2011 North Market Show Preview & ILIS Update

ILIS debuted 1 year ago at this show. Since then we have amassed over 370 videos and published a little short of 300 posts. This will be 294 or 295. I do not know if I can keep this pace up for another year, but it will be fun trying. I want to thank all the ILIS “talent” that have helped me with everything along the way, especially Scott Roberts who was instrumental in getting me to this very point and time. There was some rough patches along the way, but I got through them, and I am very excited about the future for this site. I always envisioned a chile blog for the people who not only love it spicy like myself, but to all the companies that make it spicy too. To give everyone a voice, even the trade shows, and in doing so you help the entire industry. I am not sure how much we impact the chile universe, but even if it is a little bit, then I am grateful to have done so.

Now a little news about this fiery food show in Columbus, Ohio. ILIS is sponsoring 3 events at the show-
1- Amateur Hot Sauce Contest– Columbus lets the public show their fiery food talent with a create your own hot sauce contest.
2- Heartbreaking Dawns’ Scorn Bread Challenge– a spicy corn bread eating contest.
3- Spicy Cherry Challenge– A first of it’s kind challenge just for the North Market Show. Vendors were told in advance to create a fiery food product with cherries in it. Why Cherries? It is President’s Day Weekend, and the infamous George Washington fable about chopping down the cherry tree would make cherries the perfect choice. In this contest, select chileheads will get to vote on their favorite cherry product for the weekend. A special award will be presented Sunday morning to the winner after all the votes are counted. If you wish to have a vote, then see me at the show for a ballot.

The Weekend starts off with CaJohn’s Open House on Friday February 18 @ 2:00pm – 7:00pm. Come by and get a tour of their new facility and check out how award winning products are made. Stay and hang for a while, food is usually served for those who attend by Chef Steve.
Location: CaJohn’s Fiery Foods
816 Green Crest Drive
Westerville, OH

2011 North Market Fiery Food Show
Market Hours (Different hours for show, listed below):
Friday: 9am – 7pm
Saturday: 8am – 5pm
Sunday: Noon – 5pm

Schedule of Activities:

Saturday, February 19
Fiery foods vendors (12) in Dispatch Kitchen
10 a.m., Guacamole contest in Dispatch Kitchen
10 a.m. – 3 p.m., face painting
11 a.m., Chef Chili Challenge in northwest corner of mezzanine ($5 sample fee includes chef and amateur chili tasting)
11 a.m. – 1 p.m., music by Gipson & Fitz Trio
12:30 p.m., Amateur Chili Contest in northwest corner of mezzanine
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 Shaw Brothers
3:30 p.m., Jalapeno eating contest in Dispatch Kitchen

Sunday, February 20
Fiery foods vendors open at 10 a.m. for brunch traffic (all North Market vendors invited to open at 10 a.m. as well)
10 – 11:30 a.m., Fiery Foods Brunch upstairs ($12, reservations available here⇒)
12 p.m., Judging of Chile Pepper Art Contest in northwest corner of mezzanine
12-2 p.m., music by Island Breeze
12-3 p.m., Mark Wood Fun Show
12:30 p.m., Amateur Hot Sauce Contest in Dispatch Kitchen
1:30 p.m., Amateur Salsa Contest in Dispatch Kitchen
2-4 p.m., music by Andrew Hartman
2:30 p.m., Hot Ice Cream Sundae eating Contest in Dispatch Kitchen
3-5 p.m., music by Willie Phoenix
3:30 p.m., Hot Wing eating contest in Dispatch Kitchen

Registration for Fiery Foods EATING contests will take place in person on the day of those contests. Registration for all other contests is available by emailing

mm********@no*********.com











. Limit 15 entries per contest.

Vendor List:
Aimee’s Blue Ribbon Spices, Black Swamp Gourmet, CaJohns Flavor & Fire, Chuck Evans’ Montezuma Brand, Crazy Uncle Jester’s Inferno World, Dragonfire Foods, Happy Trails! Chili Company, Heartbreaking Dawns, Mudflats Brands, Ole Ray’s Sauces, Race City Sauceworks and Urban Chefs.

Saturday Night after the show, their is a gathering for the 2nd Annual Fiery Asian Dinner. Here is the Facebook page for that: CLICK ME. Guests limited to 60 – all attendees MUST pre-register through CaJohn’s at 614-418-0808 or at the CaJohn’s booth at North Market on the day of the event. Here is the menu for the dinner:

Appetizer Plate:
BBQ Rib, Crab Rangoon, Spring Roll

Soup:
Hot & Sour Soup

Entrees (served Family Style unlimited portion-some very hot**, hot* and mild):
Sesame Chicken
Szechuan Green Beans*
Hunan Triple Delight (scallops, shrimp, beef, chicken mix)**
Hot Pepper Chicken**
Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
Home Style Beef**
Chicken Pad Thai*
Dynasty Fried Rice (shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, mixed)

Dessert:
Cake

$23.00 per person – Tax, Tip, Beverage included
Adult beverages available for individual purchase
Leftovers can be taken home

I am looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces, and enjoying all the festivities. I will cover the event in the usual video fashion, and share with our English counterpart, the http://chilefoundry.co.uk
to help share some of what the US has to offer. Sharing with them, I hope to bridge the gap between our 2 chile lands. At any rate, I will give you something to watch when I return.