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.

“It’s a miracle of fat and flavor!" That's the passion with which Chef Cara Tannenbaum welcomed our class to the wondrous world of butter. As the night went on, we tackled recipes of varying complexity and international flavor, but here are some essential tidbits we learned about this key ingredient for both chefs and bakers:

A letter from ICE President and CEO, Rick Smilow:

Last night in San Francisco, ICE took home the International Association of Culinary Professionals Award of Excellence for “Cooking School of the Year”. We are thrilled to win this honor, having previously won other IACP awards in 2008 and 2011.

This award is made possible by the skill and passion of the dozens of chef-instructors who teach in ICE’s School of Recreational Cooking.  Additionally, this award is a credit to our staff from stewards and the customer service team to the kitchen assistants and maintenance crew, who coordinate the schools’ almost  24 hour a day of operations. In particular, this year’s win recognizes the planning and creativity of Kate McCue, Director of our School of Recreational Cooking,as well as Susan Streit, Associate Manager and Dan Stone, Recipe Editor.

As the head chef of what is arguably New York’s most popular vegetable restaurant, you would expect Amanda Cohen to be a vegetarian. She was, in fact, for 16 years – a life choice inspired more by teenage peer pressure than any moral qualms about eating meat. …

By Carly DeFilippo

Chad Pagano’s backstory isn’t that of your average pastry chef. Long before he spent his days instructing in the art of kneading dough, he was serving in the United States Army’s 10th Mountain Division, utilizing his recreational hunting skills as a scout/sniper. After leaving the army, Pagano …

By Carly DeFilippo

Chef Chris Gesualdi is no slouch. Last night, he whipped 16 novice chefs into shape, prepping a 10-course New Year’s Eve hors d’oeuvres menu in just under three hours. Not only was it one of the most organized cooking classes I’ve taken, it was also one of …

For most people, holiday desserts don’t include cupcakes. But Chef Melanie Underwood‘s “Holiday Cupcakes Workshop” helped this non-believer (and non-baker) realize that the cupcake is an excellent format for the festive flavors we all know and love.

As mentioned, I’m a self-proclaimed “non-baker.” I have confidence …

I’m the type of New Yorker who prides herself on her cocktail knowledge. If you’re looking for a $30 “apple-tini”, I’m not your girl, but when you want a proper martini or require fresh lime juice in your gimlet, I know just the spot. So I was …