ICE graduate Alessandra Ciuffo's culinary journey has earned her a diploma, over two million social media followers and a deep love for the art of cooking — and she's just getting started.
From her earliest days standing on a stool in her family’s kitchen, stirring pots of tomato sauce, Alessandra Ciuffo knew that food was her passion.
Now, as a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and a successful social media influencer, Alessandra — known by her handle, @flavorsbyale — continues to inspire aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts with her engaging day-in-the-life videos, attracting over two million followers across several platforms.
Alessandra's journey with cooking and media began long before her time at ICE.
“Growing up in a large Italian family, I was exposed to the social side of cooking at a really young age,” Alessandra says. “It was a chance for me to connect with my parents and grandparents and show my creative side through cooking.”
Young Alessandra couldn’t get enough of the kitchen, leading her to devour Food Network content, idolizing icons like Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis, and Ina Garten. This early exposure laid the foundation for her career and propelled her into the spotlight as a young culinary talent. At 11, she auditioned for the YouTube show Super Chef Kids and made the cut. While she didn’t win, the connections she made there led to more opportunities.
“I was selected from a thousand kids to participate in the web series. Although I only made it to the semi-finals, it was my first step into the industry,” she recalls. “One of the producers later joined Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off and recruited me for its first season.”
By 15, Alessandra was making a name for herself through fundraisers, radio interviews, and food demos, including a standout appearance at the 2013 NYC Food and Wine Festival with Guy Fieri. Then, she won an episode of Guy’s Grocery Games in 2016 and made several guest appearances on The Rachael Ray Show.
I’ll never forget the day I toured ICE. It immediately felt like where I needed to be. [ICE] gave me a sense of belonging at a time when I was uncertain about my next steps.
Although cooking was her passion, Alessandra initially focused on the business side of food. She attended Fordham University and earned a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing. After graduation, she took a job as a retail sales manager at an artisanal market but quickly realized she felt disconnected from the food itself.
This led her to seek culinary education, with ICE at the top of her list.
“I’ll never forget the day I toured ICE. It immediately felt like where I needed to be,” Alessandra says. “[ICE] gave me a sense of belonging at a time when I was uncertain about my next steps.”
Alessandra decided to enroll in ICE's Culinary Arts program in 2022. Alessandra found ICE provided her with the professionalism she craved.
Alessandra's first forays into media involved posting long-form cooking videos on her YouTube channel, Flavors by Ale. However, her time at ICE provided an opportunity to explore day-in-the-life-style videos, a format popularized on TikTok. These videos offer viewers an inside look into people working in various professions, including culinary students.
Realizing the potential, Alessandra began making her own slice-of-life videos, which quickly became a hit.
“Initially, it was just once or twice a week, but the response was overwhelming,” she says. “People were inspired by my videos, telling me they were motivated to pursue their culinary dreams. That’s when I committed to posting daily, realizing it had a bigger purpose.”
While Alessandra's social media videos offered insight into what life at ICE was like, they also gave her a platform to express herself, too.
“My first viral video showcased Chef Ozmar Heredia breaking down a fish, and people loved it,” Alessandra explains. “I focused on injecting my personality into these ‘day in the life’ videos, making them fun and engaging, which set my content apart from others.”
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These videos weren’t just engaging — they were informative. Alessandra spent time researching the techniques she learned in class, adding text blurbs to her videos so viewers could pause and absorb the information. This method also reinforced her understanding of the subject matter.
After graduating in October 2023, Alessandra completed her externship at Delish magazine, where she reached a pivotal moment as a content creator.
“After culinary school, I faced a transition since I couldn’t continue my daily ‘day in the life’ videos. I focused on culinary education, especially cooking 101 videos, which became my most popular content,” Alessandra says. “Staying authentic and teaching the basics, like how to sear a steak, led to significant growth and millions of views. Plus, now I get to involve my family, like my 98-year-old grandfather who loves to eat what I cook.”
As a full-time content creator, Alessandra spends her time making videos, both personal and branded. Looking ahead, she’s dreaming big.
“I want to be a trusted authority in the food space, offering approachable techniques and educational content. In the next five years, I see myself publishing cookbooks, selling kitchen products, and building a culinary empire,” she says.
