Whether you can’t bare the mall traffic or have extra guests to gift, look no further than your pantry. You can create considerate and delicious homemade gifts that feature a comforting weeknight meal. During the holidays, ICE Los Angeles Chef-Instructor Mette Williams makes everything from quinoa mixes to oatmeal chocolate dried cherry cookie mix to pickled vegetables and jams for her family and friends. Here’s her picture-perfect homemade soup jar and spice blend sachet to gift with a recipe card.

Greg Proechel, Exec Chef at acclaimed NYC restaurant Ferris, has been celebrated by Eater, Grub Street, the Michelin Guide and The New York Times. We asked the ICE alum (Culinary '09) to share a holiday recipe — and are delighted he chose an indulgent dessert.

Parmesan cookies are a perfect appetizer for the holidays whether you’re hosting or attending! With just three ingredients you get these addictive, amazing cookies, which are far greater than the sum of their parts. Make ahead of time, pop them in the freezer and then bake them right when you arrive or your guests arrive. That way the aroma fills up the room, makes a great impression and sets the delicious vibe!

Master Pastry Chef Peter Gyorgyicsek travels the world teaching and competing with sugar art. The Hungarian chef has won gold medals at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany, Mini Salon Culinary Competition in South Africa, FHM Culinaire Malaysia and Taverna Culinary Cup in Hungary. He’s also earned gold medals in Australia where he consults.

Chefs in the ICE community are sharing their holiday recipes this week with secrets, pro tips and personal touches. You might know Chef Margot from an Open House at our New York campus, where she often demonstrates a dish. Here, she shares her tradition for holiday hosting: a hearty gumbo that's perfect for group gatherings.

Chef Phil moved up the ranks at New York City’s Barbuto restaurant — from line cook to sous chef to chef de cuisine. For his family’s holiday meal, he serves his personal take on Barbuto's Bucatini All’Amatriciana, swapping paccheri for bucatini, pancetta for the cured pork element, and Parmesan in place of pecorino cheese.

If you get married in France, your wedding cake is traditionally a croquembouche (a cone-shaped compilation of choux pastry balls). American-style wedding cakes are coming to France, but the French still firmly believe in having a croquembouche for the celebration.

“People do not give Brussels sprouts the love and respect that they deserve,” says ICE Los Angeles Campus President Lachlan Sands. “Many people overcook them so they taste and smell like cabbage, and that really turns people off.”

As part of Spain Day, a series of seminars featuring Spanish flavors at ICE’s Los Angeles campus, Wines from Spain treated students to a workshop led by Kathleen Thomas, wine training manager at the Hakkasan Group in Las Vegas.

This fall and early next year, several ICE alumni are coming out with interesting and unique cookbooks. In honor of the holidays, we're highlighting five recent releases for cooking, baking and gifting inspiration.