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A talented caterer and chef has teamed up with the innkeeper at Chilhowee Inn to offer the rest of us some helpful cooking hints as we sail into the holiday season.

Jane Franklin is a resident of Alcoa who has spent the last 23 years catering large and small events in East Tennessee and Maryland. Carolyn Pullias, who owns Chilhowee Inn with husband John, in Walland, desires to share the beauty of her inn on the Little River with the community. It is a partnership the two couldn't be happier about.

The duo has four different cooking classes to offer, with the first one taking place Oct. 22. It's entitled "Mom, How Do I Make Dressing?" Franklin will present different dressing recipes, desserts and side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas entertaining. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on that day, at a cost of $55, including lunch. The same class will be offered again, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 23 for $45. All of the classes will be held at Chilhowee Inn.

"I have been catering for years," explained Franklin, who was born in Alcoa and moved back recently. She had wanted to hold cooking classes at her home, but space limitations prevented that. The roomy Chilhowee Inn has taken care of that problem.

It is the perfect time to start up the classes, with seasoned cooks and those occasional chefs needing ideas on how to impress guests at holiday functions. Franklin said her philosophy is pretty simple when it comes to the culinary arts: food should not only taste good but it should also look good, and the best ingredients are always the locally grown and in-season varieties.

"Strawberries look nice in December but they don't grow in December," Franklin explained. She said it is just as easy to use fresh as it is to use canned or frozen if we pay attention to what's available.

Her first catering job, which came about last-minute when the original caterer back out, was way back in 1985. Franklin said she had an absolute blast even though her inexperience resulted in her losing money on the job. Hundreds of catering jobs later, she has the expertise and experience needed for a successful business.

A special time of year

Other cooking classes Franklin and Pullias are offering include "Make the Holidays Special." It will help participants with planning holiday parties, menus and food gifts. It will be held Oct. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. for $55. The same class will also be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 29 for $65, lunch included.

Then Franklin will share "A Christmas Dessert Buffet," a class she will teach from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 5 ($65 including lunch) with the same class being offered from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 6 ($55).

Some people don't want the hassle or stress of preparing a large four-course meal when they entertain, Franklin and Pullias explained. A dessert buffet can be an option.

The final course is one called "Christmas Brunch." It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 19 ($65, brunch included) and again from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 20 (brunch included, $65).

Franklin grew up on a farm and said her mom used to make a huge brunch for their large family every year. "We had all the eggs we needed and raised hogs, too," Franklin said. The annual meal became one of her favorites.

History of the Inn

Chilhowee Inn is the oldest surviving inn in Blount County, built in 1903. The Pulliases re-opened it this year after several years of remaining vacant. The couple purchased the property in 2005.

It was built soon after the Schlosser Leather Company located here in 1901. The name Walland is derived from the two men -- Walton and England ¬­-- who were key partners in the company.

There are residents of the community who remember visiting there many years ago, Pullias said. She had a couple recently who came back to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

The inn was famous for its fine cuisine and was open as a restaurant into the 1970s. Today, the only meals served there are breakfasts for the overnight guests.

"These will be the first cooking classes offered at the inn," Pullias said. This innkeeper loves to cook like Franklin, and breakfast is her specialty at Chilhowee Inn. She cooks each morning for her overnight guests.

Those interested in the classes can sign up for one or all, Pullias said. It is important to call at least a week in advance so Franklin and Pullias can prepare adequately.

"What we would like to see is groups of women who want to take the cooking classes coming to stay at Chilhowee Inn," Franklin said. "It can be something we continue on and on."