Lauren Jessen

Chocolate Biscuits You’ll Actually Love

ohoadmin — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 12:30:39 +0000

Chocolate Biscuits You’ll Actually Love ohoadmin Mon, 12/18/2017 - 07:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Chocolate-Biscuits-1.jpg.webp?itok=il_vcSUD December 18, 2017

By Lauren Jessen

When the weather outside is frightful, there’s nothing better than curling up next to the fire with a cup of hot tea. What’s the perfect treat to go with? Chocolate biscuits. These chocolate biscuits, which are essentially a British take on cookies, are inspired by the classic Christmas romantic comedy film Love Actually.

Love Actually explores more than a dozen intertwined stories during the month before Christmas in London. While several characters overlap, each of their stories are unique. One of the characters is the newly-elected Prime Minster, played by Hugh Grant.

The Prime Minister enjoys his daily tea and chocolate biscuits, an unbeatable pairing. I initially became more curious about food from different cultures during culinary school at ICE, where many of our culinary lessons were region-focused.

From France to Japan to Mexico, each week in Module Three consisted of learning new techniques and working with various ingredients. Working with new types of foods and learning how to prepare international recipes in class gave me more confidence to try it out on my own at home.

I’m a big fan of American biscuits, but I was intrigued to explore making this English version. The key is to make thin disc slices so that they crisp up when baking. Also, be careful to keep a close eye on the biscuits when they’re in the oven — they only need about 10-12 minutes of bake time since they’re so thin. Drizzle the chocolate biscuits with white chocolate to add a bit of extra sweetness.

If you plan on enjoying any type of hot beverage this season, consider pairing it with these crisp chocolate biscuits. They’re easy to make, won’t require too much time and are a sure crowd pleaser.

Chocolate Biscuits with White Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted, softened butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup caster sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup white chocolate

Preparation:

In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, mix the butter, light brown sugar and caster sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add the egg white and vanilla and mix until smooth.
In a different bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.
Add the flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture, and mix until combined and a soft dough forms.
Roll the dough into a log (once chilled, you will cut this into slices which will be the shape and size of biscuits, so make this as big or small as you prefer your biscuits). Wrap the dough log in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once chilled, slice the log into slices 2-3 centimeters thick. If you prefer perfect circles, use a round cookie cutter once you’ve cut the slices off the log. Transfer the discs to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the discs for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
While the biscuits are cooling, microwave the white chocolate chips for 45 seconds and mix together until smooth.
Using a piping bag and a #2 round decorating tip, drizzle white chocolate over the cookies. Allow the white chocolate to harden, then enjoy!

Master biscuits and much more in ICE’s Pastry & Baking Arts career program — learn more today.

Recipe Chocolate Christmas Winter

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For the Anti-Pie Crowd, Make Sticky Buns for Thanksgiving Instead

ohoadmin — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 12:30:41 +0000

For the Anti-Pie Crowd, Make Sticky Buns for Thanksgiving Instead ohoadmin Sat, 11/18/2017 - 07:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Sticky-Buns-2.jpg.webp?itok=Nr0O7cIO November 18, 2017

By Lauren Jessen

I’ve never been a big pie person. I can appreciate a good homemade pie with a thick crust and multiple scoops of ice cream, but it’s not the Thanksgiving dessert that I look forward to most. If you fall into the same anti-pie category as me, try making these hazelnut and cardamom sticky buns instead.

The cardamom and hazelnut form a delicious flavor duo, especially when paired with this soft, tender dough. I remember the first time I made sticky buns in culinary school during module 4 of my culinary arts program at ICE. The entire class was excited —because how often do you get to make sticky buns, let alone eat them?

We lined muffin pans with pecans and caramel and placed the bun dough on top. Those 30 minutes spent waiting for the buns to bake felt like an eternity. Now that I’ve learned the proper way to make them, sticky buns are way less intimidating.

Essentially, all you’re doing is making a cinnamon roll, but adding the “topping” to the bottom before baking. Then, when they’re finished baking, you flip the buns onto parchment paper. The end result is a gooey, sweet topping and filling with a delicious yeast dough that everyone at the dinner table will be thinking about well past Thanksgiving.

As if sweet, delicious gooiness wasn’t enough, sticky buns are also amazing because you can switch up the flavors with the seasons — you can substitute pecans, pistachios and walnuts for the hazelnuts, and cinnamon, lemon and pumpkin for cardamom. There’s a lot you can do with sticky buns, which makes it a great go-to dessert for any occasion.

Hazelnut and Cardamom Sticky Buns

Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ¾ teaspoons yeast
2 eggs
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
A pinch of cinnamon
3 ½ tablespoons sugar
½ cup butter, unsalted, room temperature

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, heat the milk until it reaches 110-115°F.
Add the sugar and yeast to the milk, and let the mixture sit for five minutes until the yeast becomes frothy.
Add the eggs to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth.
In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, sugar and butter together using a dough hook.
Pour in the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl and allow to rise for one hour. After one hour of rising in a warm spot, transfer the dough to the fridge for one hour.
Roll out the dough to form a rectangle, about 10-12 inches wide.

Filling

Ingredients:

1 egg, whisked for egg wash
½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preparation:

Combine the hazelnuts, cardamom, cinnamon and light brown sugar to create the filling mixture.
Cover the dough with egg wash, and then spread the filling mixture on top.
Roll the dough along the long side. Cut the log evenly into 12 equal pieces. These pieces will be placed on the topping in the prepared pans (see below).

Topping

Ingredients:

½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 ⅓ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cardamom

Preparation:

In a saucepan, over medium heat combine all the ingredients until just melted to create a caramel topping. Be careful not to overcook this mixture.

Making the sticky buns

Heat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare the sheet pans by spreading the chopped hazelnuts on the bottom and covering them with the caramel topping.
Place the buns in the baking pan on top of the caramel and hazelnuts, making sure to give space between each one, as they will double in size when baking.
Bake buns for 30 minutes until golden. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, and then flip the sticky buns onto a parchment-lined sheet tray.

Master sticky buns and much more in ICE’s Pastry & Baking Arts career program — learn more today.

Recipe Desserts Breakfast Pastry Arts

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Fluffy, Homemade Ghost Marshmallows with Just Five Ingredients

ohoadmin — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 13:58:52 +0000

Fluffy, Homemade Ghost Marshmallows with Just Five Ingredients ohoadmin Wed, 10/25/2017 - 09:58 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Ghost-Marshmallows_2.jpg.webp?itok=RDPE-fGf So Easy It's Scary! October 25, 2017

By Lauren Jessen

Long before I attended culinary school, I attempted to make homemade marshmallows. Unsurprisingly, my first go was a sticky mess — my marshmallows fell flat. Flash forward a few years later to actually being in culinary school at ICE: when it came time to make marshmallows in class, I had flashbacks of my previous marshmallow miss and was nervous that the lesson would result in a frustrating mess.

In class at ICE, the process ended up being frustration-free. Sticky? Yes. And even a little messy. However, the end product turned out better than I could have imagined. The marshmallows were fluffy, delicious and light. I learned the proper way to make marshmallows, as well as how to use the ingredients involved.

The recipe we used in class was excellent, and I rely on it every time I want to make marshmallows. You might be surprised to learn that the recipe contains only five ingredients, but when everything is combined and the whipping begins, sweet magic happens.

photos: Lauren Jessen

The best part about homemade marshmallows? You can make them any flavor and shape! You can make classic marshmallows or add extract flavors such as vanilla, coffee or peppermint. Then, once the marshmallows have solidified, you can use cookie cutters to form them into any shape you desire. These marshmallows are inspired by the 1984 film "Ghostbusters."

When the large Marshmallow Man threatens the city near the end of the movie, the Ghostbusters are shocked because they never thought a marshmallow would destroy them. They even talk about how they used to roast marshmallows at camp. I couldn’t resist making a smaller version of that frightful Marshmallow Man. These Ghost Marshmallows are a perfect addition to any Halloween party.

Eat them solo or add them to a hot cup of cocoa for a sweet and spooky twist.

Ghost Marshmallows

Ingredients:

85 grams cold water (1)
18 grams gelatin powder
265 grams granulated sugar
100 grams corn syrup (1)
100 grams water (2)
90 grams corn syrup (2)
Dextrose, as needed for dusting

Preparation

Place the first measurement of water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and allow it to bloom and soften for 5-6 minutes.
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup (1) and water (2), and heat to 230°F.
Meanwhile, add the corn syrup (2) to the bloomed gelatin.
Pour the cooked sugar mixture into the stand mixer bowl and whisk at a medium speed until the mixture has become thick and lightened. The mixture will look like marshmallow cream after 10-15 minutes of whipping.
While the mixture is whipping, prepare a sheet tray for the marshmallow mixture: spray a quarter sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with dextrose.
Once the marshmallow mixture is thick and lightened, transfer it to the prepared pan. Wet your hands with water and smooth the surface, patting the mixture down until it evenly covers the sheet pan.
Leave the sheet tray and mixture uncovered and let it set for one hour at room temperature.
After an hour (or you can leave it overnight), remove the marshmallow slab from the pan and flip it onto a dextrose-covered cutting board.
Cut the marshmallow slab into squares, or use a cookie cutter (generously coated with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking) to cut the marshmallow slab into your desired shape. (I used a ghost-shaped cookie cutter for this recipe.) Toss the shaped marshmallow in additional dextrose.
To make eyes and a mouth for the ghosts, use a toothpick to add small drops of chocolate syrup to create the face.

Ready to master marshmallows and much more? Learn more about ICE’s career training programs.

Halloween Recipe Candy

4 Tips for Time Management from a �� Arts + �� Management Student

ohoadmin — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 13:00:09 +0000

4 Tips for Time Management from a �� Arts + �� Management Student ohoadmin Tue, 09/06/2016 - 09:00 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/brooke-lark-194253-unsplash-like-a-boss-mug-1400x680.jpg.webp?itok=HECfB-YP September 6, 2016

By Lauren Jessen

As a student enrolled in a dual-diploma program at ICE, I juggled a schedule for both the �� Arts and �� Management programs. Three days a week, I had management classes from 8AM to 12PM and then quickly I’d have to change for my 1PM culinary arts class, which ran until 5PM. On the days I didn’t have management classes, I would spend my mornings working on reading and classwork for management, and then the remainder of my day honing my cooking skills in class.

Once my �� Arts program ended, I had one month left of my management classes. The catch? I had just two weeks until I had to start my externship in a fast-paced NYC restaurant. This meant I had to build my management class business plan—the culmination of the �� Management program—with a full work schedule.

My externship schedule was anything but lax. I worked in the restaurant’s kitchen five days a week—being smart with my time was more important than ever. While I had reading, presentations to deliver and business plans to develop for my management class, I also wanted to do a great job at my externship. When situations like this happen, time management is crucial.

Here are four ways I managed my time between my management class and externship:

Plan ahead. If you know you’re going to be busy in the near future, work extra hard ahead of time to accomplish as much as you can beforehand. This way, when you’re tired and busy during your externship, you’ll feel better knowing that a solid chunk of your work is already done.
Use free hours wisely. Some days I would have a full morning of class and then run to work to start my shift at 1PM, leaving barely any free time in the day. On the days you don’t have class or if you work a morning shift and get out relatively early in the evening, make use of that time by working on your business plan or putting together your presentations for class. Set aside one or two hours during your non-work/class hours to get your important work done.
Focus on one task at a time. At times, the workload of two programs may feel overwhelming. But working step-by-step and checking off small tasks systematically, rather than procrastinating and scrambling to get things done at the very end, will feel more manageable and the payoff is huge.
Prioritize your health. Throughout my management class, my instructor would always tell us to take care of ourselves. Working in the restaurant industry can be physically tiring and the long hours aren’t conducive to good health. When balancing a schedule of working and going to school, rest when you can and don’t neglect down time. If you burn out or get sick you won’t be able to go to class, do your work, or excel at your job.

Ready to launch your culinary career? Click here to learn more about our career programs.

�� Arts Restaurant Management Hospitality Management �� Student

8 Tips for Mastering the Art of Purchasing

ohoadmin — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 13:56:11 +0000

8 Tips for Mastering the Art of Purchasing ohoadmin Thu, 07/07/2016 - 09:56 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Roam-Halls-006-150dpi.jpg.webp?itok=beDwRTK8 Life as a �� Management Student July 7, 2016

By Lauren Jessen

Mastering the art of purchasing can make or break your restaurant. What do I mean when I say purchasing? Purchasing is part of restaurant operations and entails buying enough food and beverages to meet the demand of the restaurant’s customers. It requires organization, planning ahead, diligence, creativity and consistency.

At a restaurant, buying more food than needed means inventory and money going to waste. However, if you buy too little of an ingredient and it sells out, you’re faced with unhappy customers and a potentially expensive problem to solve.

In my �� Management program, the topic of purchasing is an entire unit because of its complexity. By now, I could write a book (or two) on the topic, but for now I’ll share the key things that I've learned in class to keep in mind when purchasing for your restaurant:

If feasible, put someone in charge of purchasing. These people usually have titles such as purchasing manager or purchasing director. Because it takes a lot of effort to properly purchase goods, you want it to be someone's job to do it correctly.
Create a budget for goods. You need to know how much money is going to be spent so you can organize your funds strategically. This also provides useful boundaries for the chef and purchasing director.
Audit invoices and payments to make sure you’re being properly charged.
Have at least two vendors that you are buying from. You want more than one so you can price check and make sure you’re not being scammed, but also in the event that one vendor runs out you have a backup plan.
Your purchasing director should go through everything with the purveyors, which means he or she should randomly weigh items and count the number of items delivered. Some examples of things to look out for include delivering scallops in water so it costs more (order dry weight scallops), fish that isn’t fresh and items that weigh less than what you originally ordered (weigh items to make sure you’re getting the exact ounce you ordered).
Consider whether you want fish or meat delivered fabricated or pre-fabricated. If you want the meat already cut to order, this may save you money in the long run because you won’t have to pay for the labor of butchering meat in-house. Run the numbers so you know which option is best.
Take inventory of what you have at least once a month. This will inform you of which goods you’re buying too much of and will give you an idea of what needs to be adjusted.
Create a system and cycle so you know which days during the week you need to order goods, the process of how the food and beverages will be delivered and what time of day you (or the purchasing director) will receive the goods.

Purchasing requires trial and error and continuous adjustment. The good thing is that you can try new ordering strategies every week and improve each day. The world of purchasing is a hands-on and ongoing learning experience.

Ready to learn to manage and build your own food business? Click here to learn more about ICE's �� Management program.

Business of Food Restaurant Management �� Student

Getting to Know Churros

ohoadmin — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 12:00:11 +0000

Getting to Know Churros ohoadmin Thu, 04/28/2016 - 08:00 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/huib-scholten-383842-unsplash.jpg.webp?itok=FLAywTff Life as a �� Student April 28, 2016

By Lauren Jessen

Learning about the history of food is an excellent way to understand why we cook the way we do today. Some flavors and ingredients from years ago have long been forgotten, yet many have been modernized with the changing times. Just like music, art or theater, food reflects the culture of different regions around the world and provides insight into our values and traditions.

As a student of cooking, I was immediately intrigued when I came across a listing for an event called “The Masters of Social Gastronomy: Fried Foods” at ICE. A look into the history and science behind fried foods? An examination of the how churros became popular in America? A live churro-making demonstration? Sign me up!

The class was taught by historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman and the co-founder of Brooklyn Brainery, Jonathan Soma. Sarah shared the story of how churros made their way from medieval Europe to Mexico to America. There was even a special focus on the churros that are sold on NYC subway platforms! Soma dove into the world of frying techniques, with a specific examination of fried chicken.

Over the course of her talk, Sarah explained that deep-frying originated in 3,000 B.C. and that the first styles of fried foods originated in India and the Middle East. Interestingly, churros began as a festival food containing sugar, eggs and fat (olive oil or rendered lard) and it was an expensive treat. Nowadays, you can get two churros for $1 in the New York City subway—though the people who sell those churros are often subject to fines and other hardships.

After Sarah finished sharing the history of these delicious golden treats, Chef Jenny McCoy from ICE gave a live demonstration on how to make churros. Extra bonus: we got to eat these churros. A few important takeaways from Chef Jenny’s demo:

325-350°F is a good temperature range for chewy and golden churros.
Use a star-shaped pastry tube tip when piping the churro batter into the hot oil.
When discarding used oil, don’t dump it down the sink. Instead, pour the oil into an old coffee can and discard it in the trash.

To finish off the evening, Soma shared the science behind deep-frying, complete with graphs, charts and images. Deep-frying relies on liquid but is a dry heat cooking method. The reason is that moist cooking methods rely on water penetrating your ingredients, whereas frying something in fat or oil causes water to escape whatever is being fried. The temperature of the oil, the batter you use and how you choose to leaven the batter (beer or soda water are always good options!) make deep-frying a creative and complex cooking technique.

Since attending this event at ICE, I have taken more time to think about the history of the food I eat, as well as the science behind my cooking. Additionally, I’ve taken on a mission of eating as many subway churros as I can—and I recommend you do the same!

Click here to learn more about lectures and cooking demonstrations at ICE.

Special Events Pastry Arts �� Student

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7 Ways to Boost Your �� Education

ohoadmin — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 17:56:56 +0000

7 Ways to Boost Your �� Education ohoadmin Wed, 03/16/2016 - 13:56 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Smoking-050-72dpi.jpg.webp?itok=7-PrN_-o March 16, 2016

By Lauren Jessen

No matter what your goals are after graduating culinary school, there are countless ways you can maximize your education. While the classroom provides an incredible environment to learn in, real-world experience is critical for thriving both personally and professionally.

School can give you the skills and the foundation, but here are seven ways I've learned you can expand upon your culinary training:

Read, Read, Read While reading assignments are already a part of my �� Arts and �� Management curriculum, there is a seemingly infinite number of books that could take my learning even further. ICE is home to a robust library of publications about food science, food history, chef biographies, restaurant management and regional cuisines, as well as an impressive cookbook collection. As a student, we have free access to all these materials, so why not expand your education by creating a reading list that complements what you are learning in each module?
Cook What You Love In addition to your scheduled classes, take advantage of ICE’s single-session cooking, baking and beverage classes through the schools of Recreational Cooking and Professional Development. From dim sum to Tuscan cooking, chocolate confections and modernist cuisine, there’s a class for nearly every interest. They’re also an awesome opportunity to meet other people who are interested in food!
Mix and Mingle Take a couple of hours each week to attend food events around the city. From tastings to film screenings to lectures, you’ll be exposed to trends in the food industry and connect with others who share your professional goals and interests! My �� Management teacher told my class that we should be meeting four to five new people every week–networking is key!
Practice Your Knife Skills When I learned how to fabricate a whole chicken and execute a “medium dice,” my chef instructor told the class that we should practice outside class at least twice a week. It’s easy to fit that task into everyday life, as buying whole chickens and vegetables is cheaper than buying pre-cut ingredients! Enhance your homemade recipes with beautifully sliced vegetables and invite friends over to impress them with your knife skills. My favorite trick? Save the scraps from your medium dice potato practice to make mashed potatoes and home fries.
Dine Out—For Research Eating out may seem like a luxury, but it’s also important research for aspiring culinary professionals, no matter which program you are in. Bring a small notebook and jot down what you notice – what worked, what didn’t and how can the restaurant improve? In the �� Management program, we regularly share our observations about food establishments we have visited, from the service to the food to the branding as a whole. These are all important details you can use when it comes time to start your own business or restaurant. Going out to eat and making observations makes you a better chef or manager because creating a quality experience is all about paying close attention.
Give Back to the Industry ICE constantly updates students about volunteer opportunities, from supporting up-and-coming chefs at James Beard House dinners to contributing to the mission of food-centric charities. There are too many great volunteer opportunities to name, ranging from nonprofit work to glitzy events, weekly shifts to one-night commitments. In addition to culinary events and festivals around the city, I volunteer twice a month at God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that provides nutritious, high-quality meals to people who are living with serious illnesses. Volunteering is not only a great way to help others, but it has proved to be a way to meet interesting people and—yet again—refine my knife skills.
Get Outside Your Comfort Zone There’s nothing that will prepare you better for real-world kitchen experience than actually working in a restaurant kitchen. Completing an externship is part of most programs at ICE, but if you are eager to get experience before the last module of the program, a part-time job is a great solution. Your class time has given you a solid foundation, now put those skills to work!

For free information about ICE’s career training programs, click here.

�� Education �� Student Tools

Seeing the Signs

ohoadmin — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:23:13 +0000

Seeing the Signs ohoadmin Wed, 03/02/2016 - 16:23 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/gideon-j-gallegos-sanchez-367324-unsplash.jpg.webp?itok=lVUJ2DdW Life as a Student March 2, 2016

By Lauren Jessen

Trying to figure out what to do with your life at any age can be overwhelming, stressful and exciting. I thought that at 24 years old I would have a good idea which direction I wanted my life to go, but that wasn’t the case. There’s no question that I’ve accomplished things I’m proud of, including earning a Congressional Award Gold Medal, publishing a book and managing a couple of blogs, but there was still that nagging question, “What do I do with my life?” Ultimately I realized my path involved food—and more than just eating it.

Let me back up for a second. As I mentioned, in 2014 I earned a Congressional Award Gold Medal and, along with my sister, co-wrote a book about our experience, titled Youth’s Highest Honor: Your Guide to Earning the Congressional Award and Building Life Skills. The award is a program that teaches invaluable life skills through participation in community service, personal development, physical fitness and expeditions, and is considered the highest award that a youth can earn in the United States.

But despite the sense of achievement I felt from winning the award, publishing our book and managing a youth empowerment website, Carpe Juvenis, I was still trying to figure out my next step. Would I write another book? Absolutely—but in the future. Would I get a corporate job? Maybe, but in what industry? Or should I entertain the idea of pursuing my love of food? It doesn’t hurt to look into it.

The concept of having a career in the food industry didn’t click for me right away. In 2011, while working on a degree in media studies at Claremont McKenna College, I started a food and film blog called A Dash of Cinema.

The idea was that I would recreate the food you see characters eating in movies, as well as new recipes inspired by movies. At that point, I had pursued a few film internships at Hollywood production companies, but it hadn’t occurred to me to pursue my love of food in a professional setting. There I was, spending all my free time pairing recipes with movies and enthusiastically searching out the best places to eat around Los Angeles.

Somewhere between college and writing a book, my love of food turned into a passion, and passion gave way to obsession. I could no longer deny my interest in the food industry, and I loved the idea of building a foundation and learning from chefs who had real-world experience.

So I toured some culinary schools, met for coffee with culinary school graduates and read as many articles as I could get my hands on about the pros and cons of culinary school. After looking at culinary school options around the country—and even a few overseas—I knew that the Institute of �� Education was the best choice for me.

In particular, I was excited about the option to earn a double diploma in �� Management and �� Arts. Learning how to fabricate various meats, cooking without a recipe and understanding the science behind food are all important to me, but so is knowing how to manage food costs, best practices in marketing and all the other business skills needed to open a food establishment. The dual program is a unique opportunity to learn all of these skills and how to apply them in a real-world setting.

I’ve been in culinary school for about a month, and already I have learned basic techniques that have changed the way I cook and view food. For instance, I now prepare all of my ingredients before starting to follow a recipe, a practice known as mise en place. I’m more aware of food safety precautions, so now I’m more careful when I thaw food and reheat leftovers.

I have also become braver about making stock and buying whole chickens to truss and fabricate myself. (There will never be a need for me to buy overpriced chicken breasts again!) Most importantly, I am gaining a deeper understanding of the science behind food and how ingredients and cooking methods work together, which has allowed me to experiment more in the kitchen.

�� school is a marathon, not a sprint: but every day I wake up even more excited to delve deeper into the food industry. I can finally say that I have seen the signs and have acted on my passion for food—and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

Eager to explore your future in food? Click here for information about ICE’s career training programs.

�� Student �� Education �� Arts

Lauren Jessen

Chocolate Biscuits You’ll Actually Love

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For the Anti-Pie Crowd, Make Sticky Buns for Thanksgiving Instead

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Fluffy, Homemade Ghost Marshmallows with Just Five Ingredients

4 Tips for Time Management from a �������� Arts + �������� Management Student

8 Tips for Mastering the Art of Purchasing

Getting to Know Churros

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7 Ways to Boost Your �������� Education

Seeing the Signs

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4 Tips for Time Management from a �� Arts + �� Management Student

7 Ways to Boost Your �� Education