One of the most classic of all-American dishes is steak.

When ICE President Rick Smilow and Anne E. McBride wrote " Culinary Careers: How to Get Your Dream Job in Food," they discovered a plethora of food jobs they had never heard of before. Since the book's release, they have been discovering even more interesting culinary career paths. DICED shares some of them with you in a reoccurring feature: “ Unique Culinary Careers.”

Every issue of our school newsletter, The Main Course, includes a slice of life at ICE with a variety of interviews, articles, and profiles. In the Winter 2012 issue, we looked at the bios of three current students, including Manuel Pastrana, a current student in our Hospitality Management career training program who is exploring his enthusiasm for good service and the future of a career in the hospitality industry at ICE.

Last week, ICE’s Hospitality Management class went on a unique field trip to one of New York’s busiest hotels, the Hilton Times Square.

Last night, ICE students took part in a very special demo with ICE Pastry & Baking Arts Chef Instructor and sugar expert Kathryn Gordon who assembled a sugar showpiece from scratch.

ICE’s Culinary Management Instructors are seasoned industry professionals who are still active in the industry and working on their own projects while teaching classes at ICE. Here on DICED, two of our Instructors, Julia Heyer and Vin McCann, have regularly been looking at topics and trends in the industry, shedding light on some complicated issues and sharing their in-depth expertise. This week, Julia and Vin are taking off the gloves and putting their own spin on things to watch for 2012 — without holding anything back.

Now celebrating its 20th year in business, City Bakery remains a favorite downtown spot to enjoy both exceptional, handmade pastries, as well as a fresh, market-driven lunch.

There are endless variations on the classic meatball. Whether you’re a purist looking for a traditional Swedish meatball or an adventurer willing to sample seafood meatballs, the meatball offers something for everyone.

When I was a kid, I grew up on hearty, home-cooked meat and potatoes meals every night of the week. Looking back on it now, I don’t know how I missed my mom’s Wonder Woman cape!

I found myself on the Upper East Side, killing time with the kids on one of those arduous, winter breaks in the city with nothing to do.