It’s all about food

Four items you need to know about food in Des Moines.

The World Food Festival runs from Friday October 10 – Sunday October 12 in the East Village in Des Moines. The Cultural Cafes feature a wonderful variety of foods: American (including BBQ and Louisiana Creole), Bosnian, Ecuadorian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Greek, Indian, Laotian, Mexican, Salvadorian, Thai, Venezuelan, and Vietnamese. You will also be entertained. Better not miss it. This list is just scratching the surface of the U.S. Cellular World Food Festival.

Don’t lose sight of the fact that the Food Festival (history) is held in conjunction with the World Food Prize headquartered in Des Moines and founded by Nobel laureate and Cresco Iowa native, Dr. Norman Borlaug. The winners of the 2008 World Prize are Bob Dole and George McGovern. Read up on why Dole and McGovern were chosen. They will hold a free public forum on Wednesday October 15 at 6:30 pm in the Iowa State Historical Museum.

Food is also on the mind of those who will be part of the Des Moines Hunger Hike. Widely supported by local religious groups the annual event (since 1969) will be held on Sunday, October 12 beginning at 1:30 pm on the West steps of the Iowa State Capitol. The Des Moines Hunger Hike supports a variety of nonprofit agencies who provide free food to the hungry in the US and the rest of the world.

Angel Food Ministries (one of the helping hands around Des Moines) is still going strong. Angel Food Ministries is a Georgia based food ministry dedicated to relief of hunger throughout the United States. The local group works from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and is available to everyone, not just those in need. They provide excellent food at low cost. Check the menu for this month. Order by mail or in person by Monday October 13 for delivery on Saturday October 25. I live in the neighborhood and I can tell you that they do a land-office business.