Celebrated sommelier Michael Madrigale grew up in an Italian-American family in Pennsylvania. His first job was in a butcher shop, followed by a stint in marketing, which conclusively taught him that he wasn't one for a desk job. From there, he sought employment as a waiter, which enabled him to learn more about food. When he finally fell upon a position at a Burgundy-only wine shop in the West Village, he embarked on his lifelong love affair with wine.

On Tuesday, October 8th, ICE welcomed Guittard Chocolate Company’s Regional Sales Manager, Laura Tornichio-Vidal, and Harney and Sons’ Vice President, Michael Harney, to teach participants the art of a unique pairing: tea and chocolate.

If you can’t control the heat, get out of the kitchen. A month and a half into my Culinary Arts program at ICE, this is undoubtedly the most important concept that I feel becoming ingrained in my being on a daily basis. “Are you checking your heat?” Chef will holler to the class every five minutes. “Remember: YOU control the heat; the heat does not control you!”

This September, ICE hosted its bi-annual Career Fair and Networking Reception.

It's the day after the launch of her first cookbook, Desserts for Every Season, and Jenny McCoy's voice is a little hoarse. She’s trying to remember a story about Emeril Lagasse—one of her first jobs was working for the chef at Delmonico, his restaurant in New Orleans. As she reminisces about him, she chuckles, and when she does her eyes are bright, her friendly dimples more pronounced. “He’s been the best chef I’ve worked with. He made a point at the start of every night to walk up to every employee, from the person washing the pots and pans to the chef de cuisine to say hello. He’s so human, generous and approachable. Those are things I took away with...

When I was growing up, my dad used to make us pancakes for breakfast on weekends and feed us waffles for dinner when budgets were tight. So for me, breakfast foods are the ultimate in comfort food.

In the third section of the culinary arts program at ICE, we delved into plating and presentation as well as cuisines from various regions, including France, Italy, Spain, and Asia. We took a culinary tour of the world right in our kitchen! It was amazing. I learned so much about regional cuisines and the factors that influence them. There were a few key takeaways for me that will forever influence the way I cook and think about food.

As a chef, there are few annual events that are more exciting or anticipated than the Star Chefs International Chefs Congress. This year, I was surprised and honored to be asked to lead an interactive sous vide workshop at this global conference.

This month, ICE was thrilled to host Chicago’s premier pastry chef, Mindy Segal, for a class featuring signature desserts from her restaurant, HotChocolate.

It's fall, which means pumpkin time. Within this deep orange shell lies fragrant flesh and crunchy seeds—a cheery reminder of shorter days and chilly nights. I love to cook and bake with pumpkins, but I have learned the hard way to leave those attractive orbs on the porch. Instead, I open a can of pumpkin purée when the urge to whip up a fall specialty overcomes me.