Holiday dinner party hosts know: You can't control everything. Sometimes the oven goes on strike just as your guests arrive; sometimes your soufflé has all the promise and none of the poof. Come kitchen calamities as they may, as long as you've got good friends and great spirits, your celebration will be a success with a tasty toast.

People often forget that citrus comes into season in the winter. This time of year, the fruit is at its sweetest, juiciest and most alluring. If you can't find every variety used in this recipe, use any mix of citrus fruit you desire. Here, we top it with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, also a winter crop.

When the weather outside is frightful, there’s nothing better than curling up next to the fire with a cup of hot tea. What’s the perfect treat to go with? Chocolate biscuits. These chocolate biscuits, which are essentially a British take on cookies, are inspired by the classic Christmas romantic comedy film Love Actually.

Every year since I can remember, my extended family has journeyed to my cousin’s house in Irvington, New York for a Hanukkah celebration. My father, when he was alive, would enter their home, immediately tie on an apron, grab a bowl of latke mix and start frying potato latkes by the hundreds. It would take him hours, but he loved every minute of it.

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.

Gail Simmons knows great food. The Top Chef judge (for 15 seasons and counting!) and ICE Culinary Arts graduate has a taste for adventurous eating and the passport mileage to prove it. But what does she cook when she’s in her own kitchen? Which recipes does Gail rely on again and again when she’s on her home turf?

Get the recipe for our most popular Special Events appetizer.

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.

Chocolate can be traced back thousands of years to the Olmec, Mayan and Aztec cultures — and its first form was a beverage.

Gifts are the best and worst part about the holiday season. Receiving = the best. Finding that perfect something-they-don’t-already-have gift for the special person on your list = the worst. For the foodie on your shopping list, we’re here to make your gift search a painless victory. Though stores and online catalogs are filled with hundreds of “must-have” kitchen gadgets, only some of them are actually worth it — others not so much. To help you cut through the clutter and find the best of the best, the following is my list of recommended essential kitchen gifts.