Institute of Culinary Education

History

ICE traces its roots to 1975, when Peter Kump opened Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, one of the first culinary schools in New York City. Kump's philosophy was to concentrate on teaching cooking techniques and flavor development at a time when most other cooking schools were only teaching recipes.

In 1983, Kump inaugurated a professional program to train aspiring chefs. A number of his former teachers, including James Beard, Simone Beck, Marcella Hazan and Diana Kennedy taught classes. A number of other notable chefs, including Julia Child, James Peterson, David Bouley and Jacques Pépin, were frequent guest instructors.

When Kump died in 1995, the school was acquired by Rick Smilow, an entrepreneur with an interest in education and the culinary arts.

After the acquisition, the school’s professional programs expanded, requiring a move to a new location in the Flatiron neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City at 50 W. 23rd Street, where it then expanded twice, in 1999 and 2004, growing to 45,000 square feet over seven floors. In 1999, the older East 92nd Street facility was closed.

In 2001, the school's name was changed to The Institute of Culinary Education.

In 2015, the school relocated to a brand new, 74,000 square foot facility in Battery Park City that includes such amenities as the nation's first education-focused bean-to-bar chocolate lab, a hydroponic herb and vegetable garden, a culinary technology lab and a state-of-the art mixology bar.

Career-Training Programs

ICE's career training diploma programs range from six to 13 months. ICE features small, attentive hands-on classes with distinguished Chef Instructors and staff.

Culinary Arts Program — In this program, students are taught a wide variety of knowledge and skill in culinary arts. Cooking techniques from a range of countries and cultures are presented along with basic food-preparation skills. Students learn the theory, practice and art of cooking. The 650-hour comprehensive curriculum is grounded in ICE's five-point model of skill development: theory, technique, palate training, speed and teamwork.

Pastry & Baking Arts Program — This program was founded by James Beard Award winning pastry chef Nick Malgieri. The 610-hour program is designed to offer students theory, techniques and hands-on experience in the pastry and baking arts.

Culinary Management Program — This program prepares students for a career owning or operating their own food business. The diploma requires 316 credit hours and includes courses in restaurant management, catering management, menu selection, legal issues and a broad array of business aspects to working in the food industry.

Hospitality Management Program — This program prepares students for a career in the travel and tourism industry. The diploma requires 428 credit hours and includes courses in food and beverage management, human resources, housekeeping, legal issues and a broad array of business aspects to working in the hotel industry.

Students in the Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts and Hospitality Management programs must complete an externship as part of their diploma requirement. This experience provides real world training, allows students to focus on a particular culinary interest area, and gets their foot in the door at some of America's top restaurants, hotels and culinary businesses. ICE has placed 562 externs in 302 establishments in 11 states and 4 countries in 2010. In 2014, the top three externship sites were: Jean-Georges Restaurants, Union Square Hospitality Group and Batali-Bastianich Hospitality Group. Renowned chefs and restaurateurs Daniel Boulud, David Burke, Andrew Carmellini, Tom Colicchio, Harold Dieterle, Alex Guarnaschelli, Masaharu Morimoto, Mario Batali, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Michael White, Thomas Keller, and Danny Meyer took a combined 174 student externs in 2014.

Continuing Education

ICE offers several continuing-education programs.

Center for Advanced Pastry Studies — This series of three-day classes features some of the world’s leading pastry chefs, offering courses such as "Advanced Sugar Artistry" and "Chocolate Showpieces" with such experts in the field as Elisa Strauss, Stephane Treand, and Norman Love.

Meet The Culinary Entrepreneurs — A year-round series of lectures from leading culinary business owners. The sessions introduce audience members to restaurateurs, specialty food retailers, caterers, and other proprietors who have established highly regarded local and national brands. Past speakers have included Danny Meyer, Joe Bastianich and Gary Hirshberg

Techniques and Art of Professional Bread Baking — A 200-hour course developed and led by Chef Sim Cass, the founding baker of New York City’s acclaimed Balthazar Bakery and one of the pioneers of the modern artisan bread movement. Students examine the theory that underlies the science of bread, learning the core skills required to craft creative adaptations of traditional recipes.

Techniques and Art of Professional Cake Decorating — A 240-hour program developed and led by award-winning Chef Instructor Toba Garrett, one of the country’s most notable authors, instructors and practitioners of the art of cake design. Coursework covers the basics of piping and explores the history of this intricate art, including instruction in celebrated traditions of cake design from around the world. Students will also train in various methods of contemporary cake design, from advanced sugarwork and hand-sculpting to airbrushing, hand-painting and novelty cakes.

Additional professional development courses cover subjects including management and business studies, advanced culinary studies, wine and beverage studies.

Recreational Cooking Classes

For the general public, ICE offers more than 1,500 courses—serving more than 26,000 students each year. From beginners to advanced, ICE’s courses cover all tastes, including Italian, Asian, Spanish, French and Latin-American cuisine as well as pastry techniques, home entertaining, knife skills, wine education and greenmarket cooking.

Class instructors include a full-time teaching staff, culinary experts from around the country as well as alumni and dozens of special guests from notable chefs to award-winning cookbook authors with expertise in specific cuisines or techniques. Guest instructors have included Daniel Boulud, Elizabeth Karmel, Pichet Ong and Sara Moulton.

Facilities

ICE operates out of a single floor, 74,000 square food facility that includes 12 teaching kitchens, a demonstration kitchen, three traditional classrooms and various special amenities, including:

· Culinary classrooms equipped with gas, French top and induction burners, representing the full range of preferred cooking methods across the globe

· Pastry kitchens outfitted with Hobart mixers, steam-injected triple deck ovens, specialty chocolate equipment, blast freezers, high volume dough sheeters and more

· Culinary Technology Lab featuring modernist cooking equipment, as well as specialty tandoor, plancha, rotisserie and stone hearth ovens

· A featured kitchen outfitted with a Jade island range – ideal for teaching “brigade” style cooking

· The nation's first education-focused bean-to-bar chocolate lab

· Dedicated spaces for mixology and wine studies

· An indoor hydroponic herb garden and vegetable farm

Awards and Honors

· In 2016, ICE was honored to be awarded the best culinary school in America by The Daily Meal, a leading food and lifestyle website and Edinformatics and The Best Schools, leading resources for campus and online education in 2016.

· In 2015, ICE was proud to take home the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) award for "Culinary School of Excellence." ICE has previously won IACP awards in 2003, 2008 and 2011 including “Best Vocational Culinary Institute” and “Best Recreational Cooking School."

· In 2006, ICE was named a “School of Distinction” by the school’s accrediting agency, the ACCSC, and in 2010 ICE’s Career Services Department received an ACCSC commendation for excellence.

· ICE’s faculty have received a number of noteworthy distinctions from the leading culinary publications and organizations in the nation. Noteworthy honors include:

· 2015 IACP “Culinary Educator of the Year”—Chef Instructor Chris Gesualdi

· 2014 IACP “Culinary Professional of the Year” – Creative Director Michael Laiskonis

· 2008 James Beard Award for “Outstanding Pastry Chef in America”—ICE Creative Director Michael Laiskonis

· Dessert Professional’s 2010 “Top Ten Pastry Chefs”—Chef Instructor Michelle Tampakis

· First ever two-time Chopped Champion: Director of Culinary Development James Briscione

· 2011 IACP Cookbook Award for Wedding Cake Art & Design—Chef Instructor Toba Garrett

· 2011 IACP "Culinary Entrepreneur of the Year"—ICE President Rick Smilow

Notable alumni

· Lee Knoeppel - Finalist on ABC's The Taste

· Denisse Oller - Journalist

· Marc Murphy - Chef, Restaurateur & Judge on Food Network's Chopped

· Gail Simmons - Judge on Bravo's Top Chef

· Vivian Howard - Chef and Peabody Award-winning Host of "A Chef's Life" on PBS

· Maxime Bilet - co-author of "Modernist Cuisine"

· Zac Young - contestant on "Top Chef: Just Desserts" and Executive Pastry Chef at David Burke Kitchen in NYC

· Ed Behr - founder and editor of "The Art of Eating" magazine

· Eden Grinshpan - TV Host on the Cooking Channel

· Missy Robbins - Contestant on Top Chef Masters and Chef/Owner of Lilia in Brooklyn, NY

· Rachel Yang - Award-winning chef and restaurateur based in Seattle

· Florian Pinel - Senior Software Engineer for IBM's Cognitive Cooking Project

· Nikos Roussos and Georgianna Hiliadaki - Michelin-starred Chef/Restaurateurs at the Funky Gourmet in Athens, Greece

· Andrew Rigie - Executive Director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance

· Omri Green - Director of Special Projects for Union Square Events