ICE alum Tim Healea first came to NYC in pursuit of a dynamic career in journalism and publishing. Yet his love of books took his career in a completely different direction when he encountered Chef Nancy Silverton’s Breads from La Brea Bakery. Today, Tim is among the country’s most celebrated bakers, with numerous honors under his belt—including a spot among Food & Wine’s “35 Tastemakers Under the Age of 35” and a medal from the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie. We caught up with Tim to hear more about his company, Little T Baker, and his dynamic 17-year career in the emerging field of bread baking.

Chef Dominique Ansel is the chef/owner behind New York City’s Dominique Ansel Bakery and Dominique Ansel Kitchen. Best known for his famed croissant-doughnut pastry, the Cronut—which was named one of the “25 Best Inventions of 2013” by TIME—he ranks among the most talked about chefs in the world. Other accolades include a 2014 James Beard Award for “Outstanding Pastry Chef” and ranking among Vanity Fair France’s “50 Most Influential French People in the World.”

If you've already mastered margaritas and guacamole, why not take your Cinco de Mayo celebrations to the next level with artisanal, homemade tortillas?

The two questions I hear most often are: 1) What is your favorite dessert? In some ways, this is like asking a mom, “Who is your favorite child?” I do my best not to be rude, but really, I want to shout, “I love them all, duh! That’s why I’m a pastry chef!” 2) Do you create your own recipes? This answer is a hard one. Yes, and no. Let me explain.

Social networking is arguably the most important marketing tool of the last decade, and is undoubtedly most useful for entrepreneurs. Specifically in the food industry, small business owners have the unique benefit of sharing visual content directly with customers through their social channels. Harnessing these platforms is one of the most efficient ways to grow brand recognition, brand value and drive web traffic.

Sometimes the only thing better than finding inspiration on your own is witnessing someone else’s process of discovery. I see this spark in students all the time, when a visible realization of an idea or technique strikes, when the proverbial “light bulb” turns on. In my current position at ICE, making that connection is the most important aspect of what I do.

The culmination of three years of research and creativity, Cognitive Cooking with Chef Watson is a revolutionary new cookbook revealing the inner workings of ICE’s collaboration with IBM. For the first time ever, the general public will be able to experience the flavor pairing potential of Watson’s AI system, as realized through the recipes of ICE chefs.

Running two restaurants in downtown Manhattan wasn’t originally Jason Soloway’s dream job. Yet after 10 years of managing a philanthropic organization, he found himself ready for an entirely different kind of service. With training from ICE’s Culinary Management program, Jason has quickly become an industry success, with rave reviews of Wallflower and The Eddy. When we caught up with Jason, we quickly learned his secret to success is focusing on his day-to-day guests.

For as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with bread. Growing up Italian, good bread was compulsory at every meal. Some days, my after school snack was a hunk of Italian bread and a Big Gulp of orange soda (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it). Since those days, bread has been a mainstay in my diet. As a vegetarian, it’s sometimes the only item I can eat on the menu—and you won’t hear me complaining about it.