Passion Blog #7 – Cannoli

Cannoli is a traditional Italian pastry that originated in Sicily. It is a tube-shaped pastry made of fried dough that is filled with a sweet and creamy filling, typically made with ricotta cheeseCannoli - Preppy Kitchen, sugar, and vanilla extract. The pastry is often garnished with chocolate chips, candied fruit, and chopped nuts, and is a popular dessert in Italy and around the world.

The history of cannoli can be traced back to the 9th century, when Arab conquerors introduced the concept of fried dough to Sicily. The pastry was originally made during Carnevale, the Italian equivalent of Mardi Gras, as a way to celebrate before the fasting of Lent. The pastry was filled with a mixture of ricotta cheese, sugar, and cinnamon, and was often garnished with pieces of fruit or nuts.

Over time, the recipe for cannoli has evolved, and different regions of Italy have developed their own variations. In Sicily, the filling is typically made with ricotta cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract, while in other parts of Italy, the filling may be made with custard or whipped cream. The pastry itself can also vary, with some regions using a flaky pastry dough, while others use a crispier dough made with wine or vinegar.

Making cannoli is a time-consuming process that requires skill and patience. The dough is rolled out into thin strips, then wrapped around a metal tube and fried until crispy. The tubes are then removed, and the shells are filled with the sweet and creamy filling. The pastry is often served with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Cannoli has become a popular dessert in many parts of the world, and is often associated with Italian-American cuisine. In the United States, it is common to find cannoli filled with a mixture of ricotta cheese and mascarpone, and garnished with chocolate chips or pistachios. Some bakeries also offer variations on the classic cannoli, such as chocolate-filled cannoli or cannoli filled with flavored creams or jams.

Cannoli is not only a delicious dessert, but it also holds cultural significance for Italians. In some regions of Italy, it is traditional to serve cannoli at weddings or other celebrations, and the pastry is often featured in Italian folklore and literature. In addition, the shape of the cannoli, with its tube-like appearance, is said to symbolize fertility and abundance.

While cannoli may be a treat that is enjoyed by many, it is important to keep in m5-Ingredient Cannolis - Baker by Natureind that it is a high-calorie dessert. A typical cannoli can contain anywhere from 200 to 300 calories, depending on the size and filling. For those watching their weight or trying to maintain a healthy diet, it is important to enjoy cannoli in moderation.

In conclusion, cannoli is a delicious and beloved dessert that has a rich history and cultural significance. Whether you prefer your cannoli with a traditional ricotta filling or something a bit more creative, there is no denying the appeal of this classic Italian pastry. So next time you’re in the mood for something sweet, consider treating yourself to a cannoli – just be sure to savor it slowly and enjoy every bite.

Passion Blog #6 – Pie

Classic Apple Pie Recipe | EpicuriousPie is a delicious dessert that has been enjoyed by people for centuries. It is a baked dish consisting of a sweet or savory filling enclosed in pastry. Pies can be made in a variety of flavors and are a popular dessert in many countries around the world.

The history of pie can be traced back to ancient Greece, where pies were made with various types of meat and seafood. The Romans also enjoyed pies, and they were often filled with fruit or honey. In medieval England, pies were often made with meat and spices, and they were popular among the wealthy.

Today, pie is enjoyed by people all over the world, and there are many different types of pies to choose from. Some popular sweet pies include apple pie, cherry pie, blueberry pie, and pumpkin pie. These pies are often served with whipped cream or ice cream and are a popular dessert for holidays and special occasions.

Savory pies are also popular, and they are often filled with meat, vegetables, or cheese. Some popular savory pies include chicken pot pie, shepherd’s pie, and quiche. These pies can be served as a main course or as a side dish and are a popular choice for lunch or dinner.

One of the things that makes pie so special is the crust. The crust is made from flour, butter, and water, and it is what gives the pie its structure. A good crust should be flaky and tender, and it should hold up well to the filling. There are many different types of crusts to choose from, including shortcrust pastry, puff pastry, and filo pastry.

Another important aspect of pie is the filling. The filling can be sweet or savory, and it is what gives the pie its flavor. Sweet fillings are often made with fruit, sugar, and spices, while savory fillings are made with meat, vegetables, or cheese. The filling should be cooked until it is thick and bubbly, and it should be well-seasoned to enhance the flavor.Cherry Pie Recipe

In addition to being delicious, pie has also played a role in many cultural traditions. In the United States, apple pie is often associated with American culture and is sometimes referred to as “the American pie.” In England, meat pies have a long history and are often associated with British cuisine.

In conclusion, pie is a delicious and versatile dessert that has been enjoyed by people for centuries. It can be made in a variety of flavors and is a popular choice for holidays and special occasions. The crust and filling are both important aspects of pie, and they should be well-made to ensure that the pie is delicious. Whether you prefer sweet or savory pies, there is a pie out there for everyone, and it is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Issue Brief Rough Draft

Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant Wastewater

Conversation is brewing throughout New York, as the Indian Point nuclear power plant is planning on discharging a million gallons of toxic wastewater into the Hudson River this coming August. Holtec International is the company that is leading this operation, and they have been dumping water into the Hudson River for over 50 years. Environmental groups and average citizens are extremely concerned that this could have detrimental environmental effects and negative health effects on people. Dumping Nuclear waste into the Hudson River does not have any positive effects, only negative, and there needs to be a bill passed that outlaws dumping waste into New York state bodies of water.

If Indian Point carries through on their plan to dump their toxic waste water into the Hudson River, there will be significant, economic, safety, and health risks. The contamination would be very likely to contaminate the animals living in the river, and us people eat fish that comes out of the Hudson River. Eating intoxicated water life could lead to a number of serious health problems. Many different cities and towns in New York rely on the Hudson River for drinking water, and if toxic waste is dumped into the river, it would make it extremely unsafe to drink. Also, toxic water would deter people from moving to nearby communities. Overall, the effects of dumping toxic water into the Hudson River would be detrimental to our health, economy, and safety.

Holtec International is the company responsible for carrying out this plan, and nearly everybody opposes it. Hundreds of thousands of citizens have signed petitions opposing the plan, many different boards of legislators vehemently oppose it, and even senators and people of high government positions oppose it. The most viable solution to this problem would be for the state to create a mandate that prohibits dumping any toxic waste into state bodies of water. If there was a major punishment for dumping waste into the Hudson River, it would prevent Holtec International from doing it, and any other companies that are also tempted to do it.

Passion Blog #4 – Chicken Parm

Chicken Parm is my all time favorite meal, but most people do not know the history behind it. Chicken parmesan, or chicken parmigiana  iChicken Parmesan - Jo Cookss a dish that consists of breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone cheese. A quantity of ham or bacon is sometimes added.

The dish originated in the Italian diaspora in the United States during the early 20th century. It has been speculated that the dish is based on a combination of the Italian parmigiana di melanzane, a dish using fried eggplant slices and tomato sauce, with a cotoletta, a breaded veal cutlet generally served without sauce or cheese in Italy.

Chicken parmesan is included as the base of a number of different meals, including sandwiches and pies, and the meal is used as the subject of eating contests at some restaurants.

The dish, also known as “chicken parm”, originated in the northeast United States from Italian immigrants, and became a popular staple in restaurants serving Italian-American cuisine by the 1950s. Home versions also grew in popularity. A recipe was published in the 1953 issue of the New York Herald Tribune that used frozen fried chicken patties or fillets along with other pre-processed foods to make a version of the dish at home. A recipe for chicken parmesan was published in The New York Times in 1962.

In the United States and Canada, chicken parmesan is often served as a main course, and sometimes with a side of, or on top of pasta. Many restaurants also offer chicken parm sandwiches. Upon arriving in America, Italian immigrants began to take advantage of America’s affordable meat market, incorporating chicken into parmigiana.

Chicken parmigiana was known in Australia by the 1950s. It was offered in restaurants in Adelaide as early as 1953. It is regularly served as a main meal throughout Australia, where it is considered a staple of pub food. In a 2019 interview that was broadcast on ABC Radio Hobart, food historian Jan O’Connell believes that chicken parmigiana did not become a pub staple until the 1980s; before that time it was primarily served in restaurants.

Chicken parmigiana is typically served in Australia with a side of chips and salad, although there is some dispute as to whether the chips should be served under or next to the chicken. Its popularity has led to a specialized chicken parmigiana restaurant opening in Melbourne, and chicken parmigiana is the subject of reviews on dedicated websites which compare the dish as purchased from various pubs within a region. The dish’s colloquial name varies across regions, with ‘parmy’, ‘parmi’ and ‘parma’ the most popular variations.

Aside from the melanzane alla Parmigiana, a dish using breaded eggplant slices instead of chicken, there are other similar dishes in Italy that use meat.

Carne pizzaiola is a dish derived from the Neapolitan tradition that features meat topped with cheese and often cooked with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and white wine. Beef is used most often but it can be made with chicken and pork as well.

A similar dish using veal is known in Italian as cotoletChicken Parm Grilled Cheese | La Brea Bakeryta alla Bolognese, which excludes tomato sauce but includes melted parmesan cheese and prosciutto. Costolette Parmigiana is another similar veal dish, but in Italy it is generally served without sauce or cheese.

Civic Issue Blog – March 16th

 

America’s Broken Criminal Legal System Contributes to Wealth Inequality

In 2019, the average wealth for houA Revolution of Values in the U.S. Criminal Justice System - Center for American Progressseholds with an incarcerated family member—not counting the imputed wealth of defined benefit pensions—was $227,582, compared with $925,006 for households without a criminal justice system interaction. The respective median wealth levels were $7,350 and $177,800. That is, households with an incarcerated family member had a little less than one-fourth the average wealth and only about 4 percent of the median wealth of households without an incarcerated family member. The wealth gap associated with criminal legal interactions largely follows from the fact that affected households have much lower asset values than but debt levels similar to those of households with an incarcerated family member. For example, households with an incarcerated family member had $54,800 in median assets, or 19. 4 percent of the $282,700 in median assets of households without an incarcerated family member. In contrast, households with an incarcerated family member had a median debt level of $25,000, while households without an incarcerated family member had a similar median debt level of $25,900.

The lack of wealth for households with an incarcerated family member is therefore likely associated with greater obstacles to saving and investing and a similar need, even amid lower earnings, to borrow money. The results show that a 1 percent increase in the average chance of having a family member incarcerated reduces household wealth by 1. For households with DB pensions, a 1 percent increase in the chance of incarceration correlates with a 1. 63 percent reduction in wealth. 6 percent lower for households with an incarcerated family member than for households without one, and wealth with DB pensions is 41. The chances of interacting with the criminal legal system are higher among people of color, single women and men, and individuals with less education. People of color are more likely to have an immediate family member incarcerated, and they face more obstacles to building wealth when a family member has been incarcerated than is the case for white households. Black households make up 19. 5 percent of households with an incarcerated family member but account for 15. 4 percent of households without an incarcerated family member. 4 percent of households without an incarcerated family member. 4 percent of households without an incarcerated family member. Moreover, households with less than a college degree are overrepresented among households with an incarcerated family member, as are single women and men. Criminal legal system interactions are higher among these groups, which often face greater obstacles to building wealth because of lower incomes; greater income instability; and higher costs, including for health care, education, and family caregiving. 9 percent—indicated that they had an incarcerated family member. For African American households, this share was 36 percent, while it was only 19 percent for white households. “Many households face a number of obstacles to building wealth, but those barriers are more significant for households with a currently or previously incarcerated family member. Take income from earnings, or the lack thereof, as an example. Overall, 16.9 percent of households without an incarcerated family member have assets greater than $50,000, while the same is true for 12.7 percent of households with an incarcerated family member. At the same time, 57.1 percent of households without an incarcerated family member and incomes above $30,000 had assets greater than $50,000, while only 41.3 percent of households with incomes above $30,000 with an incarcerated family member did” (CAP)

Among single women in 2019, the share was 26. The shares for households with and without a college degree were 13. These data again highlight that interactions with the criminal legal system are more likely to happen among households that have less wealth, lower incomes, and greater income uncertainty, as well as those that face higher costs. Black and Hispanic households are more likely to have an incarcerated family member and, if they do, they are also more likely to end up with legal debt—in 24. 8 percent of cases—than was the case for white households, who had an 18. 7 percent chance of ending up with legaLearn About Criminal Justicel debt. “In general, families with an incarcerated family member have a lot less wealth than families without an incarcerated family member, and those differences are even more pronounced for Black and Hispanic families. In 2019, the median wealth of Black families with an incarcerated family member was $3,970, compared with $50,400 for white families with an incarcerated family member” (CAP). Households with less education and single women households were also more likely to have legal debt if they had an incarcerated family member than was the case for households with a college degree and those made up of married couples. The dual costs of mass incarceration—the widespread chance of criminal legal system interactions and adverse economic consequences—tend to fall more heavily on people of color, single women and men, and less educated people. Having an incarcerated family member has two likely consequences for wealth: 1) It makes it harder for households to save, reflected in lower asset ownership; and 2) it forces many households to take on more costly debt, such as credit card or legal debt, to pay their bills. Indeed, households with an incarcerated family member are less likely to own key assets than are households without an incarcerated family member. For example, 61 percent of households with an incarcerated family member had assets of less than $50,000, while only 43. 6 percent of households without an incarcerated family member had assets of less than $50,000. For instance, only 49 percent of households with an incarcerated family member reported being able to cover a $400 emergency with cash or a cash equivalent, while 67. 2 percent of households without an incarcerated family member reported being able to do so. Incarceration goes hand in hand with much less asset ownership. Black and Hispanic households in the United States have substantially fewer assets than white households. 4 percent of Black households without an incarcerated family member have less than $50,000 in assets, compared with 38. 8 percent of Black households with an incarcerated family member have less than $50,000 in total assets, while the same is true for 55. 3 percent of white households. 3 percent of white households. Even after accounting for criminal legal system interactions, Black and Hispanic households have fewer assets than white households.

 

America’s Broken Criminal Legal System Contributes to Wealth Inequality

RCL Blog #3

 

Word of the Day: deliberate - The New York Times

In my opinion, my group’s deliberation definitely had some flaws, but it was overall really good. There was a fairly equal effort among our group members and everyone worked really hard to put it together.

During the Deliberation, every group member participated one way or another. There were definitely people who spoke more than others, but that is how most deliberations go; there is usually a leader. All of the questions we asked the audience ended up sparking major conversations, and there were not really any periods where the room went silent. The audience was also really into it for the most part and interested in what we had to talk about.

The topic of our deliberation was the Penn State student healthcare, unaffordable, alternatives are not readily available, leaving students with a lack of healthcare that is potentially harmful and unsafe.

Our 3 solutions to this problem consisted of 1, Changing hours of University Heath Services, expanding/closing off hours for urgent matters, 2, Allowing free transportation to urgent care, and other alternative health care options, and 3,  Bolstering alternatives by encouraging the use of Penn State Health on Demand.

Among the audience, the clear consensus was that option 2 was the worst one. The audience did not believe free transportation to urgent care and other alternative health options was not feasible or affordable. The more favorable options among everyone were options 1 and 3, changing the hours of University Health Services and encouraging the use of Penn State Health on Demand. Changing the hours of University Health Services is a very feasible and affordable option. Although the school would have to pay employee’s for longer hours, we would have sick students treated quicker. With option 3, it is very easy for the school to further promote their online health service, and it is worth it for people to know about it because it is a convenient way to schedule an appointment with a doctor.

Overall, our deliberation was solid and the good things we did outweighed the flaws.

 

Passion Blog #3

 

Beef Conformation Basics - Alabama Cooperative Extension System

In this passion blog I am going to move away from New York specialties, and move onto another one of my favorite foods, steak. I am going to talk about how a cow gets turned into a steak.

The first step of a steak’s journey begins at the farm. Each farm raises their cattle differently depending on their ethics and budget. Some pastures allow their cows to roam free on the farm while others keep their livestock inside constrained areas. A cow’s quality of life varies from farm to farm. Most major factory farms use feedlots which is a type of animal feeding operation. These feedlots allow for mass feeding to different types of animals including cattle, horses, chickens, and pigs.

The next step in a steak’s journey is preparing the animal for slaughtering. To ensure the farm animals endure no pain or stress, they are stunned prior to slaughter. Stunning can be practiced using mechanical, electrical, or chemical methods (CO2 gas). Stress in cows can cause their meat to become extremely tough, and, in some cases, not usable. Therefore, stunning allows for the animal to receive a humane end while also producing a high-quality meat. After the stunning occurs, the animal is no longer aware and can be slaughtered without pain.

The US Department of Agriculture evaluates different factors of quality meat cuts to determine which grade the beef receives. This grade is given upon evaluating various factors of the meat’s content and can be determined as prime beef, choice beef, or select beef. Some of these factors include tenderness, juiciness, flavor, marbling and lean content. There are two types of ways beef is graded, including the quality grade and yield grade. The quality grade evaluates the tenderness, juiciness and flavor; whereas the yield grade evaluates the amount of boneless high value lean meat that can be extracted from the carcass.

The large cow must be divided by part and separated by the different kinds of beef cuts. Usually, the cow is separated into three parts, and then from there it is cut into smaller pieces. There are many different types of beef cuts that are separated and organized. Once the meat is separated, it can then be inspected and prepared for preservation.

One of the last steps in the steak process is getting the meat to retailers and consumers safely. Throughout this entire process, safety protocols must be followed by the butcher to minimize the risk of disease or bacteria spoiling the meat. The entire farm to table process is carefully inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-FSIS). This inspection ensures that the meat is safe, wholesome and properly labeled. Once the process and meat passes inspection, the meat is prepared and is ready for distribution. When locally sourcing meat, it is taken straight from the factory to the butchers in temperature controlled trucks. However, meat distribution can vary. If the meat is being processed, it will first have to be taken to a meat processing factory. After processing, it is vacuum sealed, labeled and ready to be sold to retailers. (https://www.gpprimemeats.com/blog/posts/2021/november/a-steak-s-journey-from-farm-to-table/)

Once it is shipped out to businesses and restaurants, all that is left to do is cook it. In the end, you have yourself a delicious steak.

How to cook the perfect steak - Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary

Civic Issue Blog #2

Racial disparity exists in numerous parts of the criminal justice system, including policing. A quick look at the percentage of people stopped, searched, arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated reveals glaring disparities among races. For decades, criminal justice scholars have studied the origins of this disparity, and their research has identified a complicated intersection involving numerous causes.

One cause-the subject of well-deserved public scrutiny and outrage-is racial bias by police officers. Such conscious and unconscious bias may be shown when police officers use a person’s race as the primary motivation to stop, search, and arrest individuals, as well as use control on individuals during altercations. Racial profiling absolutely does exist. Numerous  reports of racial profiling exist, and scholarly police research confirms reports of racial profiling in various police departments.

However, evidence of racial profiling somewhere is not evidence of racial profiling everywhere. It is important to look at specific departments and even specific officers to evaluate the prevalence of racial profiling in each jurisdiction and agency.

It is also important to recognize that disparity alone is not evidence of racial bias. Correlation is not causation, especially when examining criminal justice data. For example, although African Americans make up around 12% of the U.S. population, approximately 25% of offenders in violent crimes are African Americans, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey (a non-law enforcement research organization).  Does this mean African Americans are somehow naturally more violent than other races? Of course not. This absurd, shallow perspective ignores how poverty, unemployment, neighborhood quality, and long-term structural disadvantage-powerful economic variables-affect the relationship between race and criminal offending.

In fact, scholars acknowledge that structural disadvantage created by institutional racism as another main cause of racially disparate outcomes.  Put another way, large-scale societal racism has created a system in which some groups of people encounter unique obstacles to food, housing, medical care, education, and employment, among others. Other groups of people may not encounter these obstacles because of their skin color, and thus, are able to more readily access higher levels of education, better paying jobs, better neighborhoods, etc.

Here are some prominent forms of structural disadvantage that people of color have historically experienced for decades (and centuries): convict leasing systems, redlining practices, predatory lending habits, housing and educational segregation, discriminatory hiring practices, reduced residential mobility, healthcare accessibility, and access to supermarkets, to name only a few.

More importantly, these increasing effects of these factors may lead to increased contact with law enforcement. All the  issues mentioned before lead to reduced residential and economic mobility, which further impoverishes a specific class of people and can lead to a lot of income-related offenses, such as an expired driver’s license, expired or no valid registration, owning an older vehicle with the potential for more defects (e.g., broken windshield, burned out headlights or taillights), no vehicle insurance, and a suspended/revoked driver’s license for not paying tickets related to these offenses or court-ordered child support.

Moreover, neighborhood quality is correlated with crime rates, meaning that if structural disadvantage is confining specific groups of people to certain neighborhoods with high crime rates, the potential for greater intersection with law enforcement increases. In other words, as officers are patrolling high-crime neighborhoods, they may be encountering individuals who cannot escape these neighborhoods due to a multi-generational cycle of structural disadvantage and poverty.

There is striking evidence for how structural disadvantage can negatively impact life outcomes for specific subpopulations. For example, the average household income for white Americans in 2018 was $65,902, while the average household income for African Americans is $41,511.  Approximately 44% of white Americans have an associate or bachelor’s degree, compared to 29% for African Americans.  The average life expectancy for white Americans is approximately 79 years, compared to 76 years for African Americans. (https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Police/About-LPD/Transparency/Racial-Disparities)

We see similar patterns of racially disparate life outcomes in Lincoln. According to the U.S. Census, 85% of Lincolnites are white, while 4% are African American, 5% are Asian, and 7% are Hispanic.  However, 64% of homeless persons in Lincoln are white, while 23% of homeless persons are African American, and 6% are Native American.

The Lincoln Police Department’s data likewise shows disproportionality among individuals who are not stopped or arrested. For example, 20.7% of violent crime victims are African Americans.  Among individuals who are the subject of a mental health call for service, 12% are African American, while 75% are white.  Among missing persons, 21% are African American; whites make up only 56% of individuals reported missing despite being 85% of the population.

Here is a critical takeaway: institutional racism continues to negatively effect American society in the form of structural disadvantage, negatively impacting the life outcomes of generations of people of color.

Given the vast forms of structural disadvantage and its massively hostile impact on people of color, especially African Americans, some might be tempted to minimize or dismiss the impact of racial bias in policing. For example, some might argue that although police officers in America shoot and kill around 1,000 people each year (https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Police/About-LPD/Transparency/Racial-Disparities),  the medical profession very well may kill tens of thousands more people of color as a result of not only medical errors,  but also bias and discrimination among healthcare providers, yet no one is attempting burn down hospitals.

This perspective is untruthful and hollow. No true discussion of structural disadvantage should minimize a profession’s misdeeds, absolve a field of wrongdoing based on the perceived scale of its impact, or divert attention away from an institution by pointing the finger at others.

Rather, police departments must acknowledge the existence of bias and institutional racism, as well as collaborate with community partners to help change decades and centuries of structural disadvantage. Racial disparities plague the U.S. criminal justice system. Although some of these disparities may be rooted in the implicit racial bias held by key decision makers, including the police, judges, attorneys, and jurors, others may result from specific crime reduction or litigation strategies. Thus, even if implicit bias training were effective and easily implementable for all the decision makers in the system—a questionable assumption—attempts to reduce racial disparities through implicit bias training may not be maximally effective because implicit bias is not the only root cause.

Passion Blog #2

For this passion blog, I am going to stick with New York Food, and I am going to talk about New York pizza. In my opinion, there is no debate that New York has the best pizza in all of America, and arguably in the entire world. Throughout various parts of Italy, there are definitely pizzas that top the ones we have in New York, but other than that we probably have the best pizza in the entire world. Joe's Pizza

There is not one specific reason to why New York’s pizza is so good, but there are a number of theories. The number 1 theory is that it is in our water, and that our water is the only reason our pizza is so much better than everyone else.  Food scientist Chris Loss explains in a Wired article (https://kottke.org/08/04/why-is-new-yorkstyle-pizza-so-difficult) that the minerals and chemicals within the water contribute to the New York City pizza dough’s flavor by affecting the chemical reactions during the pizza-making process. So water from NYC can really create a different flavor than water from another area. Village Pizzeria in California believes in the water so much that it pays $10,000 a year to bring New York City water to its restaurant for its pizza dough. The restaurant even did blind taste tests, which came to the conclusion that New York City water made dough better than San Diego water. Of course many people will never accept that this is the true reason New York’s pizza is so good, but there is definitely some solid evidence to back it up.

In the Wired article, Chef Mario Batali and Food-Development Consultant David Tisi both support an idea that the older ovens many New York pizzerias use add flavor to their pizzas. Just like a steel pan gains flavor from each time you cook in it, these old pizza ovens have captured particles from the many pizzas cooked in them over the years. They then add some of that flavor to each new pizza cooked. Pizzerias who have newer ovens simply miss this flavor. Since New York City has a long history of pizza, they have a leg up over other states that are newer to the pizza world.

Of course, the pizza of New York has a certain type of crust, which is mimicked in “New York-style” pizza around the country. This crust is thin and tossed by hand, for an ideal ratio of crust to sauce and cheese, as well as the perfect crisp texture to every bite. That’s just another characteristic that makes New York pizza so great.

Many New York pizzerias make their pies with top-notch ingredients straight from Italy — that’s got to contribute to the quality. You can find some cheaper pies in New York that don’t have imported ingredients, but many of the best spots use them. Some pizzerias even use real Naples pizza ovens to create amazing pizza.

As you can see, a lot of different factors contribute to making New York pizza as special as it is. That’s why other states may never be able to replicate the unique consistency and flavor that you can get in a NY pizzeria. New York Pizza Sauce – Corto Olive Oil

Civic Issue Blog #1 – Racial Disparities in our Criminal Justice System

Throughout American history, minorities have always been at a disadvantage  compared to white people, and one of the biggest disparities is within our criminal justice system. People of color are much more likely to enter our justice system than the rest of the American population. Everyone realizes there is a disparity in our system, so policymakers and researchers are working to figure out what is causing the disparities and what we can do to address it. In this blog, I am gonna give a general overview of the disparities in our justice system by addressing data from multiple aspects of our system, as well as looking at how our country is looking to address these disparities.

Contact with law enforcement, particularly at traffic stops, is the most common interaction everyday citizens have with the criminal legal system. Police stops and search decisions constantly suffer from persistent racial bias. According to a large scale analysis of racial disparities in police stops across the United States (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-0858-1.pdf), Black drivers are less likely to be stopped by an officer after sunset, when it is more difficult to determine a drivers race. This suggests bias in stop decisions. Also, by examining that rate at which stopped drivers were searched and turned up contraband, it was found that the bar for searching Hispanic and Black drivers was much lower than the bar for searching a White drivers vehicle. There are a good amount of states that have laws requiring a collection of data when a person is stopped by law enforcement. The purpose of these laws are too prevent racial profiling. A collection of demographic data is useful to use as a means of ensuring compliance with the law. The amount and kind of data varies by state, but most at minimum require the collection of data such as race, color, ethnicity, minority group or state of residence, age, and gender.

Incarceration statistics help show the major disparities in our criminal justice system. If a person is incarcerated, it means they are confined in a jail or prison. Significant ethnic and racial disparities can clearly be seen in both prisons and jails. According to the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge Website (https://safetyandjusticechallenge.org/the-problem/), while Black and Latino people make 30% of the US population, they account for 51% of the jail population. Black Americans are incarcerated across the United States at significantly higher rates than White American’s. To have a clearer sense of the racial makeup of who is incarcerated throughout our country, some systems developed data dashboards to provide information on their jail populations. In Allegheny County, Pa., for instance, the Jail Date Dashboard (https://www.alleghenycountyanalytics.us/index.php/2021/03/04/allegheny-county-jail-population-management-dashboards-2/) is publicly available and provides information on who is incarcerated in the jail. The dashboard provides a look at the race, gender and age of the jail population. According to the dashboard, on average from January 2019 – November 2021, 65% of people in the jail were Black.

Dashboards may also be established by the individual state, though these usually look back over a specified time, rather than providing a somewhat live look at the jail population. Colorado passed a law in 2019 (https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/ors/Data/Data_Instruments/HB1297/2019a_1297_signed.pdf) requiring county jails to collect data and report it to the state Division of Criminal Justice. The data is compiled in a publicly available Jail Data Dashboard. The dashboard includes information on the racial and ethnic makeup of jail populations in the state. In the second quarter of 2021, 88% of people incarcerated in jails in the state were white, 16% were Black, 2% were Native American and 1% were classified as “other race.” In the same quarter, ethnicity data for incarcerated people showed 67% were non-Hispanic, 33% were Hispanic and 9% were classified with “unknown ethnicity.”

Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections has an online dashboard (https://dashboard.cor.pa.gov/us-pa) providing similar information for the state prison population. The dashboard shows Black people make up 12% of the state’s overall population but 44% of the population in state correctional institutions, while white people make up 74% of the state population and 45% of the state prison population. While dashboards themselves don’t reduce disparities, they help create a clearer understanding of them.

Racial and ethnic disparities can also be seen in the sentencing of people following a criminal conviction. The use of sentencing enhancements and federal drug sentencing both provide examples of the disparities in sentencing. Sentencing enhancements in California have been found to be applied disproportionately to people of color and individuals with mental illness according to the state’s Committee on Revision of the Penal Code (http://www.clrc.ca.gov/CRPC.html). More than 92% of the people sentenced for a gang enhancement in the state, for instance, are Black or Hispanic. The state has more than 150 different sentence enhancements and more than 80% of people incarcerated in the state are subject to a sentence enhancement. In response to recommendations from the committee, AB 333 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB333) was enacted in 2021 to modify the state’s gang enhancement statutes by reducing the list of crimes under which use of the current charge alone creates proof of a “pattern” of criminal gang activity and separates gang allegations from underlying charges at trial.

States are also taking a closer look at racial disparities within criminal justice systems by creating legislative studies or judicial task forces. These bodies examined disparities in the criminal justice system, investigated possible causes and recommended solutions.

In 2018, Vermont legislatively established the state’s Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Advisory Panel (https://ago.vermont.gov/racial-disparities-criminal-juvenile-justice-system-advisory-panel/). The panel submitted its report to the General Assembly in 2019. Part of the report recommended instituting a public complaint process with the state’s Human Rights Commission to address perceived implicit bias across all state government systems. It also recommended training first responders to identify mental health needs, educating all law enforcement officers on bias and racial disparities. Finally, the panel agreed that increased and improved data collection was important to combat racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system. The panel recommended “developing laws and rules that will require data collection that captures high-impact, high-discretion decision points that occur during the judicial processes.”

In conclusion, there has been major disparities in our criminal justice system throughout all of American history, and it still persists to this day, but the American people and policy makers are working very hard every day to solve the disparities in our criminal justice system.