Robert's Market Report

Super Bowl and Souper Bowl

Super Bowl Sunday is tomorrow, and if you want wings to feed your crowd, Guinta's Prime Shop has deal for you: a 40-pound case for $59.95, or $1.50/pound. If your group can't consume that many wings, Guinta's and other butchers at the Reading Terminal Market will sell you them at prices ranging from $2.49-$2.69/pound.

If you're making your own guacamole, the price of avocados and limes are up with demand: the Hass avocados are $1.49 at Iovine Brothers, the limes three for a buck, or $1.69 and four for a buck, respectively, at O.K. Lee.

Earl Livengood took the day off today, which was just as well as far as the market's lunch vendors are concerned, since the space the Lancaster County farmer normally occupies can be used for additional table capacity, given that it's opening day for the auto show. Tom DiNicolosi, proprietor of Tommy DiNic's, expects today to be the busiest day of the year.

Among the hot items Hershel's has to help fill your platter of brisket or any of their other delicacies is kasha varnishkes, a noodle-buckwheat groat combination usually served with gravy.

La Cucina plans to begin cooking classes Feb. 12, with the instruction under the banner of the Temple Center City's Institute for Continuing Studies. Most of the classes La Cucina's RTM demonstration kitchen are for Italian cooking, although other topics are covered in some classes, including a special class for young chefs (ages 9-12) March 8. Most of Temple's basic instructional courses, as well as a number of special chef demonstration classes, will be held at Foster's new store at Fourth and Market, with others at Center City restaurants. Here's the web page listing Temple's classes this semester, some of which are already sold out.

The RTM inaugurates its International Comfort Food Festival on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Samples prepared by market merchants will be available of homey foods from different world cultures, including African-American, Italian, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Jewish. The big event of the day will be a "Souper Bowl" contest to determine which RTM merchant makes the best soup; judges are expected to be local food writers. Live jazz and children's activites will also be part of the festivities.

Weddings are performed every Valentine's Day in center court, and this year is no exception. Six local couples will tie the knot on Feb. 14 in ceremonies officiated by Judge Jeffrrey P. Minehart. The Kraft Trio will play the Mendelssohn.

As reported in an earlier post, Dutch Country Meats will sell Fastnachts, the German Shrove Tuesday delicacy baked by Haegele's of the Northeast -- but only for one day, Tuesday, Feb. 5. Haegele's version is different from the plain fried potato dough Fastnacht served in Pennsylvania Dutch country; after frying, Haegele's soaks them in cream, according to Dutch Country Meats proprietor Jake Fisher.