Whether as chefs, cake decorators, specialty food purveyors or caterers, ICE alumni are finding success in a plethora of different avenues in the food world. Check out just some of the alumni finding success and making recent headlines.

*Michelle Bommarito (Culinary ’97) and Alumni Hall of Achievement inductee Elisa Strauss (Pastry ’01) were named two of the 2011 Top Ten Cake Artists by Dessert Professional magazine.

*Alumni Hall of Achievement inductee Dan Segall (Culinary ’02) will be featured in a new Food Network Asia series, A Culinary Coup: The Launching of Ku De Ta, which follows the daunting task of developing this high-profile Singaporean restaurant’s menu and kitchen team, completely from scratch, within eight weeks.

*Alumni Hall of Achievement inductee Caryn Stabinsky’s (Pastry ’02) new venture, Loaf, was highlighted in the New York Times. Chef Caryn is also an ICE Chef Instructor.

*Allison Fishman (Culinary ’01) has published her first cookbook, You Can Trust A Skinny Cook. She was featured on the Today show on Monday, April 18, and on will be featured on The Early Show on Saturday, April 23. Allison is also a Chef Instructor in ICE’s recreational division.

*Kelly Senyei (Culinary ’10), Content Producer at Gourmet Live, visited Luke’s Lobster in the debut of Gourmet Live‘s Pic a Dish segment on NBC’s NY Nonstop Foodies.

To connect with these ICE alumni and many more, join ICE’s network on LinkedIn, or follow ICE on Facebook and Twitter.

As part of ICE’s Center for Advanced Pastry Studies, ICE alum Elisa Strauss returned to ICE this week to teach a class on sculpted cakes. Strauss is the designer at Confetti Cakes, famed for their detailed, beautiful shaped cakes. Since completing ICE’s Pastry & Baking Arts program, Strauss’s inventive and original cakes have earned her recognition from dozens of magazines and TV shows. Her creations have appeared on the Today show, Sex and the City, The View and Martha. She has also competed several times on Food Network Challenge, including the “Extreme Cake Challenge” where she won the grand prize.

Every student in the class made a handbag cake over a three-day period. Open only to pastry professional, the class is a chance for them to learn new skills to add to their repertoire. Elisa walked them through the fundamentals of making any sculpted cake that is both structural sound and beautiful. In addition to carving their cakes, they also made gumpaste decorations, giving them a chance to personalize their magnificent cakes. Check out the photos! More…