Time is running out for the City Market Scavenger Hunt contest, but you still have time to enter.  Head on over to the Market (it’s open until 6 PM) and take a look around.  It could mean a $25 gift certificate in your pocket!

Remember: Descriptions of where to find the twelve pictured items must be emailed to me by midnight tomorrow night (September 15).  And if you haven’t found all twelve items, then send me what you do have.  If no one has found all twelve, but four people have found ten, then I will draw from those four people.

Good luck!  I’ll draw the winner’s name shortly after midnight tomorrow night!

When I first heard about this upcoming event, I was intrigued.  A garlic festival?  Featuring all things garlic?  Including things one normally wouldn’t associate with garlic?  Naturally, I had to check this out!

So I headed to the Market at lunchtime today to see what it was all about, and lucky for me (and the rest of the lunchtime crowd), I arrived just in time for the free samples!

The first garlic treat I tried was Garlic Chocolate Gelato.    (Regular readers of this blog know that I’ll try anything resembling ice cream at least once.) I was amazed — it was very good, with just a subtle garlic taste that really complemented the chocolate.  I was surprised at how well the two tastes went together.

Next, I headed to the popular Garlic Festival sample table, located between Sisters and the centre aisle.  Because of the crowd, it took a few minutes for me to reach the table, but  I thoroughly enjoyed watching the expressions on people’s faces.  Invariably, the looks went from disbelief, to hesitation, to consideration as they sampled, to smiles.

And finally it was my turn, and I didn’t know where to begin.  The offerings included the already-mentioned Garlic Chocolate Gelato, a very pretty Red Pepper and Garlic Jelly, Garlic Fudge, and Chocolate-Covered Garlic.  In the end, of course, I tried them all.

It would be hard to pick a favourite, but I really enjoyed the Red Pepper and Garlic Jelly — it was sweet and tasty and garlicky, all at the same time.  But my WOW! That’s garlicky! prize would have to go to the Chocolate-Covered Garlic Lollipops.  Definitely for grown-ups only — and the reason I was thankful for the little containers of mints on the table!

Besides the sample table, there’s all kinds of garlicky goodness to be found among the Market’s merchants, as well.  I just did a quick count and seventeen Market businesses have gotten into the spirit of the festival, featuring many tempting garlic treats!

The City Market’s Garlic Festival continues tomorrow, Saturday, September 11, with free samples (from 12:00 – 2:00 PM), and “Cooking with Garlic” demonstrations with Chef Frank Horvat.  And don’t worry — the brochure for the Garlic Festival also includes a handy article entitled “The Best Solution to Garlic Breath.”

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Don’t forget! The Saint John City Market Scavenger Hunt Contest ends at 11:59 PM ADT on September 15!  While checking out the Garlic Festival, why not keep your eyes on the look-out, too?

When I first began hanging out in the Market this past July, one of the things that surprised and delighted me was spotting Kim’s Korean Food about halfway down the south aisle.

Saint John has become much more multicultural over the past twenty years, both in its community, and in its restaurants, and it always makes me smile to see Saint Johners embrace new tastes and traditions from all over the world.

Having said that, however, I’m just not very adventurous when it comes to cuisine.  I tend to stick with things I’ve eaten since I was a kid.  So although I was fascinated with the jabchae (sweet potato noodles) my friend had for lunch one day, it still took a few weeks for me to be coaxed out of my North American take-out rut.

Finally, with my friend at my side to make sure I didn’t order anything I wouldn’t want to try, I broke free!  I ordered Kim’s “Daily Special,” where, for just eight dollars — taxes in — I received the  sweet beef bulgogi, steamed rice, the fascinatingly translucent jabchae noodles, an egg roll, and a piece of fried crab.  (There was also soup included, but I’m not big on soup in general, so I opted not to take it.)

Oh my heavens — it was so good!  The noodles had a very mild flavour and I absolutely loved the sweet beef.  (I could have chosen the spiced pork bulgogi instead, but I guess it’s quite spicy.  I’ll work my way up to it.)  As I put my empty tray down, I sighed in satisfaction.  Korean food, where have you been all my life?

(Now if I can just learn how to maneuver the chopsticks …)