Brandon Chrostowski is the founder and CEO of EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, a restaurant and school that provides culinary training and job placement assistance to formerly incarcerated men and women. Everyone who works there, from the kitchen to the dining room, is a former inmate.

Who says you can’t have pie for dinner? One thing we’ve learned from over 40 years of culinary education: pie is never not a good idea — especially as a main course. The galette we serve to guests at our special events is essentially that: pie crust with a savory filling that works perfectly for a main course dish.

The Sonicprep Ultrasonic Emulisifer by PolyScience is a piece of equipment that has fascinated me for a few years, but I never had the opportunity to use one. Until now. The Sonicprep is the latest addition to the Culinary Technology Lab here at ICE. The lab’s equipment spans from when man just learned to harness fire (our hearth oven, tandoor and rotisserie) to the most cutting edge cooking appliances in the world (sous vide and precision temperature induction).

The food industry is not for the faint-hearted — long days, heavy lifting and endless tasks are pillars of your average hospitality position. Never did I feel that more than when I was working as a line cook at an upscale, all-day restaurant in the West Village. During those days, it wasn’t uncommon for me to leave work at 2:00 or 3:00am, without a trace of stamina to think about what I would feed myself, let alone to take a shower when I got home (though I did, half asleep).

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 Thai cooking or a special event featuring artisan gelato, 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.

What a year! As ICE’s Dean of Restaurant & Culinary Management, I feasted on the stories, successes, errors and reboots of dozens and dozens of industry notable guests, students and alumni. As a consultant, I peered over the shoulders of some huge industry names, as well as investors and stakeholders. As an expert in my field, I’ve researched numerous articles about current issues in our industry.

In this interview, ICE’s Director of Sustainability Bill Telepan speaks with Chef Evan Hanczor, owner of Williamsburg's acclaimed brunch spot, Egg. Bill and Evan talk about Goatfell Farm, two acres of fertile Catskills land that founder and co-chef of Egg George Weld purchased to yield key produce and ingredients for the restaurant a decade ago. Since then, the duo has learned a tremendous amount about maintaining a successful farm-to-table operation.

Long before we turned on the lights — and all of the machines — in the ICE Chocolate Lab, I began formulating a mission statement of sorts. In addition to exploring the fundamentals of chocolate-making and sharing that knowledge with our students, I also wanted to create a space that fostered a sense of community beyond our four walls.

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 it’s a career training program, a recreational course in pie crusts or a special event featuring handmade pasta, 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 voice.

A crying waitress sprinted past me to the bathroom. She was relatively new. As I later learned, a floor manager had made advances toward her in the walk-in refrigerator — and it wasn’t the first time. No was not an option, she explained to me. If she failed to succumb, her schedule suffered and her income dropped.