SOLD OUT.

Menu:

Vegetarian Mushroom Risotto

Classic Risotto Milanese

Special fiery foods vendors for the weekend so far include: A Bit of A Bite, Salsa, Aimee’s Blue Ribbon Spices, Bigfat’s Hot Sauce, Black Swamp Gourmet, Blaze Gourmet, CaJohns Flavor & Fire, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand, Dragonfire Foods, Heartbreaking Dawns, Mild to Wild Herb and Pepper Co., Mudflats Chef Inspired Sauces, Patter Fam Sauces, Race City Sauce Works, Red Lion Spicy Foods Company,  Sweet Thing Gourmet, Uncle Jester’s Fine Foods, Urban Chefs and Volcanic Peppers. Several additional vendors are expected to join us.

Want to get directly in on the fiery foods action? Customers can take a shot at fame and fortune (OK, infamy and North Market gift certificates) in a number of contests. Make great green stuff? Then the Homemade Guacamole Contest is right up your alley. If you’ve got chops with chopped avocados, it’s the one for you. Then there’s the tried and true Amateur Salsa Contest. If you’ve got a good mix of chunky or pureed fruit or vegetable salsa, put it to the test against other homemade salsa makers. Or maybe you like to play with fire? For you we have the Amateur Hot Sauce Contest. Or one can prove their chili preparing proficiency in our ever-popular Customer Chili Cook-off (entry closed). Finally, those with iron gullets can register on the day of the event for one of the myriad fiery food eating contests including Fiery Cornbread, Jalapenos, Hot Ice Cream Sundaes and Hot Wing eating contests. All contest winners will be rewarded with gift certificates or fiery foods prize packages.

In its seventh year the Chef Chili Challenge pits local professionals against one another as contenders for the title “North Market Chili Champ 2012,” a special trophy and $200 in North Market gift certificates. Participating in the battle are market merchants, fiery foods vendors and chefs from local restaurants.

New this year: BEER! The brilliant brewers at Columbus Brewing Company and Elevator Brewing Company are each concocting a special spicy elixir just for Fiery Foods Weekend at the North Market. You’ll be able to buy simply a sample, or if you are the brave sort, a whole pint for just $4.00. Also on tap will be a couple of non-throat-burning offerings to combat the capsaicin-laden offerings that will be abundant during the weekend.

“The enthusiasm for our Fiery Foods Festival has increased exponentially over the years,” said David Wible, Executive Director of the North Market. "We are excited to be able to offer an entire weekend's worth of activities to our capsaicin-consuming devotees!”

Fiery Foods Festival
Schedule of Activities

Saturday, February 18
• 9-11 a.m., music by Ira Chaiffetz (banjo)
• 10 a.m., Guacamole contest in Dispatch Kitchen
• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., face painting
• 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Mark Wood Cowboy Fun Show
• 11 a.m., Chef Chili Challenge in northwest corner of mezzanine ($5 sample fee includes chef chili sampling)
• 11 a.m., kids give-aways including cowboy hats, bandanas, sheriff badges and chili-pepper shaped cookies from Mozart's Bakery
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., music by Gipson & Fitz Trio
• 12:30 p.m., Hot Sauce Contest in the Dispatch Kitchen
• 1-3 p.m., music by Island Breeze
• 2 p.m., Fiery Cornbread eating contest in Dispatch Kitchen
• 3-5 p.m., music by the Piano Pedaler
• 3:30 p.m., Jalapeno eating contest in Dispatch Kitchen

Sunday, February 19
• 12-2 p.m., music by Canned Goods
• 12 – 5 p.m., face painting
• 12:30 p.m., Amateur Chili Cook-off Contest in northwest corner of mezzanine ($5 sample fee includes amateur chili sampling) Admission CLOSED
• 2 p.m., Amateur Salsa Contest in Dispatch Kitchen
• 2:45 p.m., Hot Ice Cream Sundae eating Contest in Dispatch Kitchen
• 2-5 p.m., music by Willie Phoenix
• 3:30 p.m., Hot Wing eating contest in Dispatch Kitchen

The North Market Fiery Foods Festival will take place on Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 19 and is a free event. A tasting fee of $5 on Saturday enables onlookers to sample the chilis of the professional chefs. A separate $5 tasting fee on Sunday applies to the chili by the amateur contestants. All tasting opportunities available only while supplies last. Market hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and 12 – 5 p.m. on Sunday. To participate in the Guacamole, Salsa or Hot Sauce Contests, the Customer Chili Cook-off or the Chef Chili Challenge, and for more information, please call (614) 463-9664 or email mmartineau@northmarket.com. Sign up for the all fiery foods consumption contests will take place in the Dispatch Kitchen on the day of those events.
 

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