It was the best cooking class of the year! All my friends agreed. We were so thrilled to attend the last class of the year at KaTom, instructed by Jeff Ross of the famous Blackberry Farm. Read on and I will share the delights!
A cool, damp evening was considerably cheered up by festive lights and regalia at the KaTom Chef Supplies store. I couldn’t wait to get inside!
Our favorite table was decorated and ready to go. We loved the centerpiece. Here is another view. We certainly missed Harriet and Sarah, but look forward to seeing them next month.
Little ramekins held good things ready to spread. KaTom sells jars of these: pumpkin butter, strawberry butter, and rhubarb marmalade. So good! One of my friends may have bought some.
Jeff Ross is a chef at the Blackberry Farm luxury hotel and resort. He was very friendly and glad to answer any questions during the evening. His delivery is comfortable, informative, and humorous. In his introduction, we learned that Jeff started in the garden at Blackberry Farm and now creates wonderful meals in the kitchen as well. “Horticulture to kitchen.” We are glad! He also gave us a lot of tips about cooking that I had never heard before. Also, good restaurants and stores that he, himself, likes to visit. That says a lot.
We received full recipes at our tables to take home. Here is the special Christmas Dinner menu:
Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Benton’s Sausage and Pepper Jam
Fig Simmered Benton’s Holiday Ham with Fig Mostarda
Steamed Puddings with Tennessee Hard Sauce
The KaTom cooking demonstration experience is very comfortable and fun. Notice the large screen TV over the kitchen area so every seat has a great view.
Getting ready.
Benton’s Holiday Ham.
A good tip for me to remember: slowly simmer the ham in water for a couple of hours to reduce the salt.
A good view from the overhead screen. Preparing the steamed puddings, which he explained would be more like moist cake. Oh my!
A view from the back of the room during class.
We were getting excited at this point. Below are the ingredients for the Tennessee Hard Sauce. Divine!
Brussel sprouts will roast in the oven soon.
Dinner is served! Barley is on the upper left of the plate to give a winter crunch and balance out the flavors.
The piece de resistance!
Serve the steamed puddings like this…
Or this!
In summary, my friends were delighted with this class and the dinner. In fact, we believe it was one of the best that we have ever had anywhere. When Jeff Ross comes back to KaTom for a demonstration/class then we will be there. This was the best of the year!
It was an extraordinary gastronomic adventure while we were out and about in Sevierville.
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Out and About in Sevierville 