Spain’s jamón Ibérico is one of the most coveted hams in the world. Produced from Iberian black pigs ( pata negra) that have a specific diet consisting of bellota (acorns), the ham retails for roughly $1,000 per leg. Last week at ICE’s Los Angeles campus, students had a chance to sample the delicacy and learn about its history and production process with master carver Manuel Recio as part of a day of seminars dedicated to Spanish cuisine.

When I hit a big city like Los Angeles, I need to plan carefully. For seven days, I’m staying in three areas. While on vacation, I have two priorities (in order): eat well and often, and if there’s a beach and the weather allows for it, stay as close to it as possible. From a standpoint of how to make a somewhat hectic trip as restful as possible, I start at the beach and end at the beach.

As I write, I’m part way through my fifth go at Portuguese custard tarts or pasteis de nata. This is what happens to chefs. We get something in our minds and we can’t let go. Now I’m immersed and I’m not giving up until I win. And by win, I mean feel proud enough of the product that I can share it with you.

Michelin made its calls to notify New York City restaurants of stars this week, following its Bib Gourmand announcement on Oct. 30. Here’s where to dine with Michelin-recommended ICE alumni in 2019.

Colleen Riley (Pastry, ’02) brings new meaning to the word nomadic. The ICE alum has moved across the country four times: first from San Francisco to New York City, from there to Los Angeles and once again to the Big Apple, only to move back to La La Land a few years ago. Embarking on a career in the pastry arts gave her that freedom, as wherever there are people who love to eat chocolate and sweets, there’s an opportunity to feed them. Today, she is chef de cuisine at Valerie Confections in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Whether you have leftover candy or you're taking advantage of clearance candy after Valentine's Day, Easter or Halloween, you can create a whole new indulgence with Chef Penny's simple cookie sandwich recipe.

Farley Elliott, senior editor at Eater LA – one of the leading culinary authorities covering restaurant culture, dining reviews and breaking food news — visited ICE’s Los Angeles campus to speak about food media in October.

As my classmates and I approached the end of Module 1, our end-of-course written exam and practical loomed over us. Because we had taken a quiz midway through the module, I wasn’t too worried about the written portion, but the practical, in which we had to individually prepare chocolate soufflé and crème anglaise for our chef-instructor to evaluate, was a different story.

On Sept. 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma hit the British Virgin Islands where Christian pastor Devon Penn had started a church the previous month. Around 12 p.m., Devon and his family weathered the 200 mph, Category 5 storm, which he believes was an answer to his prayers about attending the Institute of Culinary Education. Here’s how he made it to our New York campus through the chaos, saying "fortunately and unfortunately, Hurricane Irma put me in just the position for such a drastic change."

Mashama Bailey (Culinary, ’01) has come a long way from being fired from a homeless shelter. Now the executive chef at The Grey, she found cooking was a source of immediate satisfaction that was missing in her social work career nearly 20 years ago.