Kitchen Science Alaska

Offered by Historic Skagway Inn In Skagway, Alaska

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About us

Meet the chef and owner of the Historic Skagway Inn as he takes you on a behind-the-scenes look at the science that transforms your farm and sea food items into delicious meals. Conduct food tests using common food items and learn how simple changes can have dramatic results.

What we'll do

Meet local Alaskans and understand why everything about food is different in the 49th state. This unique and personal experience will also give you the skills to bring your Alaskan food favorites home while creating memories of life in the Last Frontier!

The Chef and the Owner of the Historic Skagway Inn & Alaska House Restaurant, located on the notorious Gold Rush era “Paradise Alley”, share how successful food preservation technologies from the time of the Gold Rush are still used today and show you modern cooking skills - an artful blend of the old and new.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at organic gardening in the Inn’s kitchen garden. Understand the science that transforms garden and seafood items into delicious meals. Uncover the local secrets of Alaskan organic gardening and how to prepare, cook and preserve local food favorites.

Our Cordon Bleu chef shows you the tips and tricks of professional knife skills, and teaches you to be an expert in selecting and using the best knives. His insights for cooking and preparing food are easy to apply in your own kitchen!

You will learn how to smoke Alaskan halibut or salmon, learn how the sun and temperature affect greens grown in our Northern Garden and peek into making sourdough bread as part of the Alaska food story.

After all the learning you will enjoy an individually served tasting of smoked fish, vegetables from the garden, sourdough bread and finish up by making (and eating) home-made ice cream!

You will conduct three experiments that include smoking (and tasting) Alaska Salmon (an ancient form of preservation) using purple cabbage to determine pH of foods and making your own ice cream dessert. This unique experience will give you the skills to bring your Alaskan food favorites home.

What to expect / what's provided

*Tour duration: 2.5 hours

*Activity level: easy

*Wheelchair accessible

*Harvest items in garden in preparation for cooking

*Prepare salmon fillet for smoking

*Conduct red cabbage (food acid) experiment

*Make ice cream in zip-lock bag

*Recipes, resources and background information on food preparation

*Meeting place for this tour is the Historic Skagway Inn lobby on 7th & Broadway.

*Tour starts precisely at times shown, so please arrive a few minutes early.

*Itinerary
-Meet in the lobby of The Historic Skagway Inn (15 minutes)
-Narrated drive through Skagway Historic district focused on food (10 mins)
-Food Science and Garden Program at The Historic Skagway Inn (2 hours)
-Return to dock (5 minutes)

*Food Science Program Outline:
-City Tour by bus focusing on the history of food in this Klondike Gold Rush boom town and how some food traditions remain from the stampede
-Transport to The Historic Skagway Inn Garden and Inn (tour venue)
-Tour the organic kitchen garden to learn how soil preparation, temperature and our long daylight hours affect our plants
-Learn the secrets of successful smoking and the how the preservation process works
-Conduct a Red Cabbage pH experiment to easily determine the relative acidity of various foods we consume and why that matters and enjoy an herbal drinking vinegar
-Learn knife skills from a professional including the Native Alaskan ulu knife
-Tips on sourdough bread making and it’s importance during the Gold Rush.
-Learn how to create (and taste) small batch Ice Cream using garden herbs.

*Gifts for guests
-Handout with complete set of recipes, resources, and background information on food preparation

Cancellation Policy

<p>For retail items, all sales final, but please contact us if you have any questions about your booking reservation. </p><p>For tour bookings, you will receive a full refund or credit with 72 hours notice of cancellation. Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. No-shows will be charged the full price.</p>

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