Even before the big announcement last October detailing my intentions to leave Le Bernardin at the end of the year, I had already begun to consider a number of directions my post-restaurant career might take. For some time, I’d been entertaining the idea of a path toward education. I was inspired by the one-on-one interaction with cooks I’d come to enjoy in the kitchen, but also by a new generation of chefs that seemed to be pushing the possibilities within a traditional culinary school environment. And as Eric Ripert and I reflected on what I had achieved and where I might go next, we both realized that moving in that direction made perfect sense.
Within days of the announcement, I’d have my very first meeting with ICE President Rick Smilow and his team, knocking around ideas on how I might be able to apply nearly two decades of industry experience — sweet and savory — in an educational setting. After years of working with ICE as an Advisory Board member and occasional guest instructor — not to mention the numerous student externs that have been through Le Bernardin’s pastry kitchen — I was certain it would be a good fit. I knew that I didn’t necessarily want to limit myself to the classroom alone, and Rick agreed. More…
