Echo Magazine - Arizona LGBTQ Lifestyle - March 2021

Echo Eats

We give you plenty to feast on, from delicious dishes to organizations combating food insecurity LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 32, #6 | Issue 738 | March 2021 | COMPLIMENTARY

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DJ Doran, President/CEO, Aequalitas Media

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

W

hew! We made it through 2020, and here we are at the beginning of 2021. A new year, a new sense of optimism and opportunity, and a new direction.

2020 had many challenges, but it also presented opportunities for those that were ready. We acquired three new LGBTQ+ media assets Echo Magazine, Phoenix Out & About Magazine, Nashville, CAMP Magazine, Kansas City, and launched OUTvoices, Chicago. We developed and launched two new industry associations, The Aequalitas Content Creators Association and the Gay Travel Business Network, and we are far from being done.

We currently have three LGBTQ+ media properties in the acquisition pipeline for 2021, and there are more in various stages of negotiation and we are on track to launch the first-ever 24/7 LGBTQ+ internet-based Talk Radio Station aptly named OUTvoices Radio in March.

We will also be rolling out our OUTvoices TV YouTube Channel in May featuring original content such as the Gaycation Travel Show w/Ravi Roth and the Gay Gourmet cooking show with chefs Art Smith and Joe Morales, and much more.

2021 will also see BIG changes coming to all of our individual brands. As we continue to unify our voices and our media assets, one of the biggest changes will be the name changes. Beginning on May 1, Echo Magazine will become OUTvoices Phoenix, Out & About Nashville will become OUTvoices Nashville, and CAMP Magazine will become

OUTvoices Kansas City.

Our strategy has been and is a simple one. To create a network of local LGBTQ+ media that maintains a relationship with the communities they serve as we increase our national OUTvoice. Each local media and members of OUTvoices will add their voice to our growing national OUTvoices network.

OUTvoices “bureaus” will be able to share content with each other allowing access to a much larger audience. A new OUTvoices.us website (Going live May 1) will reflect an LGBTQ+ website that offers content from the whole spectrum of our community, not just from the gay male perspective. The .us extension for the website makes a bold and clear statement that OUTvoices is about US, ALL of US. New initiatives on the OUTvoices Network will include content that speaks to our Transgender, Lesbian, and Queer audiences and much more.

As we continue our policy of supporting LGBTQ+ media we will offer ALL LGBTQ+ websites that are part of the OUTvoices Network access to OUTvoices Radio and all of the programming contained therein for 24/7 LGBTQ+ talk radio, and they will also be able to broadcast all of our original OUTvoices video content on their digital platforms, all at no cost.

“A rising tide lifts all boats.” As small to medium sized websites continue to be overlooked by major brands and agencies, we are creating

a FREE network where others can join with us to change an industry squeak to a roar. We can add all of our small reaches and audiences to a single point, OUTvoices.us to get a piece of the digital advertising pie. Whereas, many blue-chip advertisers would not normally consider advertising on our individual websites, they will not be able to ignore the combined audience and voice of our membership.

While others may beat the drum of impending doom and gloom for LGBTQ+ media, I see opportunities to unify and become stronger, to evolve and grow, to reinvent ourselves and become indispensable.

this and we have led the way in the transition from print to digital in 2020 and will continue to do so in the future. 2021 will still have its challenges, but it will also have an abundance of opportunity. These latest changes reflect our dedication and commitment to the survivability of legacy and non-legacy publications and will continue to preach the importance of a vibrant, healthy and locally focused LGBTQ+ media.

Change can be scary, I know, but change can also be reinvigorating and exciting. The name of the publication may change but our history will not, our relationship to our audience will not and our dedication and commitment to journalistic excellence will not.

I see the opportunity to not only survive, but thrive in an evolving media landscape.

I am looking ahead to a brighter future as we focus forward and continue to re-invent ourselves to better reflect the needs and wants of our evolving sophisticated audience.

It may be true that parts of our media like print are struggling, but I don’t believe it’s on its death bed, not by a long shot. The market is telling us what it wants and needs, and we need to listen and pay attention.

Print publishing is here to stay, period, but it’s relationship to advertisers is changing.

I hope you will stay with us and share the journey toward an exciting future as we continue to transition into a unified, stronger new brand, OUTvoices.

Whereas print used to be the lead entrée for advertisers and digital offerings were the "added value," that is now changed. Digital content has become the lead platform for many advertisers and print has become the "added value."

DJ

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INSIDE THIS

ISSUE

Matthew Moody and Ruben Gonzales

Issue 738 | Vol. 32, #6 | March 2021

NEWS 5

Publisher’s Letter

8

Editor’s Note

COMMUNITY 14 Without Reservations

Handmade pretzels from The Salted

Joe Morales is the pro chef behind Joe Eats World, a site where he shares recipes, tips, and culinary information.

Here, he examines the many options of cutting boards available to help you maximize your kitchen skills.

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Matthew Moody and Ruben Gonzales took a big chance opening Industry during the pandemic. Jason Keil talks to them about how things are going in this central Phoenix spot.

18

Jonmaesha Beltran examines food insecurity in the community and the people and organizations striving to provide help.

20 Not That You Asked

ON THE COVER

Kitchen basics from a professional chef

Intense ‘Industry’ opening

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Knot AZ www.facebook.com/thesaltedknotaz Photo by Maria Vassett

Echo Eats

We give you plenty to feast on, from delicious dishes to organizations combating food insecurity

Mutual aid efforts strengthen relationships in communities

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 32, #6 | Issue 738 | March 2021 | COMPLIMENTARY

Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight; courtesy of the Heard Museum

WEB EXCLUSIVES Visit echomag.com for more food-related articles, including a restaurant feature by Niki D’Andrea and an update on farmers’ markets around the Valley. You’ll also find the launch of a new, monthly column titled Just A Stage, which focuses on local theater, by longtime Echo contributor Buddy Early.

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Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight at Heard Museum Painter and sculptor Leon Polk Smith’s current exhibition features more than 40 of his most celebrated works. Jenna Duncan discusses the artwork, talks to curators, and delves into the artist’s history.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

By Amy Young

W

elcome to our March issue, Echo Eats. Our annual food issue comes during a time when food insecurity dominates the lives of many, around the globe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s not merely a result of the pandemic, of course, as in this country, particularly, there is a wealth inequality that makes the daily need to eat a struggle.

COVID, however, has intensified the situation.

Many individuals, groups, and organizations are finding ways to help people in need. Mutualaidphoenix.com and a group moderated by Equality Arizona that you can find at facebook. com/ groups/632742627272730/ are two destinations that come to mind if you’re in need or if you have time, money, or items to donate. The saying, ‘Together, we are stronger,’ is further cemented as truth by groups like this. Reporter Jonmaesha Beltran, in her article on page 18, talks to and about people involved in mutual aid groups around the Valley.

Owning a restaurant is a challenging business adventure in the best of times.

Opening one during a pandemic, well, I don’t think I need to point out how hard that could be. Matthew Moody and Ruben Gonzales opened Industry PHX since COVID hit. They talk to Jason Keil about how it’s going. We appreciate them taking the time.

Did you know there was a speakeasy above Citizen Public House in Old Town Scottsdale? In this intimate space, you

can find Benjamin’s Upstairs, where Chef Benjamin Graham serves up his signature dishes. Head to page 14 for all of the delicious details.

We’ve also got a new food-focused column debuting this issue: Joe Eats World.

Joe Morales loves food. He’s a trained chef and culinary instructor who is also passionate about traveling, so when he’s on adventures, he’s partaking in the food culture of wherever he lands. Each month, he’ll be sharing new information, from tips on kitchen equipment, as you’ll see in this issue, to mouthwatering recipes.

What you don’t see in print, you’ll find online. Please visit echomag.com as new content is added daily. Additional Echo Eats articles include a feature on a local dining spot by Niki D’Andrea and a roundup of area farmers’ markets by Tim Rawles.

As you’re checking out this latest issue, you’ll also see a letter from our publisher, DJ Doran. He explains all of the changes in the works for Echo and the other publications under the Aequalitas Media umbrella. There’s so much in store as the Aequalitas team works to broaden its LGBTQ media network.

Amy Young is the editor-in-chief of Echo Magazine. A longtime journalist, her work has appeared numerous publications, regional to international. Please contact her at editor@echomag.com.

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PUBLISHER: Aequalitas Media EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Amy Young CONTRIBUTORS: Jonmaesha Beltran Kimberly Blaker Grace Bolyard Stefan Contreras Niki D'Andrea Jenna Duncan Buddy Early Michelle Talsma Everson Endia Fontanez Jason Keil Jason Kron Jeff Kronenfeld Megan Lane

Laura Latzko Sydney Lee Logan Lowrey-Rasmussen Anika Nayak David-Elijah Nahmod Timothy Rawles Tom Reardon Terri Schlichenmeyer Carly Schorman Anika Nayak Sojas Wagle Velvet Wahl

ART DEPARTMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: nightfuse.com.

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING SALES: Kris Radtke 602-266-0550x704 or kris@echomag.com National Advertising Sales: Aequalitas Media at 312-600-8823 or sales@aequalitasmedia.com ECHO READERSHIP: 50,000 SUBSCRIPTIONS: $29/year Echo Magazine LLC MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 16630 Phoenix, AZ 85011-6630 PHONE: 602-266-0550 EMAIL: manager@echomag.com Copyright © 2016 • ISSN #1045-2346

MEMBER:

Echo Magazine is published by Echo Magazine LLC, Inc. Echo is a registered trademark of Echo Magazine LLC, Inc. All rights reserved. Written permission must be obtained in advance for partial or complete reproduction of any advertising material contained therein. Opinions expressed therein are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. Echo Magazine LLC, Inc. does not assume responsibility for claims by its advertisers or advice columnists. Publication of a name, photograph of an individual or organization in articles, advertisements or listings is not to be construed as an indication of the sexual orientation, unless such orientation is specifically stated. Manuscripts or other materials submitted remain the property of Echo Magazine LLC, Inc. 8

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stress. We were going to start in the negative, but we figured it out and got on our feet. But there’s always something you don’t know. Water lines break, pipes don’t work, and toilets don’t flush.

Matthew Moody: I tried to route a cable through a ceiling, and I drilled into a water pipe.

I had a full mental shutdown. I didn’t know what to do.

Ruben Gonzales: It was like a waterfall, but now we know where all the water valves are.

Are you able to hold events right now?

Intense ‘Industry’ opening The restaurant has struggled since opening during the pandemic

By Jason Keil; photos courtesy of Industry PHX Echo Magazine: I’m sure this has been an intense experience. Is there a particular moment that stands out?

I

t’s tough getting any Valley restaurant off the ground.

But Ruben Gonzalez, the owner of Eleventh Monkey, and Matthew Moody really had their work cut out for them when they opened Industry PHX, located where The Louie once stood at 607 West Osborn Road, late last year. Even before the pandemic forced businesses to readjust, the duo, who were the minds behind The Hustle

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dance parties at Kobalt, dealt with investors pulling out and headaches from neighbors.

What’s kept them going through all of the stress is their desire to give the community something they knew it needed: a safe space for everyone.

They shared some of their stories with Echo Magazine in February. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Matthew Moody: You can start with the obvious: we are in an unprecedented time in the history of the world. We were under the belief that we would be able to open and function as a whole entity. Then you learn you can only open at half capacity, and you have to do this and that, so you’re already dealing with a lower income rate, and bills are coming in.

And people understandably don’t want to come out, but you need them to so you can stay open. And we’ve never opened a restaurant before, so there’s a lot we had to learn in a short amount of time.

Ruben Gonzales: We also got put into litigation by our old partner. We can only say so much [about it], but it put us in a position that almost any money that Matt and I did have leftover as a cushion was gone.

We had to go to something else, and that added a ton of

Matthew Moody: A couple of weeks ago, I got four phone calls back to back from a city inspector saying that we can’t have events. I told them we’re not, but it took a while into the fourth phone call for him to understand that watching RuPaul’s Drag Race is like watching the Super Bowl. He said, “I need to call back. How big is your stage?” “It’s exactly zero inches. We don’t have a stage,” I replied. He asks, “Are people going to be dancing with masks on?” He didn’t know that it was a television show. And he finally grasped it, but the word “event” causes a problem.

Since the day we opened, I don’t think there hasn’t been a public office that hasn’t been called on us. When we started, we got a “Stop Work” sign on our window. And that’s not a joke. And it’s because I started posting pictures of our progress as we go, so the community felt part of what we were doing. All that did was allow somebody to make up stuff that was happening in the photo that wasn’t real and send it to the inspector’s office.

Ruben Gonzales: The city manager came in with a stack of photos. He saw what we were doing, and he was so annoyed that he had to come in.

It amazes me that people have the time to call and complain.

Matthew Moody: It’s so we wouldn’t exist or be competition to their favorite place. One of the things we’ve said from the beginning is that we didn’t want to compete with anyone. We thought there were missing pieces in our community. There FEATURE

Ruben Gonzales: The city has a hold on our permit because of COVID. We’re at a point where if we can’t navigate through the pandemic as safely as possible, then nobody will be open. We both take COVID as seriously as possible. Eleventh Monkey is partially a mask show, which I never thought I’d be doing.

We want people to feel comfortable walking in the doors knowing that we’ve taken the best precautions we can take to survive. It’s still nice to see someone. There are things as human beings that we all need.

We get flack from some people for being open, but they’re not paying our bills. We have to do this. We employ people, and we need to keep their livelihood going, too.

Learn more about Industry PHX at industryphx.com. were people who didn’t feel safe in certain spaces. We’re shouting, “This is for you!” We are all about radical inclusion.

Once we fully get to open, we won’t be doing anything near what other bars do.

Ruben Gonzales: I’ve experienced this with Eleventh Monkey. People tend to get into this thing when a new business opens where they need to be greedy and can’t allow someone to go to another place. There’s enough business for everyone everywhere.

Instead of being greedy, why don’t we work together to see what each other is doing to coincide with each other?

Share the wealth.

PPP Loans weren’t available for anyone who opened after February 15. Are there other options you’re looking into?

Now there is, so we’ll see what comes of it.

Matthew Moody: We’re trying to do all these things that the money is here for, but they mean everyone but us.

Have you used social media to help drum up business?

Matthew Moody: We’ve paid for ads and are working with alcohol distributors.

Ruben Gonzales: And anytime we have a viewing party, we’ve had local organizations come out and give out condoms, lubes, lip balm, and at-home HIV testing kits, which is very important right now. These are things that we’re able to do because we have the space now.

The community needs it.

Matthew Moody: We’ve had zero dollars of help.

Matthew Moody: Both Ruben and I are crazy different guys who happen to like a lot of the same stuff, but we both said coming in that this wasn’t going to be a rush for bucks for us.

It’s about our community and having a creative space for creative queer and non-queer people to come out.

Ruben Gonzales: People told us we could still apply during the first round. Technically we couldn’t. We had no money flowing. There was no number they could derive from because we didn’t have any employees.

We have a giant neon sign that says, “You are safe here.”

It’s the focal point of the space, and it’s the whole point. The only rule is don’t be an asshole.

We want people to talk to each other.

Ruben Gonzales: Every bank is getting it differently, and I’m taking on that role and seeing what we can do. We’re allowed to apply for the second round.

FEATURE

Jason Keil is a freelance journalist based in Phoenix and is the co-host of the podcast What the Fork: Exploring The Good Place. His work has appeared in Phoenix New Times, AZCentral, and Phoenix Magazine, and he tweets about pop culture @jasonekeil.

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Chef Benjamin Graham; courtesy of In Good Spirits

WITHOUT RESERVATIONS

Instead, the walls were covered in old recipes framed like works of art. The room’s black and white color scheme was occasionally interspersed with an intricate geometric pattern. Here the food, drinks, and, of course, your company are the evening’s center of attention, with the other elements serving as complements rather than distractions.

My concerns that the elevated eatery might be too small or densely packed were quickly allayed. A little like a Tardis from “Dr. Who,” the space seems larger than you would guess from the outside. In fact, the distance between tables is greater than in most full-size restaurants I’ve visited of late. Ensconced in our romantic nook and far from the two couples who were there before us, we felt comfortable turning our attention to ordering when our very helpful waiter Scotty arrived.

Shucking and clucking at Benjamin’s Upstairs

By Jeff Kronenfeld

H

idden in the speakeasy above Citizen Public House in Old Town Scottsdale is Benjamin’s Upstairs, a new restaurant and bar offering sanctuary to the hungry and amorous alike. While not actually a secret, ascending its stairs makes you feel like a VIP nonetheless, and we haven’t even gotten to the fried chicken, oysters, or natural wine. Chef Benjamin Graham succeeds in serving up a unique dining experience that is both romantic and filling.

Opened in August of last year, the space has just six tables and is only open three nights a week, which is why reservations are essential. I booked five days in advance, and most of the coming Saturday’s time slots were already spoken for, though not

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all. I considered this a good sign while also wondering how crowded the swanky sky parlor would be. Old Town was certainly bustling when we arrived shortly before the appointed time. As we approached the entrance, the beauty from the thousands of golden bulbs strung from trees and awnings was balanced by the loud yelling from a pack of passing carousers.

Oysters and fried chicken; courtesy of In Good Spirits

The food and drink menu is small but varied. Wanting to take our time after hustling all week, we opted to start with refreshments. Cocktails, beer, and more familiar varieties of wine are all available, but the selection of natural wines are the real stars. Listed under the heading pétillant naturel, which literally translates into natural sparkling, these bubbly drinks are made by adding wild or ancestral varieties of yeast at the time of bottling. As the fruity fluid ferments, CO2 is produced as a natural byproduct, giving these wines an effervescent quality without recourse to some cringy industrial process. Sometimes

This and all other thoughts of the outside world were quickly forgotten once we entered CPH. A host escorted us around the bar, through a narrow hall, and up a dark flight of stairs. Emerging from the shadowy underworld into the gleaming light of the chandelier and flickering glow of the candles was disorienting in a good way. There were no clocks or windows.

DINING OUT

Yellowfin tuna sashimi; photo by Jeff Kronenfeld

also called the Méthode Ancestrale, this winemaking technique is the definition of an oldie but a goodie.

My dining companion ordered the Morphos, a merlot rosé from Maine.

Described on the menu as wild and tart, we found it tickled the tongue with a refreshing but mild dry sweetness. Readily confessing my ignorance on matters of the vine, I asked Scotty for a recommendation.

He suggested the Vegas Altas, a Macabeo and cabernet rosé from Spain. It, too, was lighter and more refreshing than what I usually drink, leading me to conclude the natural wine craze is not just some gimmicky fad.

As we savored our pleasantly intoxicating aperitifs, I again turned to Scotty for advice. Like the space itself, the menu is compact. With only eight dishes, picking what to order might seem simple. I knew we were going to try the Benjamin’s fried chicken, which comes with mashed potatoes and collard greens. I also planned on ordering at least a half-dozen oysters, but I was torn when it came to selecting our third dish. The shrimp cocktail and cornbread waffle both looked inviting, but so did the vegetable Crudo and beef tartare.

Scotty pointed me to the Yellowfin tuna sashimi, which I ordered as an appetizer.

When it arrived soon thereafter, I knew our waiter had again nailed it. Thin slices of almost neon pink fish rested beneath a lean-to of crispy leeks, cubes of cucumber, crushed peanuts, and a few fresh greens.

Beside it was an arty smear of jalapeno ginger aioli sprinkled with what I believe were toasted sesame seeds. The crispy leek straws added a satisfying crunch and complex flavor to the tender, cool fish. We quickly scraped the plate clean as omega-3 fatty acids flooded my brain, or maybe it was just wine. Whatever the case, I liked it.

It was not long before our next oceanic delight arrived. The half-dozen raw DINING OUT

oysters were served on a plate packed with ice, three sauces, a lemon slice, and two small forks. The oysters were large and filled with juices, as well as the fleshy mollusk bodies. After a generous spritz of citrus, I decided to use one sauce per oyster since we split the six evenly. I enjoyed both the classic mignonette and the hot sauce, but the vinaigrette was my personal favorite. I felt like I could have eaten about 100 more of these delightful bivalves but was glad I exercised restraint when our bird at last arrived.

Before I even saw the fried fowl, the dish was already winning on the presentation. It came neatly packed in a white metal bucket. Lifting the lid was a little like opening presents on Christmas morning, or so this Jewish journalist imagined. Inside were two large pieces of reddish-gold fried chicken, two white containers filled with collard greens and mashed potatoes, respectively, plus a little side of bourbon honey.

I started with a few bites of the sides.

The potatoes were good, your classic milk butter clouds, but the greens were exceptional. Soft, tangy, spicy, and savory, they were the best collard greens I’ve ever had the pleasure of inhaling. I thought I tasted the smokey fat flavor of bacon but later learned from Graham it was actually smoked pork shank.

Regardless, the greens were so good I devoured them all before even trying the chicken.

got fed up with the Midwest winters and migrated to the Valley.

Graham soon found work for Gio Osso, who we interviewed about Pizzería Virtù in October. Not just a boss, Osso was also a mentor. Through him, Graham met the owners of In Good Spirits, who brought him on when they opened CPH roughly a decade ago. He worked his way up the kitchen’s hierarchy over the years, though he never forgot his first culinary teachers.

“I actually got into cooking because of my mom and my grandma,” Graham explained. “I would always cook with my grandma when I would go visit her, and then obviously I cooked with my mom all the time.”

Graham’s mom initially freaked out when he moved to Arizona without a job lined up, something he enjoys teasing her about today. It’s those early lessons in the kitchen that helped him climb up the culinary ladder to the very lofty perch he inhabits today, not that he lets it get to his head.

Case in point, Graham originally wanted to name this restaurant within a restaurant, the Shuck and Cluck. While we prefer the name Benjamin’s Upstairs, whatever it’s called, Graham has us crowing for more.

Jeff Kronenfeld is an independent journalist based out of Phoenix, Arizona. His writing has been featured in Java Magazine, the Arts Beacon, PHXSUX, and the Phoenix Jewish News, where he received the Simon Rockower Award for excellence in news reporting from the American Jewish Press Association. Links to his previously published work are available at www.jeffkronenfeld.com.

When I did finally get to the bird, it didn’t disappoint. The breading was crispy, warm, and loaded with savory flavors. A 24-hour bath in pickle brine kept the meat inside moist. Aromatic steam wafted from the juicy flesh as I slowly pulled it apart.

It was so good I completely spaced the bourbon honey until I was nearly finished.

Once I finished it, I could understand why the owners of In Good Spirits — the company behind Benjamin’s Upstairs, CPH, and the Gladly — were so eager to build a menu around this delectable dish.

While both the atmosphere and food served at the speakeasy are fancy, Graham himself is refreshingly down to earth. The Minnesota native attended culinary school and got his start cooking for a professional hockey team in his home state. In 2008, the then 21-year-old ECHOMAG.COM

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By Shopify Partners/Burst

JOE EATS WORLD

Kitchen basics from a professional chef

By Joe Morales

I

wasn’t sure how I wanted to introduce myself, considering this is a new monthly column. I planned to jump in feet first and give you some amazing recipes, but at the same time figured it might be best to start with the basics.

By basics, I mean what tools to use, what tricks are out there, what you really need to be a good, or better, cook.

It’s always important to use the right tool for the job. So, what are you cutting on? The first discussion is going to be about cutting boards. I know, it doesn’t seem that would be a likely place to start but trust me, this is going to be just as important as what knives you use (next article).

Cutting boards come in several different materials: stone, glass, wood, and plastic.

Stone Cutting Boards Stone cutting boards are beautiful, heavy, and expensive.

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boards or large serving platters.

You can find stone boards in a variety of forms: marble, granite, and slate.

Why, you ask? Because stone boards are hard surfaces. It will take one time of chopping vegetables before you will need to sharpen your knife because the stone dulled your blade.

Sure, they’re easy to clean and sanitize, but they are hard on knife blades, requiring more frequent sharpening.

Glass Cutting Boards Glass cutting boards are much more cost-effective than stone but are also hard on your knives. They are tempered, lightweight, durable, and you can place them in dishwashers (usually).

You will still have the same issues with dull knives and the ease of cleaning and sanitizing.

Wood Cutting Boards Wood cutting boards are made from bamboo, walnut, cherry,

maple, or a combination of walnut, cherry, and maple. You have to work a bit harder at keeping them clean, but they definitely provide less wear and tear on your knives. Wooden boards are prone to knife cuts and dents but are forgiving.

Unlike marble or glass cutting boards, you cannot place wood cutting boards in the dishwasher. It should go without saying that you cannot put them in the oven to dry, either. Trust me; it’s been done, with no positive results.

The easiest way to clean the cutting board is to use soap and water. To rid the board of smells and stains, use a lemon cut in half with some kosher salt and rub it on the surface of the wood, then rinse. After washing, towel-dry the excess water and set the board standing up or on an angle to dry thoroughly.

Every once in a while, it is necessary to oil the board, so it isn’t stripped of its natural oils and prolongs its life. Make sure

you use food-grade mineral oil or creams.

It’s more work, but it will save you money on knife replacement in the long run.

Plastic Cutting Boards You can find plastic cutting boards in just about every restaurant kitchen around the world. Why? Because they are easy to use, clean, and store.

All they have to do is run them through the industrial sprayer and dishwasher, where they get cleaned and sanitized in one shot.

Cutting boards made of plastic are prone to knife cuts just like wood but last quite a bit longer. They come in several different types of plastic, too. You can purchase the thin, foldable “boards,” or you can go with a inch to inch thick plastic. You would think that all plastic is created equal, but it isn’t. There are harder plastic boards, and there are softer plastic ones. It’s all about your preference, but I

By Bonnie Kittle/Unsplash

tend to lean toward the softer plastic ones.

knives, which we’ll cover next time.

The best part, you can rinse them off and toss them in the dishwasher and run them with the rest of your dishes.

I don’t recommend using the thin folding plastic boards.

While they seem convenient, over time, they warp and never lay flat. They are also flimsy and can get holes in them or stab marks. Trust me, that happens too.

My Recommendation As a professional chef, I use and recommend wooden and plastic cutting boards. I have both at home, and they get equal use ... well, almost. I tend to favor the wood cutting board — just my personal preference.

I don’t ever use stone or glass (for cutting); I strictly use wood and plastic. I usually catch my husband using just the granite counter, and I always ask if he is using a cutting board. Also, don’t use your countertop as a cutting board. This is why I don’t allow him to use my good chef

YOU TO BE

You can find cutting boards in all shapes and sizes. Pick the one that fits your needs.

Professional tip: To keep your cutting board from sliding around while using it, wet some paper towels or a tea towel, wring out the excess water, place it on the counter and put your cutting board on top of it. This will keep your cutting board in place and stop the extra sliding around, which leads to injury.

JOE EATS WORLD Joe Morales is a passionate traveler, trained chef, and culinary instructor. When he isn’t off exploring the world, you can find him at home with his husband DJ and dog Oliver. Joe spends a lot of time in the kitchen working on his latest recipes.

You can read more about Joe’s easy to follow recipes and how to’s by visiting his website, Joe Eats World (joeeatsworld. com). You can also follow him on instagram at JoeEatsWorld1 and also on Facebook at JoeEatsWorld.

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By Jonmaesha Beltran

E

very Sunday, NourishPHX, a group of volunteers, meet in Phoenix to assemble and deliver food boxes to queer families in need of food, household supplies, hygiene products, and diapers, emphasizing that the service is solidarity, not charity.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, mutual aid projects, like NourishPHX, appeared in almost every city throughout the United States.

Volunteers utilized Google Docs, Facebook, Instagram, Slack, and other social media platforms to create networks that picked up where the government lacked.

Last year, a host of Arizonans created mutual aid networks to sew masks, deliver groceries and medication, collect household supplies, and more for vulnerable communities. Many mutual aid organizers focused their efforts on combatting food insecurity.

Almost one in three households in Arizona

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experienced food insecurity since COVID-19, which is a 28 percent increase from the year before the pandemic, when the food insecurity rate was 25 percent, according to the National Food Access and COVID Research Team.

Before the pandemic, the Williams Institute, which conducts research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, found that one in four LGBT individuals experience food insecurity. Boss is the name of one of the people we spoke with who, like others, created networks that center queer communities.

in the drag community that they usually would see at the bar every week, asking if anyone needed food or had a surplus of food to donate. Boss started collecting food donations in their studio apartment and making deliveries to the homes of those who needed it.

Soon later, the network grew to more volunteers and implemented two donation sites at Whyld Ass and Xanadu.

NourishPHX also stopped taking in dairy and meat products, requesting that people donate plant-based non-perishables.

The network doesn’t accept plastic bags and tries to work outside of institutions like Amazon and Walmart.

The network serves 10 to 15 families throughout the Valley, from healthcare workers, independent business owners, bakers and chefs, and out-ofwork drag queens. It also has six volunteers who assemble the food boxes and three people who deliver to houses in Phoenix, Mesa, and Tempe.

Before each Sunday, a volunteer picks up homemade sourdough on Fridays, made by a friend of Boss in Tempe.

Another volunteer picks up 70 pounds of produce on Saturday that NourishPHX purchases for $12 from Borderlands Produce Rescue. The volunteers also create prepared foods for the families, and volunteers are encouraged to also receive the food as a way to eliminate the idea of charity work.

Each family’s food box includes a grain, protein, veggies, fruit, and fluid. “We might do some Gatorades, some veggie broths, some pasta, and sauce, with a bunch of fruit and Boxes prepared by volunteers of NourishPHX. Photo courtesy of Boss

Boss, 28, lead organizer with NourishPHX. Photo courtesy of Boss

Mutual aid efforts strengthen relationships in communities

“It was really heartening every day to wake up and be reminded of why that food was there — it’s because I was connected with the community.”

“I was looking for a way to keep us connected and make sure we were in communion in a safe way, and we continue to affirm that we got us and that our family doesn’t die just because the spaces that we usually gather do,” Boss, 28, said.

In March, Boss, who uses ‘they’ pronouns, began networking through Instagram with friends FEATURE

vegetables on top,” Boss said, adding that they are currently looking to include zines that highlight how the community can stay united.

NourishPHX educates people who donate and volunteer about the practice of mutual aid and how it works as a service rather than a favor.

Mutual aid networks have a long, rich history and can be traced back to early fraternal organizations. But it wasn’t until 1902 when Peter Kropotkin, a Russian anarchist, popularized the term “mutual aid” in his essay collection “Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution.” Kropotkin used examples of animals and humans to argue that cooperation was the most important factor of evolution.

“For all the volunteers who come to us, we let them know that while a one-time volunteer is appreciated,” Boss said. “The long-term commitment and working these practices in your everyday life is what really causes transformation from the inside out.”

For communities of color, mutual aid networks have always been formed out of necessity and as a response to discrimination.

During the 1700s, free Black Americans founded societies that aimed to provide aid to freed slaves. In the late 19th-century, Mexican Americans founded Sociedades Mutualistas that aimed to provide economic protection, education, and community services to members who emigrated from Mexico and native Texans.

When Chinese immigrants in San Francisco were denied health care by mainstream hospitals in the 1800s, they built Tung Wah Dispensary, a hospital that served primarily Chinese residents.

When it was destroyed in the earthquake of 1906, 15 community organizations formed the Chinese Hospital Association to reinvent it as the San Francisco Chinese Hospital.

During the height of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s, many queer activists organized mutual aid networks. One network was the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, which advocated for HIV research, treatment, and policy change. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans activists formed the Common Ground Clinic, which started as a first aid station.

Through these mutual aid projects, many have learned that it’s okay to ask for help and that people don’t have to go through things independently.

Randall Denton, co-owner of Xanadu, said he appreciates the mutual aid efforts residents are making in Phoenix and that it reminds him of his experiences of being in a punk rock band.

“Sleeping on people’s couches, trusting that when you go to a city that there will be a place for you to sleep and people who will take care of you. I feel like a lot of this comes out of that, where you try to pay it forward, and you pull resources, distribute them evenly,” he said.

Paulann Egelhoff, a photographer, started delivering food created each Sunday for NourishPHX in the fall. She delivers food to two families, which she already knew from other queer spaces.

“It’s interesting to be in a position where there’s a mutual aid group that’s not only feeding our community but feeding the queer families that we know,” Egelhoff, 33, said.

Egelhoff said since her involvement in the mutual aid network, her relationship with the people she delivers to has become stronger.

“I feel better knowing that I can help meet their needs in some way with some group,” she said.

Some have questioned the longevity of many of the mutual aid projects that arose during the pandemic. Still, many organizers are figuring out ways to combat food insecurity after the pandemic.

“I’m hoping that Nourish continues to be something that queer Phoenix know is always there them,” Boss said.

Jonmaesha Beltran is a California native living in Phoenix, Arizona, where she studies journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s passionate about amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. Her dream is to become a staff writer at a national magazine.

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NOT THAT YOU ASKED

the globe; and she was instrumental in bringing the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Washington and increasing awareness when most Americans were still clueless.

On the political front, Pelosi was among the first members of Congress to support same-sex marriage, joining an underwhelming minority in 1996 to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act. She’s supported our community on every issue facing the country. She lent her name to and was present at major LGBT events, including the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian & Gay Rights.

Despite any missteps or occasions where Pelosi had to be educated about an issue, and despite any time she had to compromise to get shit done, I will always love Nancy Pelosi.

Why I Love Nancy Pelosi and AOC

By Buddy Early

S

ome time ago, I ignited a firestorm on social media when I said I would most appreciate a viable presidential candidate under 50. Holy smokes, did I get roasted for being ageist! How could I possibly just write off an entire generation of hard-working, experienced Americans when it comes to our nation’s highest office? I was even called part of “the entitlement generation” by one particularly triggered individual.

Now, while I stand by my belief that a fresh, energetic change-maker would’ve best served our country’s needs during this messed up time, I’ll also accept that dismissing a large portion of our population in that way was a bit harsh.

Maybe it’s because I will, in fact, turn 50 this year, and I certainly don’t want to be overlooked in favor of some young whippersnapper who wears skinny jeans and Converse and understands Bitcoin – and that goes for any upcoming presidential race or a game of dodgeball.

But back to my point: I was wrong.

Ironically, most of the folks who tried to cancel me for my ageist views are the same folks on the progressive left who wanted to run Nancy Pelosi out of her House leadership because she is out of touch with young folks. (This is called a segue.) Pelosi will turn 80 this month, and in her more than three decades as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives has been elected four times to the position of Speaker. Prior to taking on that role she was tapped as

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Minority Whip and then Minority Leader by her Democratic colleagues.

Essentially, Nancy Pelosi has earned and has long had the respect and appreciation of her peers. Those who have worked with her in Congress, people inside the beltway, and pretty much everyone who has followed national politics for the last few decades know her as a leader, a tough negotiator, and an effective policymaker. Even opponents on the other side of the aisle who hate everything Pelosi stands for would not argue she hasn’t been good at her job.

We can and should expect Republicans – particularly the current brand that has no integrity or morals, and relies on lies and conspiracy theories to inform its actions – to balk at the things Pelosi tries to accomplish. What we shouldn’t have to deal with is members of the Democratic Party disrespecting her accomplishments and experience. Even more dispiriting, I’ve noticed, is the manner in which many members of the LGBT community have decided Pelosi is ready for the trash heap.

It’s not just disrespectful; it’s ignorant.

Nancy Pelosi has been there for us, time and time again. During her first speech on the House floor in 1987, she made it clear that fighting AIDS would be a top priority. And she has stayed true to that promise: challenging President Reagan to step up in the fight; securing AIDS funding first for her home district then subsequently through the Ryan White CARES Act and even across

If I’m being perfectly honest, I might be more closely aligned politically with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than I am with Nancy Pelosi. I’m somewhere in the middle right now but becoming more progressive with each passing year. AOC’s role as an ally to the LGBT community is unmatched.

She is uncompromising, unflinching, and you can be damned sure she will never sell us out. Beyond her support for gay and lesbian equality, she has been vocal about the rights of Trans Americans more than anyone else ever in Congress.

I am thrilled that AOC and other young progressives like her are making waves in Washington. While I may not be on board (yet) with every aspect of her agenda, nothing she is proposing would bring harm to America. She has a vision of an American utopia that doesn’t deserve to be disrespected by older, more conservative members of her own party.

And I like that she scares the shit out of the likes of Ted Cruz, Lindsay Graham, and Josh Hawley.

Even in scenarios where her approach may not be incredibly wise, or she may shoot herself in the foot with her own actions, I will always love Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Nancy Pelosi and AOC are two sides of the same coin. They will have battles, for sure, and some may even argue they will ultimately “fight for the soul of the party.”

But they support us and will go to the mat for us; the last thing they need is for us to pit them against one another. We need both of them.

Buddy Early grew up in Tempe and has been involved in various communities across the Valley since.

He is a former managing editor of both Echo Magazine and Compete Magazine.

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Leon Polk Smith —Hiding in Plain Sight

Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight at Heard Museum

By Jenna Duncan. Photos courtesy of Heard Museum

T

he mood of the midcentury built many memorable masters in art and architecture — many of whom were reacting to American and European recent history and events. Family life and education often shaped an artist’s experience, but an even more intrinsic, influential force came from the environment.

Such is the case of painter and sculptor Leon Polk Smith, who may have emerged from obscurity in New York City, but was captivated by the American Southwest from the time of his youth in Oklahoma Territory, throughout his later life, work and travels. “Leon Polk Smith: Hiding in Plain Sight” at Heard Museum features more than 40 of the artist’s most celebrated works.

LPS grew up on a farm near Pocasset, Oklahoma, living with his mother, father, and nine brothers and sisters. He was born in Oklahoma, a year before the territory received statehood.

He grew up near Chickasha, the nations of the Chickasaw, and Chocktaw, his neighbors. Smith claimed the Southwest as his home, describing its influence on his art and his spirit.

“I believe his creative self was already shaped by this exposure to the Tribal communities,” Baker says. “The dances, the social gatherings — all of which he participated in,” Baker says the evidence is shown in his free use of color, which reflects palettes of historic beadwork and ribbon work.

Baker describes the development of Oklahoma

state as a time of creativity, lawlessness, and invention.

“From that space, that place, came all sorts of innovations and creative individuals.” For example, Richard Adams, Delaware Indian poet, writer, and activist; Lewis W. Ballard, composer and former music director of Institute of American Indian Arts; and Lynn Riggs, who wrote the play “Green Grow the Lilacs,” Baker says.

As a young man, Smith’s mother and father faced the foreclosure of their land and family farm, and he was sent to work to try to save it. Different accounts find him traveling the country, working as a laborer with Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, and as a railroad laborer, where he landed a brief stint in Arizona.

The wildly colorful desert sunsets may certainly have played into Smith’s adopted color palette, as did the decorative trends of the time.

In one of his most memorable paintings, “Stonewall,” (1956), two red-orange orbs gently graze one another. But these shapes are more than just decorative — they suggest human energy, momentum — two planets about to form an eclipse or two lovers about to share a kiss.

“To me, it’s very much a part of the pow wow,” Baker says of Smith’s vibrant color palette and what informs it. “A riot of color, in movement.”

Though some of LPS’s early work was figurative, and he did experiment somewhat with Surrealism, LPS never truly Leon Polk Smith —Hiding in Plain Sight

“[Leon Polk Smith] spent the first 40 years of his life in Oklahoma. It has a warm place in my heart and everywhere in his painting,” says Joe Baker, co-curator of the exhibit and executive director at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. “I give all the credit to Oklahoma,” Baker quotes Smith as saying near the end of his life.

While he was interested in the artist for many years prior, Baker says co-curating this exhibit gave him the chance to delve into Leon Polk Smith’s early years.

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FEATURE

Baker has a special connection to Heard Museum and Leon Polk Smith. For one, Baker was at Heard Museum for 12 years, first in education and then serving as Lloyd Kiva New Curator of Fine Art. And another significant connection, Baker is also from Oklahoma and a member of the Delaware tribe. “I know the town he was born in,” Baker explains. “I know how that part of Oklahoma feels — the difficult history of the founding of the state of Oklahoma. It became a very personal experience for me.”

The difficult history, as Baker explains, covers Oklahoma’s timeline from the 1800s into the early 20th century. “It’s important to realize there were over 60 Native American communities that were forced into what I refer to as a holding area,” Baker says. “They were misplaced by expansion until something could be decided about what to do about the ‘Indian problem.’”

It was a time in the nation’s history when communities of diverse Native people, owning different customs and different languages, were forcibly pushed together into the “no man’s lands.”

“What I do know that resulted from that action was really something quite beautiful,” Baker says. “Tribal people came together; there was a lot of sharing and exchange.

They contributed formatively to the formation of the state of Oklahoma.”

Smith was also coming of age in this era, embedded in a turbulent time. Baker says he wasn’t able to find any documentation that the Smith family had a tribal affiliation, but it has been said they were of Cherokee heritage. LPS didn’t speak much during his life about his Native American background, but his lifelong partner, Robert (Bob) Mead Jamieson, in interviews with the Leon Polk Foundation, did state that both of LPS’s parents had Cherokee ancestors.

FEATURE

Leon Polk Smith —Hiding in Plain Sight

veered from Hard-Edge painting, Baker says. Geometry and vibrant color play big roles in Smith’s work. Many attribute Piet Mondrian as one of his primary influences, and he was friends with many other working artists of the time, including Martha Graham and Carmen Herrera.

Smith and Jamieson met in a bar called Goody’s in New York City in the early 1950s, Baker says. Baker tried to track down the place but could not find a record of it. He did find records, though. The Smith maintained studios around Union Square and Greenwich from the mid-century to his later life.

But before he got to New York, he enrolled in some classes at a college in Aida, Oklahoma. Initially, LPS had planned to become a teacher.

“Somehow, during his time on campus, he walked by an open studio in the department of art and was just fascinated with painting class,” Baker says. “He looks in the door and somehow this moment of recognition that this was his calling.” LPS convinced the professor to let him sit in, and this initiated his formal investigation of the medium.

Throughout his active art life, LPS evolved his style to include more curves. He also began to experiment with alternative shapes for his canvases, embracing the “tondo,” or round disk shape.

“What we found in a box was his notebooks, which had never been seen before by anyone at the foundation. It was really exciting because there are really meticulous records of the painting — where they were exhibited, where they traveled.

Along with pencil sketches.

References to colors. All of this provided insight into the mind of the artist; you could see his literal side. He was also very fastidious with his recordkeeping and note-taking.”

The Heard has on view some never-before-exhibited pages of the notebook. Also on view is a painting very atypical of LPSs work, “Black Black,” Baker says, which was produced during his time in Santa Fe on a fellowship.

Leon Polk Smith died in 1996 at age 90. He was active in painting for more than 70 years.

“Hiding in Plain Sight” is on view at Heard Museum through May 31. For more information, visit heard.org.

Jenna Duncan is writer, community college instructor and artist based in Phoenix, Arizona. She leads the training program for journalism at Glendale Community College. Her video art and documentaries have screened in Phoenix, NYC, and Berlin. Jenna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of Arizona, an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College in Vermont, and a Masters in Media Studies from The New School.

Jenna is a freelance reporter and editor for a few local magazines and co-hosts a biweekly pop culture podcast with fellow Phoenix writer, Jared Duran, called HootNReview.

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“All of that was inspired by baseballs,” Baker says.

His interpretation is that the seams on the ball held for LPS a connection to space and the endless horizons, inspiring his group of paintings, “Constellations.”

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Baker says last year, he visited the foundation and LPS’ home studio in Long Island before it was sold.

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