CHS TV alumni reunite on The Drew Barrymore Show

Canton High grads Dan Sheehy (left) and Edy Massih (right) with Drew Barrymore

A recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show reunited two Canton High School graduates who were both students in Video and Media Production classes at CHS during their teens. Edy Massih, who is now a well-known chef in New York City, and Dan Sheehy, the script supervisor for The Drew Barrymore Show, connected with each other after Chef Edy, as Massih is known, was invited to be a guest on the February 7 show.

Massih is from Lebanon and learned how to cook from his grandmother when he was very young. When his family moved to Canton, he enrolled in fifth grade at the Hansen School. Since his parents were working, over time Massih took over the role of making dinner for his family. Later, as a student at Canton High, when he found out that there was no cooking class at the school, he started one with Canton Police Department Resource Officer Chip Yeaton. Later, with the help of CHS TV Production teacher Ed McDonough, Massih created an eight-episode cooking show for Canton Community Television, teaching viewers how to prepare dishes such as steak and Italian food while students in the TV Production program handled the filming and editing.

Sheehy was a student in those TV production classes. He graduated from CHS in 2013 and from Emerson College in 2017 with a degree in Television Production. He has worked as the script supervisor for The Drew Barrymore Show, which is now in its second season, since it began. He found out that Massih was scheduled to appear on the show during a weekly staff meeting. Although he and Massih had not been close friends at CHS, they had mutual friends and Sheehy remembered him well. He said he’s also aware of the successful trajectory that Massih’s career has taken.

“Edy and I didn’t know each other well, but it was always known, even in high school, that he had a passion for cooking,” Sheehy said. “He’s been getting so much press here in New York. He’s been on other shows. He’s got a lot of buzz around here. Everybody’s talking about Edy’s Grocer.”

Massih opened Edy’s Grocer on Meserole Avenue in Brooklyn in August of 2020. He offers imported groceries, spices that are packaged in-house, and freshly made original Lebanese dishes. Prior to opening his store, Massih studied at the Culinary Institute of America, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts. He cooked at restaurants and learned about catering for high-end clients when he worked with Pamela Morgan and her catering firm Flirting with Flavors.

He opened his own catering business, Eduardo Massih Catering in New York City, but the pandemic forced him to close it. Two years ago he appeared on the Food Network program Chopped, making it to the second of three rounds before being eliminated.

Staff from The Drew Barrymore Show contacted Massih in August about setting up an appearance and then again a week before the taping, requesting that he cook a dish on air with Barrymore. “They ask you for a variety of options,” Massih said. He decided to prepare za’atar shakshuka, which is a way to poach eggs in a spicy sauce. “It’s an easy thing to do on television.”

Sheehy went to Massih’s store when he found out that Massih was scheduled for an appearance. They caught up a bit and Sheehy realized how close Edy’s Grocer is to his own home. “I’ve been in a few times now and it’s absolutely delicious,” he said. One of the dishes that Sheehy most enjoys is Massih’s pitadilla, which he described as a quesadilla, but made with pita bread. “With delicious tomato soup,” he added. “If I haven’t been in a while, I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s just delicious.”

The two alums reconnected on the show’s set, where members of Massih’s family watched the show. “He’s a natural in the kitchen and he’s a natural at teaching his recipes on television as well,” Sheehy said. “Using the resources that Canton has, growing up, and taking that TV class, Edy worked on his own to make cooking segments when he was back in high school. I think it’s exciting to show to the next group that if you take advantage of some of the stuff that Canton has to offer, it gets you right into your career. Edy is an example to have such great success. It’s exciting to see when you have a passion for something, what you’re able to accomplish.”

Sheehy described Barrymore as a caring and energetic person and said the show was a fun and exciting place to work. “It was an absolute pleasure to work with her. She loves to cook,” Massih said. “She has a cookbook and she’s all about that.” Barrymore may be filming a visit to Edy’s Grocer at some point.

During the segment, Barrymore praised Massih for his advocacy for Lebanon and its people. “I think I’m just a loud voice on social media when it comes to it and I’m always trying to show the beauty of Lebanon and everything that’s going on there,” Massih said. “There’s always so much negative light on the Middle East in America. And I just try to show the beauty of it, great food and the great products.”

Massih can be found on Instagram Live Friday mornings at 9 a.m. on Cold Brew with Edy. He talks with different chefs from around the world, talks recipes and spices, and gives updates on the store.

For more information about Edy’s Grocer, go to edysgrocer.com. Check out Chef Edy’s segment on The Drew Barrymore Show at thedrewbarrymoreshow.com.

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Mar 4 2022. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.