Back when she was a tween, ICE alum Tanya Edmunds (Culinary/Management, ‘09) took an interest in makeup. This being before the days of Pinterest and YouTube tutorials, her mom bought her makeup books filled with pages of application instructions. Tanya would spend hours in her room carefully studying the tutorials then replicating them on herself until she mastered each lesson. From the beginning, it was clear that she would be drawn toward creative, hands-on pursuits. Though she studied theatre at NYU, practical considerations and a knack for whipping up delicious home-cooked dinners led her to enroll at ICE.

I never dreamed of becoming a restaurant chef. Coming from a culinary student, this may sound a little strange. Why would someone go to culinary school and not want to join the ranks of great chefs like Alice Waters or Eric Ripert? It’s a legitimate question. Hear me out though, because today there are many paths you can forge with a culinary background.

Chef James Briscione, ICE’s Director of Culinary Research, has a healthy obsession with flavor pairings. So much so that he and wife Brooke Parkhurst, a writer, cook and ICE recreational instructor, teamed up to write, “The Flavor Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes.”

“We’re excited that the 2018 IACP Conference is beginning today in New York City, and that so many Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) alumni are speakers and attendees,” said ICE President Rick Smilow, an IACP board member and presenter at Sunday’s award ceremony.

Chef Rick Bayless — a veritable authority on authentic Mexican cooking — enjoys the challenge of adapting these beloved classics year-round. Luckily, he gave us an inside look at his winter spin on these warm-weather specialties.

The 2018 James Beard Awards Semifinalists have been announced and we’re thrilled to share that a number of ICE alumni were included on the list. Donned as the “Oscars” of the food world, the James Beard Awards are one of the highest honors for food and beverage professionals in the United States. They’re also an opportunity for the industry to take a moment to recognize the hard work and achievements of those who push the mold and continue to make America’s culinary environment the dynamic, inspiring place it is today.

At ICE, we make it our mission to help students find their culinary voice — that creative drive within each of us that determines how we express ourselves through food. Whether with a career training program, a recreational course in macarons or a special event featuring famous chefs, we’ll give you the tools to hone your culinary creativity. Join us as we ask some of today’s leading food industry pros to share their culinary voices.

“Once you’ve tasted this Irish soda bread, you’ll never buy a loaf from the bakery again,” says Chef Sarah Chaminade. Members of the ICE team, who had the chance to sample the goods, would happily concur — that this is truly the best Irish soda bread recipe.

It’s hard enough to create a menu using different kinds of “non-waste” food at your disposal – but creating a four-course menu from leftovers is even more of a challenge. One goal of ICE’s Sustainability Club is to plan and prepare dinners using food that would otherwise be wasted. Aside from the economic benefit, we want to give students the chance to practice the creative process that goes into planning a meal using scraps.