Chefs get their inspiration from many different places, but it was a well-timed fortune cookie that helped ICE alum Zac Young realize that his future was in the kitchen. Since graduating from the Pastry & Baking career program, Zac has gained widespread recognition as a contestant on Top Chef: Just Desserts and has led the pastry team at some of New York's top restaurants.

A graduate of ICE's Culinary Arts program, Valerie Broussard blazed a new trail in the field of foraging when she became Starwood’s first Forager and Director of Purchasing at the W Austin. Now heading up her own consulting company, she spends her time connecting with nearby farms and ranches, bringing local ingredients from artisanal producers to a larger audience in the community.

Five decades may have gone by, but Nutella remains as sweet as ever. The beloved chocolate-hazelnut spread celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a nation-wide, 16-city food truck tour.

To say ICE alum Frederico Guerreiro is unusually successful for his age is an understatement. Hailing from Portugal, he has made his way around the globe, working in Spain, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo—most notably for Chef Seiji Yamamoto at Nihonryori RyuGin, one of the "World's 50 Best Restaurants".

As a restaurant pastry chef, I used to be responsible for the day-to-day operations of my pastry departments. My exclusive focus was on making every facet of my department more efficient, creating a positive environment to work in and on being cost effective - all in addition to creating amazing desserts.

On April 3rd, ICE welcomed Chef Donald Link as part of our ongoing Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs series. This was a unique opportunity for ICE's student body and the general public to interact with one of New Orleans' leading chefs and restaurateurs.

Wall Street consultant. Macaron master. International pastry competitor. Best-selling author. Like many culinary professionals, ICE Chef-Instructor Kathryn Gordon never intended to work in food. Yet today, this former management consultant is one of ICE’s most celebrated pastry instructors, and one of the country’s foremost experts on the finicky art of French macarons.

What do the pastry chef of Riverpark, a sous chef for Union Square Events, the HR director of Breads Bakery, a pastry cook for Jean-Georges, a sales associate at D’Artagnan and a cook for Gracie Mansion have in common? They are all ICE alumni and they were all welcomed back to ICE for our Annual Alumni Party.

It's not every cake designer who gets recruited by the likes of Martha Stewart, InStyle Weddings, and Oprah Winfrey. Building on her former career as a photo editor/director, love of art and infatuation with chocolate, Kate Sullivan brings more than 20 years of creative innovation to cake decorating. This summer, ICE's Center for Advanced Pastry Studies (CAPS) is thrilled to host an exclusive two-day workshop with Sullivan, highlighting such techniques as hand-painting and tie-dyed cakes.

In 2005, The New York Times published an article by Frank Bruni (then restaurant critic and editor of the Dining In/Dining Out section) about Roman cuisine. The article's overall message was: “nothing new is going on in Roman cuisine!”. After a recent trip to Rome, my wife, Cheryl, and I are happy to report that this is still true.