Small Group Cooking Workshop: Savour Persia

Join Iranian host Hamideh Arefeshghy, founder of Shams Persian Dishes, to explore and cook together the recipes and special ingredients that make Persian cuisine one of the most intriguing.

We start the evening with Sharbat Shekanjabin a cucumber mint aperitif (non-alcoholic) and a teaser of Kashk Bademjoon the Iranian version of a roasted eggplant dip that uses an extra fermented yogurt that gives it a special tanginess served with fresh flatbread. Then we move on to the main event: Zereshk Polo with Tahdig. This iconic Iranian party dish uses saffron and barberries to colour and flavour golden brown crispy rice topped with caramelized carrots and roasted chicken. Dessert is Masghati a kind of ‘Persian delight’ studded with pistachios, almonds, coconut and spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and a hint of rosewater.

The workshop is held in the lovely, newly renovated Newcomer Kitchen workshop space on the top floor century loft at the Center for Social Innovation in downtown Toronto with easy access to the TTC.