By Tia Cannon, Career Services Department
In April, ICE opened its doors to welcome back alumni for the Annual Alumni Party. This year’s mood was especially celebratory, as we officially unveiled the launch of the ice.edu website. Though the halls, the familiar friendly faces of chef-instructors and staff haven’t changed much, but our look is all new, inviting ICE students to “find their culinary voice.”
I’m not going to insult you with another basic ‘how to grill’ post. I won’t bore you with talk about how to set up your fire so that one side of the grill is hotter than the other so you can sear foods and cook larger, denser cuts at the same time. I won’t waste your time reminding that 30 to 60 minutes before cooking you should remove meats from the refrigerator and season them. And I’ll certainly not rattle on about patting meats dry before you cook them, then brushing them with oil and seasoning again with salt and pepper immediately before they hit the grill.
A riddle: How many drops of rain does it take to kill a GoogaMooga? The answer: None; GoogaMoogas aren’t killed by rain.
In case you didn’t know, the third and final day of the Great GoogaMooga food and music festival was canceled yesterday “because of the rain.” Unfortunately, the decision to close came in a drizzle, at approximately 12:30. Angry patrons had been waiting in line since 11am (when the festival was originally slated to open), and vendors had already started cooking for a day of fun, festivities, and potentially big $$$.
By Tim Bruderek
Dave Crofton, head baker at One Girl Cookies, is a warm guy with a big personality. He has a unique passion for baking that’s inspiring to watch. But Dave’s story does not follow the traditional path to success.
Dave graduated from ICE’s Pastry & Baking Arts program in 2003, working during the day and taking his classes in the evening. Upon completing the program, like most graduations, Dave began his search for a job in the field, and his Career Services advisor gave him a lead that sounded interesting. Little did he know this new job would change his life for good.
Dawn Casale, founder and namesake of the Brooklyn-based bakery One Girl Cookies, was becoming well-known for her delectable sweet treats, but was seeking some help with the growing demand and notoriety of her business. Dave contributed his baking talents, and soon enough, the pair was working diligently to make One Girl a success. But they got more than they planned – they ended up falling in love and getting married.
By Jackie Ourman
I have always loved food. Loved to cook. Loved to talk about food, think about food, read about food. You get the gist. Food + Me = Love! But recently, my relationship with food was challenged. My love turned to fear.
One of my children was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies to peanuts, most tree nuts and sesame, while another child was diagnosed with celiac disease, along with the same allergies. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with celiac disease (my mom was too!). Looks like we’ve been living with these issues for years and had no idea! When you have celiac disease, you can’t eat anything that contains gluten, which is primarily found in wheat, barley and rye.
What started as a quest to help my own family became a mission to raise awareness about these issues and help others as well. I enrolled at ICE to learn as much as I could about food, recipes and the realities of working in busy restaurant kitchens. I graduated from the Culinary Management program in August 2012 and am currently enrolled in the Culinary Arts program. I absolutely love it!
By Cindi Avila
The average career of a football player is only said to be a little more than three years. So what is a player to do after his days on the gridiron are over? Many want to open a restaurant and some even want to open their own hotel. With all that in mind the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) hosted 21 current and former professional football players for a NFL Hospitality and Culinary Management Workshop. On May 6th the players (and some of their wives) gathered to learn from the best in the business. Steve Zagor, the dean of ICE’s Business Management programs led the all day program. Zagor says “it was a great opportunity to give NFL players a preview into life after their pro football careers, as a restaurant owner or investor/operator in the hospitality world.”
By Chef Instructor Sam Kadko
As a cultivated crop, rhubarb has been aptly nicknamed “pie-plant” and does best as a spring-planted crop. This recipe illustrates how rhubarb can be matched with fruits other than strawberries. Paired with grilled pork chops, it makes a nice accompaniment offering a sweet-tart contrast to the meat.
By now, you’ve maybe pickled a batch of ramps, anticipating the end of their short season. But if you’re interested in further exploring the potential of these “wild leeks”, ICE Chef Instructor Sam Kadko has a savory dish that’s sure to make your mouth water: potato-ramp latkes.
Last week, more than 250 members of the New York community came together to support STREETS International, a Hoi An, Vietnam-based nonprofit organization that trains underprivileged young men and women to succeed in their region’s growing 5-star hospitality industry.
Last night, more than 15 ICE students and recent graduates cooked with the culinary stars at the James Beard Awards. Among the hundreds of volunteer opportunities we organize each year, this annual event stands out as one of the most exciting, providing students with the chance to cook alongside such influential chefs as Grant Achatz, Michael Mina and Marcus Samuelsson.
