This past spring I was on a committee to plan events for our local Earth Day celebration. I advocated for our catering to, as much as possible, follow the guidelines taught on this blog, and for our vendors to be locally owned (at least) and organic (whenever possible).
In the process, I came to know Chef Elizabeth, house chef at the Phoenix Downtown Market. She whipped up a delicious chicken/walnut/rosemary salad that was the hit of the party. Chef Elizabeth mentioned that several of our local City Council representatives are frequent patrons of the farmer's market, which I was excited to hear.
I thought it would be fun to contact each of our City Council members to learn more about their thoughts about food and local and organic eating. Our first installment is here, and I will post followup installments as they return.
Michael Nowakowski, representing Phoenix District 7, is a lifelong resident of Phoenix. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Religious Studies from Arizona State University. He is married to Delia and is a proud parent of 5 children.
Councilman Nowakowski also is the General Manager of a non-profit radio station, coming from previous work with the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix where he served as Assistant Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. He currently serves on the Downtown and Aviation, Public Safety and Veterans, and Seniors, Youth and Families subcommittees. He also currently chairs the Housing and Neighborhoods subcommittee.
As you can see, Councilman Nowakowski, between his elected position, his radio station, and being the father of a growing brood, has plenty of reasons to not prioritize food. Sound familiar? Let's see what he says about how it really plays out!
LOCAL BUSINESSES
1. Do you have a favorite locally owned restaurant you enjoy patronizing? A favorite item on their menu?
I have many favorite locally-owned restaurants, such as China Chili on 3rd Street, MacAlpine’s on 7th Street, and My Florist on McDowell. The Mac Cheese Burger at MacAlpine’s is one of the best things on their menu and is always a good choice.
2. Do you have any favorite locally owned restaurants in your council district that you'd like us to mention?
My staff have told me that other restaurants they like, such as Carly’s on Roosevelt and Cibo’s on 5th Avenue, and Thaiger on Central are expanding what you can expect from restaurants in Phoenix and where you can find them.
3. When people visit you from out of town, do you have"Arizona Must Eat" experiences you like to share?
A restaurant I believe everyone should visit in Phoenix is Los Dos Molinos on Central and Dobbins. The food is amazing and unique to Phoenix.
LOCAL AND ORGANIC FOOD
4. Do you have a favorite Arizona-grown food?
Arizona green chili peppers are my favorite Arizona-grown food.
5. Have you had a chance to visit the Phoenix Downtown Market? If so, any favorite booths?
I’ve visited the Phoenix Downtown Market many times, and the food vendors always surprise me. I and many people have gone to the market intending to buy raw food, but wind up leaving with a full stomach from the tamales, Italian food and fresh fruit sold alongside what we bring home to prepare.
SOME BRIEF COMMENTS
There's a lot of variety in the listed choices, which means less possibility for losing out on important nutrients. And, clearly, a love of food! I especially love how the Downtown Market started out as a simple shopping excursion for the Nowakowski staff…and has become an enjoyable culinary experience. If you're not enjoying what you eat, you certainly aren't going to care about your choices!
Our legislators are in a position to be creating laws with impact on what we eat at home and in restaurants. I read this New York Times article last night about the food being consumed in Washington, DC, at the table where our health care plan revision is being hammered out. It left me wondering how nutrition could even be considered as an important component of those revisions. So nice to see, at least within our local government, that an appreciation for simple healthful choices and the local vendors working to create better choices that does show up on our representatives' radar.
JUST A FEW NOTES ABOUT CHILI PEPPERS
Chili peppers are a wealth of antioxidants! Red chiles contain higher amounts of vitamin C and carotene than yellow and green ones, but all colors of chilis are a good source of most B vitamins, and vitamin B6 in particular. They are very high in potassium and high in magnesium and iron. If you're a regular reader of this blog, these nutrients should sound familiar, since they've all been mentioned as important to maintaining fertlity.
Vegetarian readers take note! The high vitamin C content of chili peppers can help increase the uptake of iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains. Sounds like an authentic bean burrito with a side of rice (maybe from the farmer's market?) could be a great Nowakowski choice for dinner tonight!