Workshops

Join Chef Anthony Sestito of Pastaio for a fun, hands-on class exploring a selection of traditional eggless pastas and shapes typical of Southern Italy. You'll ease into the class with […]

Having a cupboard full of zingy, homemade pickles is better than almost anything. Join award-winning cookbook author and master preserver Camilla Wynne for this fun, hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to transform the first delights of spring — asparagus, rhubarb — into tangy pickles and delectable chutneys, perfect for bringing a big, bright flavour punch to your cheese plates, sandwiches and salads.

Ontario is overflowing with delicious apples — perfect for pies! Come learn how to make quick, easy, and delicious pies with baker Leslie Lindsay. In this hands-on workshop, Leslie will demonstrate how to make a classic apple and cranberry galette. You'll get all the tips, techniques and hands-on experience to make the flakiest pie dough, delicious filling and different ways to  finish your pie, like a rolled crust, lattice or crumb topping.. There will be a slice of warm pie to share at the end of class, as well as a fully made pie for each participant to take home and bake (they freeze beautifully!)

Having a cupboard full of zingy, homemade pickles is better than almost anything. Join award-winning cookbook author and master preserver Camilla Wynne for this fun, hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to transform the first delights of spring — asparagus, rhubarb — into tangy pickles and delectable chutneys, perfect for bringing a big, bright flavour punch to your cheese plates, sandwiches and salads.

A popular dish throughout the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean), kibbeh comes in a vast array of shapes and flavours — in Syria, Aleppo alone is said to have more than twenty different kinds. Best known are made from a bulgur dough combined with finely ground meat and spices, carefully stuffed and formed into small football-shaped dumplings that are fried to a crisp, dark auburn. Making and stuffing kibbeh is a group activity just about every Syrian woman would have participated in at one time or another — virtually no major occasion occurs without the appearance of a platter (or mountain) of kibbeh at the table. Talented cook, musician and co-founder of Newcomer Kitchen, Rahaf Alakbani is no stranger to making kibbeh, and she will be sharing her favourite recipes and techniques in this fun, hands-on class.

Join Chef Anthony Sestito for an intermediate-level exploration of some of Italy’s most outstanding filled-and-rolled pasta dishes. You'll ease into the class with a beautiful spread of antipasto on arrival, and then dive into learning how to make a simple and versatile fresh pasta dough from scratch, with an emphasis on choosing the right flours and the importance of resting the dough. Chef Anthony will then walk you through the art of crafting not only classic cannelloni but also other large, impressive shapes like manicotti, rotolo, sacchetti, and pasta imbustata. You'll be guided through selecting and preparing a variety of fillings—ranging from classic spinach and ricotta to hearty meat or delicate vegetable blends—while demonstrating the essential techniques for rolling, stuffing, and sealing each shape. There will also be a discussion of the pairing of different shapes and sizes with their traditional sauces. The class culminates in a light meal of freshly-prepared spinach & ricotta Cannelloni con Pomodoro. (Vegan option available on request). Any extra pasta made in class can be taken home, along with PDF recipes and new skills to impress your friends!

Throughout Central Asia, delicious dumplings of all kinds are a staple of the local cuisine. Mantoo (or Mantu) is a popular traditional Afghan dish consisting of steamed dumplings filled with spiced ground meat and onions, or called Ashak when filled with a vegetarian leek filling. In Afghanistan they are served alongside split yellow lentils and a rich tomato gravy, then topped with fresh yoghurt and mint sauce. 

Join Frishta Ghafoori (along with her aunt Samia, her family's resident dumpling expert) as they show you the traditional way to make mantoo and ashak from scratch. You will learn the whole process, from making and rolling the dough, preparing the fillings and sauces. You'll get to enjoy some delicious samples and take extras home to share along with all the recipes and your newly-honed dumpling making skills!

Join artisanal baker Leo Baduria for a full-day, in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of great bread. You’ll learn how to make your own sourdough starter, and how to prepare different types of dough, using various grains and flours. There will be hands-on practice of the techniques to folding, kneading and shaping dough to make focaccia/fougasse, baguettes, boules, batards and brioches, including challah braids.