dICEd Blog Listing

The vision for the 550 square ft. lab is to approach chocolate from a holistic perspective. Truly unique in the realm of culinary education, the lab will provide knowledge and inspiration across a...

Though his initial motivation to move from management to the back of the house was to master a wider range of skills (and become a better manager), it soon became clear that Jeff had a future in...

The use of sugar sculptures as a form of creative expression and political dialogue ages back many centuries. Sidney Mintz, in Sweetness and Power , describes the medieval fashioning of sugar, called...

It was the experience of working with bread, back when I was an art student, that unexpectedly pulled me into a life of professional cooking. At some point during those early days there was a critical...

What inspired your interest in candy? I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, which was—and still is—a real candy and chocolate mecca. I also lived briefly in L.A., where I became very aware of See’s Candy...

Seventeen years later, Balthazar Bakery continues to inspire our nation’s now widespread passion for hand-crafted, naturally fermented loaves, and Sim serves as a bread consultant for some of the...

Professional cake decorating elevates the common, spongy dessert from ordinary to memorable. It’s an opportunity for the pastry chef to tune directly into the desires and expectations of a client. A...

From left: A celebratory dessert by Rudi Weider, Master Pastry Chef, Hilton San Diego Bayfront; The Cherry Tart by Ghaya Oliveira, Executive Pastry Chef at Restaurant Daniel; white chocolate "Crottin"...

All photos: Orlando Soto-Caceres In a recent lesson with Chef Instructors Chad Pagano and Michael Laiskonis , we learned the importance of having both complementary and contrasting elements in a...

What was one of the most challenging cakes you've designed? The most challenging request I've ever gotten might well have been for a Rubiks Cube wedding cake. The bride and groom were so great and...

It's been about a week and a half since we have started this mod and although it's been hectic, it’s been tons of fun. Sure, there’s a lot more to do than normal and it’s a little more tense in the...

While the question of who I look up to changes and expands as I learn, one person who has held my attention as an incredible role model is Alison Robicelli. I look to her and her husband Matt as...