, "The Spice Chronicles" and also wrote "Spices and Season, a cookbook of "simple, sustainable Indian flavors."
As she waited for the ingredients to simmer, she offered a few cooking tips, such as extending the life of spices by storing them in the refrigerator. She also discussed the health benefits of commonly used Indian spices like cumin which is said to be good for digestion, ginger that improves your mood and cayenne pepper to regulate blood pressure.
Where are the best places to buy Indian ingredients? Rinku recommended Bhavak in Elmsford, Swami on Main Street in New Rochelle and Patel Bros. in Norwalk.
Of course the easiest way to enjoy some of her recipes is to go to Masala Kraft in Hartsdale and order off the menu.
Here is a recipe from The Spice Chronicles:
Slow Cooker Alu Gobi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
A simple slow cooker version of alu gobi, a classic Indian staple pairing potatoes, cauliflowers and green peas.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
11/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 medium sized red onion, grated
2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
11/2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
3/4 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt or two taste
1 medium sized head of cauliflower (about 1 pound)
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tomatoes, diced or 3/4 cup jarred tomatoes
3/4 cup of frozen green peas
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 or 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Instructions:
Place the oil, ginger, onion, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric and salt at the base of the slow cooker.
Cut the cauliflower into large pieces and add in with the potatoes and the tomatoes and mix well.
Cover and cook the mixture for 2 hours and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally if possible. Add in the green peas and the coconut milk and mix well, cooking for another 15 minutes.
Turn of the heat and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice and garnish with the cilantro and serve.
Flapjacks for All at the 3rd Annual Greenacres Pancake Breakfast
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The Greenacres Neighborhood Association served over 100 people pancakes at the third annual great Greenacres Pancake Breakfast on the Greenacres field on Sunday morning October 16th.
The board of neighborhood association orchestrated a well-produced event with fresh-made pancakes, hot coffee, cider and hot chocolate for all Greenacres families and kids.
Neighborhood Association President Andrew Sereysky, former Village trustee Kay Eiseman and Carlos Ramirez manned the hotplates, flipping jacks with and without chocolate chips for all the hungry residents.
Halloween Costumes Stop Traffic at SHS
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You name it, I saw it frolicking outside Scarsdale High School on Halloween morning when the SHS Class of 2017 got their chance to dress up in costumes for their Senior Breakfast. 
In the excited crowd I spied Toy Story aliens, Yetis, construction workers, traffic cones, cops and robbers, bears, cows, vampires, violet butterflies, wind-up dolls with keys in their backs, cheerleaders, Shrek and Fiona, a set of Don Johnsons in white suits with bright ties, charming tourists, sexy pirates and a staff of doctors.
It didn't end there. Many were inspired by food and dressed up as the employees of Chipotle, a plate of beef tacos and a big box of Dunk'in Donuts.
What else? There were darling blue aliens, white angels, inflatable dinosaurs, ghosts, Christmas elves and I even found Jesus.
The senior class advisors got into the act as well – and looked stunning in their costumes.
By 8 am, everyone had been whisked inside for breakfast.
I can't imagine that much work was done for the rest of the day.
Enjoy the slideshow:
Il Castello for the Royal Treatment
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The first time I visited 576 Mamaroneck Avenue it was a pleasant Japanese restaurant. It was replaced by several Italian spots and eight years ago, the lovely Il Castello arrived. Owner Lenny Balidemaj is at the helm of this classic Northern Italian dining spot. How refreshing to enjoy the total dining experience in a classy yet cozy environment where the noise level is moderate and the background music is mellow. Beautifully prepared dishes, plus traditional, unobtrusive and attentive service set the stage for a fine experience.
Climb a few steps through classic columns to enter the 68 seat restaurant. A bar separates two dining areas with white linen clad tables, gold leaf framed floral paintings and mirrors, wood floors and burgundy window treatments for a touch of color.
Balidemaj indicated, "Hard work, quality of ingredients cleanliness and good management are the most important ingredients for success." Along with manager Tony Bajraktari, the staff is like family and has worked together since its opening. "We planned the menu together. Everything is prepared to order. We don't overwhelm our dishes. There is no hiding good quality. Our seasonings are subtle and we are not heavy handed on the spices." Balidemaj hails from a large family in Montenegro. He is the youngest of ten children. "I was always interested in food. We ate most of our meals at home. We caught our own fish and our vegetables were garden fresh. Everything was prepared from scratch. This philosophy of freshness is followed at Il Castello, as well." Balidemaj gives this advice to a future restauranteur," Be trustworthy, true to yourself, know what you are doing, and make your guests feel relaxed and welcome, with the feeling that they are in the right place."
Our table was set with mixed olives, a cruet of oil and vinegar, and a basket of bread and delicious semolina and herb thin breadsticks. The well-trained staff was diligent about changing silverware, filling water glasses and clearing crumbs from the table. From the daily specials we enjoyed a dish of zucchini shredded lengthwise resembling spaghetti, mingled with arugula, wild mushrooms, garlic and olive oil. Basil, black truffles and oregano added flavor to this fresh mildly spiced starter. Andrew's seafood salad, a favorite of Balidemaj's son Andrew, is one of the best renditions of this popular dish that I have had. The ultra-fresh shrimp, calamari and crabmeat are tossed with a lemon and oil dressing. Red bell pepper, celery and Bibb lettuce and diner friendly pitted black olives added color to this wonderful salad. Eggplant rollatini, baked clams, and grilled jumbo shrimp with artichoke hearts are other possibilities. 
We passed on the many soups and salads and moved on to the pastas, many of them house made. Absolutely delicious is the fettuccine expertly tossed with sliced garlic, fresh basil, jumbo shrimp and a variety of mushrooms. The al dente pasta is prepared with semolina and white flour. I omitted the hot cherry peppers and thoroughly enjoyed this dish, where the pasta absorbed the flavors of its components. The house made pappardelle with a fine Bolognese sauce and chopped sweet sausage is another must try dish, a hearty bowlful. Cheese ravioli is house made, as well and can be enjoyed with vodka or fresh tomato and basil sauce.
Entrees of chicken, veal, beef, lamb and fish are varied. We chose Veal Castello. The top quality scallopine [3 scallops}, were topped with chopped shrimp and shitake mushrooms and finished with a sage sauce. Clearly, Il Castello knows that top quality ingredients are essential in good results. Vegetables and potatoes completed this dish. For our next entrée, we chose one of the fish specials, our halibut was truly an original. It was sweet, savory and outstanding. The thick perfectly seared halibut was combined with quartered black mission figs, sliced fresh crisp asparagus tips, and capers in a white wine lemon sauce. Served with fresh spinach and a bit of sliced sautéed garlic, it was a dish I would love to see on the printed menu and not just as a special.
Other entrees include rack of lamb, grilled with marinated mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, veal medallion with lobster tail over risotto, veal Colombo with prosciutto, tomato and mozzarella in a champagne sauce, grilled salmon with mustard sauce, as well as grilled filet mignon and New York Strip Specials are often seasonal such as grilled eggplant with Tuscan beans and grilled octopus, veal osso bucco with risotto, or roast duck with cherry sauce.
At lunch, a 2-course business lunch offers an appetizer, entrée and coffee or tea. The regular menu is available at lunch, as well.
Desserts of house made tiramisu, cheesecake, apple strudel, crème brulee and key lime cheesecake are on the menu here. However, I needed to keep the taste of my halibut and figs in my mouth and I declined dessert. A sweet will have to wait for my next visit.
We have discovered that Mamaroneck boasts many restaurants of many styles. Some are new and others are long standing. Il Castello is eight years old and hopefully it will be satisfying our tastes for many more years. It is classic rather than trendy in style, which entices us to keep returning. Classic cuisine much like classic fashion, never goes out of style.
A dining note----- Lenny's Seafood and Steakhouse has recently been opened in Mamaroneck by Lenny Balidemaj... another nice dining option.
Il Castello
576 Mamaroneck Avenue
Mamaroneck, New York
(914) 777 2200
Recipe:
Branzino with Dijon Sauce for 2
Ingredients:
2 whole branzino about 1 ¼ pounds each, roasted on high heat
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
Pinch chopped fresh parsley
Pinch oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ tsp. Pernod
¼ tsp. Dijon mustard
Instructions:
In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic, and sauté until lightly golden. Toss in the parsley, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Add the Pernod and mustard and heat until smooth. Serve with the roasted branzino.
Judie Dweck has been writing about restaurants and food for many publications. She teaches creative cooking to children at Scarsdale elementary schools. Through the years, her articles have appeared in Jack and Jill Magazine, Spotlight, The Pleasure of Cooking and The Scarsdale Inquirer. She balances her restaurant tastings with daily ballet classes.
