As a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education’s Culinary Arts program in 2015, Chef Hope knew she wanted more flexibility than the life of a sous chef allows. “Most people start in restaurants, but the idea of working with the same food, at the same station and in the same place for years just wasn’t appealing,” Chef Hope says. “But catering provided an outlet to cook new meals in new places daily.” An externship placement through ICE with Oliver Cheng Catering and Events allowed Chef Hope to see her cooking career in a new light. The experience exposed her to the world of catering high ..read more

It’s July and it's hot. Temperatures were over 90˚F today in New York City, but Culinary Arts Chef-Instructor Chayanin “Nin” Pornsriniyom kept it cool at the greenmarket when demonstrating her recipe for Summer Squash with Moroccan Chermoula. Chef Nin used a variety of summer squash and zucchini as the base for the salad, peeling the vegetables into ribbons, like pasta. She chose to keep the squash raw to showcase its versatility. "People tend to think of grilling or roasting when it comes to these vegetables," Chef Nin says. "But they're great raw." That’s what makes this dish delightful when ..read more

Salads aren't frequently on the menu for Shawn Matijevich, the Lead Chef of the Culinary Arts & Food Operations online program at the Institute of Culinary Education, but when they are, he makes sure to use the best possible ingredients. "I don't make salads all that often," Chef Shawn says. "But when I do, I go with what's in season, really ripe, and wants to be eaten." For this recipe, Chef Shawn jumped at the opportunity to use one of his favorite oft-underrated summer ingredients: stone fruit. For his recipe, he chose a peach, plum and nectarine, but any combination of stone fruit will ..read more

While Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has become an international tourist destination attracting top talent from a number of creative industries, Chef Cal Elliott was a player in the neighborhood’s food and beverage scene before, in his words, “Brooklyn became a brand.” Now a restaurateur and proud owner of the newly opened boutique hotel The Avery in downtown Boise, Idaho, the ICE graduate has seen his fair share of changes throughout his many years in some of the country’s top kitchens. Ironically, Chef Cal’s first recollection of how he got into the culinary industry relates directly to the city he ..read more

As a student at New York University, Skyler spent her time reviewing restaurants on a whim, documenting every meal. She launched the NYU chapter of Spoon University, a student-run digital food media publication, pursued graduate studies in Hong Kong, and interned at huge media companies like Hearst and Entertainment Tonight. After graduating, Skyler pursued her blog and recipe development full-time, while also freelancing and doing contract work for outlets including Food Network and the Today Show. As a food blogger, she became known in one of the earliest “waves” of food influencers, making ..read more

Japanese seven spice, also referred to as shichimi togarashi, most commonly contains a blend of red pepper, Sichuan pepper, ginger, white and black sesame seeds, orange peel and nori flakes. It contributes a multi-dimensional savory flavor alongside a gentle heat, and is commonly used to adorn ramen, udon noodles, tempura and edamame. Since mango, chile and lime are such a well-established combination, the idea to lacto-ferment mango pieces with a citrus, chile-based spice blend came to fruition when developing this ferment. The next step was to utilize it to fill the interior of a popular ..read more

We made it — we’re officially in the summer season, which brings long summer days with ample opportunities to dine out. The City of Angels has seen its fair share of new kids on the block. Here are five new restaurants in LA to check out this summer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Benjamin Hollywood (@thebenjaminhollywood) The Benjamin Hollywood The founders of the streetwear brand The Hundreds are expanding into the restaurant industry. Ben Shenassafar and Bobby Kim's new restaurant The Benjamin opened on June 25 in Hollywood. Housed in a 1920s art deco building on the ..read more

The MAD Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by René Redzepi, the Chef and Owner of world-renowned restaurant Noma, recently hosted a panel discussion questioning if a restaurant can do well (meaning be profitable) and do good (meaning do right by their staff, community and the planet) at the same time. Sharing their experiences and ideas were panelists Mark Bittman, food journalist and founder of Community Kitchen; Edward Lee, chef of 618 Magnolia and co-founder of The LEE Initiative; and Erin Wade, author and founder of Homeroom restaurant. View this post on Instagram A post shared ..read more

Fermented red pepper relish is a topping that will be sure to be on repeat all through the warm summer months. Consider adding it to anything, from seaside dining to ballpark cuisine. Fermenting bell peppers highlights their sweetness while preserving their natural crunch. Showcasing the red-hued peppers was a deliberate effort made to liven up the typical green relish found on grocery store shelves. Adding yellow mustard seeds and celery seeds to the ferment complements the bell peppers while making the flavors more multi-dimensional, and white onions and Thai chiles chime in to add a bit of ..read more

We made it — we’re officially in the summer season. The coming weeks see many long summer days making ample room for dining out. The City of Angels has seen its fair share of new kids on the block. Here are five new restaurants in LA to check out this summer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Benjamin Hollywood (@thebenjaminhollywood) The Benjamin Hollywood After much anticipation, the brainchild of Ben Shenassafar (of The Hundreds brand fame) and partner Bobby Kim has finally opened in Hollywood. Housed in a 1920s art deco building on the corner of Melrose and Formosa, The ..read more