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A native of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, just north of the five boroughs, Chef Joshua recalls that, family nights out typically meant heading to whatever local red sauce eatery was currently poppin’. 

Then he went to college. And his college town wasn’t just any old college town — it was New Orleans.

“That changed a lot for me,” he says. “Food is something so important to the people down there and it’s a major part of their identity.”

Looking back at it, Chef Joshua connected his experience with his Jewish heritage.

“Food is something that’s very important to us…[it’s] more than just something you eat. It’s really a part of who you are,” he says.

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Chef Joshua found himself cooking more, especially when he was back home in New York during the summer months, grilling for friends and testing new recipes.

“That kind of became more of who I was,” he says. 

Wanting to work more with his hands, he shifted his studies from public health to culinary arts, going on to graduate first in his class from the International �������� Center (ICC) in 2013.

First beginning his career with stints as a line cook at Michael Anthony’s lauded Gramercy Tavern in New York’s Flatiron District, Chef Joshua’s resumé also includes Abbey Restaurant Group, the White Gold Butchers and the Viejo Group, where he climbed the ranks to sous chef. In that role, he opened both Tokyo Record Bar and Air's Champagne Parlor alongside Chef Zachary Fabian, and co-created and executed eight-course tasting menus nightly at Tokyo Record Bar, while also preparing hot food items for Air's Champagne Parlor.

Chef Joshua returned to his alma mater in 2019, where he worked as a culinary arts chef-instructor until the school closed in 2020. He began teaching career training and recreational cooking classes at ICE in 2021. He excels in classic and French culinary techniques, ranging from basic knife skills and kitchen maintenance to food preservation and charcuterie.

As part of our Ask the Chef series on Instagram, we asked Chef Joshua all of your burning questions. Here, we share his tips, tricks and hot takes. 

On His Favorite Kitchen Tool

All ICE Chef-Instructors have their favorite gadgets handy, and Chef Joshua is firm in his tool of choice.

“I always keep a cake tester with me,” he says.

Mostly used for pastry preparations, Chef Joshua likes to use the humble gadget to check the internal temperature of animal proteins. 

On Breaking Bad Kitchen Habits

As the adage goes, old habits die hard, and even the very best of cooks have to break theirs. Chef Joshua believes that one of the easiest bad habits to break in the kitchen is peeling directly onto to the cutting board. “Instead just use a small bowl or container to catch all your peelings,” he says. “It saves you time and it keeps your product cleaner in the process.” 

Whether you're a home cook or a professional, always clean as you go.

"Letting your workstation become a mess can affect more than just your final product, it affects the cooking experience," Chef Joshua says "If you have a disorganized station, you'll have a disorganized mind."

On His Least Favorite Ingredient

Be it truffle oil, cilantro or sun-dried tomatoes, we all have strong (sometimes quite strong) food aversions.

“My mom made an apricot chicken dish when I was a kid,” he says of his hatred towards the stone fruit. “It was chicken baked with candied apricots and an apricot glaze. And it was just so coyly sweet, that I could not get past it. And it just completely turned them off for me.”

Another hot take? Chef Joshua prefers a flat iron and hanger steak over rib eye and filet mignon.

"They're better cuts to eat," he says.

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On Life Lessons for Students

“Everybody in this industry that you meet has a lesson for you to learn,” he says of the big picture advice he offers to ICE students.

He stresses that whatever position you’re in — a student, a cook, a manager or a chef — not all lessons are positive.

“There are 613 commandments in the Torah and I think 283 are things that you should do, like give charity and look after your relatives," Chef Joshua says. "But most of them are you should not do something…There's a lesson to be learned from every person that you come across, and it's important for you to figure it out."

Chef Joshua recalls a former cook showing up for a trail, ill-prepared and wearing a dirty jacket.

"I want to make sure that whenever I show up for a trail, I don't want to be in that situation — I always want to be prepared," he says.

On the Personal Front

When he’s off campus, Chef Joshua can be found cooking at home in Westchester, New York, spending time with his wife Ashley and his daughter Abby (neither of whom are picky eaters). As an avid sports fan, he also supports local teams, specifically the New York Giants, New York Yankees, NYCFC and the Knicks, natch. (But never ask him to pick a favorite — he likens it to Sophie’s choice.)

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