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Cooking classes at Silver Dollar City
Cooking, Crafting, Culture: Components of Midwest
Living Silver Dollar City Culinary & Craft School
by Pat Lindsey
Silver Dollar City has made many additions and expansions over the years and if you’re not a regular visitor, you might not be aware of all of them. One of my favorites is the Culinary & Craft School, a turn-of-the-century farmhouse in the Echo Hollow section of the park, where delicious meals are prepared from Midwest Living Magazine recipes. I register for a class almost every time I go to Silver Dollar City.
Cooking classes cost $15 (in addition to regular Silver Dollar City admission) for a one-hour class led by resident chef Debbie Dance Uhrig. A calendar of menus is posted in advance online and a reservation is recommended, as seating is limited in the spacious demonstration kitchen. Special seasonal, holiday and dinner classes have varied costs. Most classes are held at 11 and 2 Special Holiday Dinner classes will be Nov. 11 and Dec. 9 at 4:50 p.m.
Anyone who enjoys cooking would be in hog heaven with a kitchen like the one at the Culinary & Craft School. It has an enormous island, beautiful cabinets, top of the line appliances, and plenty of televisions for eagle-eye viewing of the cooking demonstration. Silver Dollar City craftsmen have added their “Home of the American Craftsmanship” touches to the house, including the huge hand-carved mantel and 400-globe blown glass chandelier in the front room and the copper backsplash in the kitchen. Out back, a wraparound porch overlooking Echo Hollow Amphitheatre allows dozens of visitors at a time to rest a spell while sipping lemonade in big rocking chairs. It’s also a great place to hear and enjoy the evening Echo Hollow Amphitheatre concerts in the valley below.
The Saturday afternoon class we recently attended featured Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Pulled Pork Sliders and Walnut Pear Salad. A boneless pork should roast was cooked to fork-cutting tenderness in a pressure cooker and Chef Debbie couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about her love for her pressure cooker. The salad was easy to prepare, but helpful hints, such as rinsing sliced pears in white soda to prevent browning, are included in the demo. The salad is topped off with shredded Jarlsberg cheese, but Chef Debbie also suggested cheese substitutions and how to buy cheese most economically.
Additional benefits of taking the class are getting a
discount on the cooking utensils demonstrated and eating everything that is prepared. Both recipes were so delicious that they will become part of my “company” repertoire. In fact, I plan to serve the Walnut Pear Salad for Christmas. To register for classes: silverdollarcity.com or 800-831-4386.
