Since the coining of the first celebrity chef, there have been many professionals in the culinary and pastry fields that new students can look up to as role models. There are, of course, a number of brilliant female pastry chefs here in New York City—and around the world—whose work inspires the artist in me.

The Institute of Culinary Education takes great pride in the success and advancement of our staff and alumni. As we enter the culinary awards season, we are thrilled to recognize the wide variety of nominations, honors and awards that have been presented to members of our school community. From a Thai-inspired restaurant, to a chocolate-centric cookbook, award-winning turns on food television to the "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America", their culinary accomplishments could not be more diverse.

Every year, ICE Culinary Management students are exposed to some of the greatest entrepreneurs in the business. These industry leaders generously take time out of their busy schedules to share their stories and offer advice to the next generation of restauranteurs.

Last May Nick Malgieri, ICE’s Director of Pastry and Baking Arts and author of Perfect Cakes, A Baker’s Tour and many others, traveled to Turkey to learn about Turkish pastries from experts in Istanbul and Gaziantep. He brought these traditions back to the states and recently shared them during a demonstration at ICE.

Chef-Instructor Vicki Wells brings an enormous amount of experience with her into the kitchen. She has worked in some of the country’s finest kitchens, including Sarabeth’s, Hotel Plaza Athenée, Maxim’s, Montrachet, Le Bernardin and Trattoria Dell’Arte.

Our culinary and pastry students are faced with a number of challenges on a daily basis. First and foremost, they're asked to learn recipes and techniques with foreign names and to reinforce that learning after class with homework and library assignments. While striving to produce professional quality work, they must also uphold the highest standard of efficiency and cleanliness. And as their lessons progress, students are expected to do additional fieldwork outside of ICE, which includes trailing (short-term stints in commercial kitchens) to plan and prepare for their externships.

This whole thing started off as a crazy idea that I didn't completely understand—and frankly, I was a bit skeptical. A computer that was going to help me cook better? I had my doubts. Yet two years and countless hours in the kitchen later, the culinary team at ICE and researchers at IBM have produced dozens of surprisingly delicious recipes.

“Refined, yet approachable,” that is how Executive Chef Bryce Shuman describes the fare at his new upscale midtown hotspot, Betony.

It's been a long winter, and most of us have lost our enthusiasm for the snow. To make the last stretch before spring a little more bearable, we asked ICE Chef Instructor Jenny McCoy to share some of her signature snow cocktail recipes. Armed with these recipes, you might actually find yourself eager for the next snowfall.