Laurie Clark

Fiery Foods Show Promises to Add Spice to Your Weekend

By Laurie Clark

Published Feb. 28, 2013

The Gallup Post, Gallup, NM

 

     Imagine table after table of chile and chile products. Red chile, green chile, chile sauces, chile salsa, chile stew, chile rubs, chiles prepared in gourmet fashion, chiles livening up desserts—chile in every form you can imagine.

 

     No doubt your mouth is watering, but the good news is you don't have to imagine such a thing—you can experience it all at the 25th National Fiery Foods and Barbecue Show.

 

     What started out 25 years ago as a trade show that had 500 attendees and resulted in $100 total profit for the organizer, Dave DeWitt, has since blossomed into a show that is expected to attract 17,000 attendees, 200 exhibitors and, of course, all kinds of chile.

 

     Some of the vendors at this year's show include El Pinto, Sadie's Salsa, The Candy Lady, The Salsa King, Heidi's Raspberry Farm (with their Raspberry Red Chile Jam) and Lusty Monk Mustards.

 

     And, there are some other things at the show besides just the opportunity to sample and buy the spicy stuff (like you need another excuse to go?).

 

     This year, the Fiery Foods show will also be hosting the Great Grill Off, where four expert chefs will compete against each other in a barbecue competition.

 

     "We have four barbecue champions that will be going up against each other," said DeWitt. "They're going to be grilling. There'll be a 'mystery basket' that they have to grill from and prepare the entire meal in an hour, and we'll have celebrity judges for that."

 

     There will also be cooking demonstrations, demonstrations on how to make your own hot sauce, and even some tequila demos, with a chance to learn about the different tequila varieties and how they are made.

 

     DeWitt isn't just a part of the show—he's also a fan of chile.

 

     DeWitt, who sounds like he is in the right line of work, said he is "still hooked on New Mexico red chile for enchiladas and things like that, but I like habaneros too…I like a lot of the chile peppers, especially the very flavorful ones. I'm still a big fan of New Mexico chiles and the sauces made from them."

 

     The Fiery Foods and Barbecue show takes place March 1-3, in Albuquerque, at the Sandia Resort and Casino. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 18 and under. Parking is free. For a schedule of events and more information you can go to www.fieryfoodsshow.com.