As 2015 comes to a close, it’s incredible to look back over my last six months as an ICE culinary student. I’ve gotten my hands dirty with knife skills and butchery, learned the full range of hot and moist cooking methods, and even journeyed through the cuisines of France, Italy and Asia. It’s challenging to choose just a handful of my favorite moments from the program thus far, but below I’ve compiled my top five culinary school experiences of 2015.

At ICE, we’re constantly challenging ourselves to identify the issues, trends and ideas that will shape professional kitchens for years to come. In 2015, the topic of food waste was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. For Thanksgiving, my fellow ICE Chef Instructor Jenny McCoy shared two simple recipes utilizing sweet potato scraps and apple cores. In turn, I’ve been challenged to elevate these eco-friendly ideas with a modernist take on food waste. Utilizing leftover vegetables, egg whites and red wine, you can create a sustainable panna cotta that’s fit for fine dining.

When we think about the skills required to open a restaurant, our minds automatically think of culinary technique and business know-how. Yet what about that all-important profit driver: alcohol? In ICE’s Mixology Center, students bridge the gap between beverage management theory and practice behind our state-of-the-art educational bar.

When ICE set out to develop a Culinary Technology Lab to represent the evolution of cooking, we embarked on a time-traveling mission. Not only were we looking to the future with modernist equipment, but we also wanted to delve deep into the history of culinary techniques.

Deciding where to go to culinary school? Seeking inspiration for your externship placement? Wondering what it really takes to own your own restaurant? In our new Alumni Stories video series, we take you behind the scenes in the industry and answer the questions that can help guide your culinary career. First in our series is ICE graduate Matt Hyland, the chef/owner of Emily pizzeria in Brooklyn.

Today, it’s nearly impossible to remember a time before food media stars and celebrity chefs. But, in fact, many of the most respected restaurant industry pioneers grew up knowing that their parents and friends looked down on their career choice. Such was the case for Brian Buckley, ICE’s first Culinary Management instructor.

Hello, my name is Jenny. I am a former executive pastry chef turned pastry chef instructor. Some might say I’m still in recovery. I began my career in Chicago, working my way up through the kitchens of Gordon’s, Blackbird and Charlie Trotter’s—true icons in the city’s culinary history. My time in these restaurants—like many culinary school graduates—was my first real introduction to restaurant slang all day and the “yes, chef” culture of kitchens.

After learning the fundamentals of cooking and acquiring a firm grasp of technique, it is our instinct as chefs—and often, a professional requirement—to develop variations on the most iconic dishes in the culinary canon. In truth, even the dishes we create “from scratch” seldom evolve in a vacuum; it is often the reinvention of a well-established dish that provides the best template for personal expression.

Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, I never really cared for extracurricular activities, sports never seemed that exciting and Model United Nations was simply not for me. Around the age of 12 or 13, I baked my first cake and realized how much I enjoyed cooking—and especially baking.

By now, we’re all familiar with the local food movement, but how much do you know about food waste? It’s incredible to consider that the average American family throws out $1,500 worth of groceries a year. While that may be horrible news for the environment, those of us in the restaurant industry also know that wasting food is literally throwing money in the trash.