The Taste of Toronto at Garrison Common at Fort York is quickly becoming a favourite Toronto food festival. One of the highlights of Taste of Toronto, which is now in its 3rd year, is the Metro Master Class. Torontonicity was fortunate to be invited to attend the Metro Master Class at Taste of Toronto with Chef Anthony Rose of Fat Pasha and Rose and Sons on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 12:30 p.m.


Metro Metro Classes are hands-on cooking classes led by local and international chefs. The Metro Master Class is a wildly popular event at Taste of Toronto since this session is open free to the public (with admission). If you want to attend a Metro Master Class, be sure to line up early as there is limited spacing.

I was paired with a fellow blogger at our own kitchen station, which featured an induction cooktop, Braun kitchen appliances, and all of the pre-measured ingredients that we would need to prepare Msabbaha. One of the volunteers from Metro, one of the major sponsors of Taste of Toronto, came by our station to show us how to work the induction cooktop. She also asked us to wash our hands at the sinks that were at the front of the class.

Chef Anthony Rose gave us a bit of background about different types of hummus and Msabbaha, a vegetarian dish that is popular in the Eastern Mediterranean, before getting us started on preparing the dish.


We started off by pouring about a cup of tahini into one of the mixer bowls, then added 1/4 cup of cold water with a few ice cubes, 6 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and then were asked to blend it with the Braun Multiquick Hand Blender. None of our blenders had the blades attached so Metro volunteers quickly came around to provide us with the blades and Chef Rose showed us how to attach the blade to the blender, which was quite easy. My partner and I took turns trying out the Braun Multiquick Hand Blender. The hand blender was indeed quick at mixing the ingredients into a smooth consistency.

Next, we were asked to place in a separate bowl, 6 Tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, one cup of rinsed chickpeas, salt and pepper to taste, a bit of cold water and 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley. We were than asked to “plate” it by placing the chickpea mixture on each plate first, then about 6 tablespoons of the hummus mixture, then the roasted cauliflower (which had been pre-roasted) and one Tablespoon of shredded white cheese, one Tablespoon of pomegranate seeds and a Tablespoon of pine nuts and to serve with pita bread. This was the end result:

Okay, our presentation could have been a bit better, but the Msabbaha was delicious with different textures (nutty/cheesy/chewy/smooth) providing gustatory interest and a bit of spice giving it some kick.
Learning how to make Msabbaha from an expert such as Chef Anthony Rose was so much fun! I’m so glad I was invited by Metro to attend the Metro Master Class at Taste of Toronto. As a blogger, I received complimentary samples of some of Metro’s premium products, which I’ll be reviewing on Torontonicity very soon.

Your presentation looked OK! Great first go around- an awesome experience for all!
Thanks, I had a blast! Lori
That would be fun to do! I would love to learn from someone that knows what they are doing! My hubby could use a night like this together! SO much fun!
Yes, my thoughts exactly i.e. learning from someone who knows what they’re doing! Cheers, Lori
Oh wow this is really cool, I hope many are able to take advantage of this!
One of my friends took a cooking class like this when we lived in Minnesota. As an anniversary gift, her husband signed them both up and it sparked a love of cooking. I got bit by the bug, but live in a rural community that doesn’t offer things like this. Call me jealous! If one ever comes this way, I’m signing up.
This would be fun to do with my husband. He loves to cook and is so much better than I am.
This event sounds like so much fun!!! And FREE for the patrons?! That’s awesome!
Yes, it’s free for visitors, but they have to line up early because space is limited and it’s a very popular event! Cheers, Lori
While the Master Classes are a good way to sharpen your culinary skills, you can also train your taste buds at the wine tasting sessions. In addition to all the gourmet pairings, we can’t wait to learn from the leading winemakers and chefs in the industry! Cardmembers can also enjoy reserved seating to these tasting sessions where they will learn the subtlety of wine tasting and the marriage between wine and food.
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