Career Services stays on the pulse of student and alumni needs with its ongoing Career Development series.  These quarterly programs, which are free and open only to current students and graduates of the Institute’s career programs, address various employment issues affecting today’s food professionals. 

with old friends and make some new connections. Lots of refreshments and light bites will be on hand to enjoy while chatting with other ICE friends. Door prizes and other giveaways too! So ring up your old class buddies and head on over. Note: Each ICE alum may bring one guest.

Please RSVP after March 1, with Career Services at aposner@iceculinary.com or 888-960-CHEF, ext. 429.

Irena Chalmers has worn many hats in the food industry, including cooking school owner and teacher, pioneer author of the single-subject cookbook and award-winning publisher, restaurant consultant, and mentor. In this presentation, Chalmers will share many lifetimes of food career knowledge from her latest book, Food Jobs; 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers, (Beaufort Books, 2008). Here’s your opportunity to discover tips about targeting the right food job for you, as well as learn about niches of the food industry that you never knew existed. This is a perfect introduction for both career changers as well as those looking to shift gears within the food world.

Open to current career students and alumni only; $5 registration fee.

If you find the whole idea of job hunting to be a daunting task, sign up for a workshop that will jumpstart and demystify the process. We’ll cover every aspect of successful job hunting--from resume writing, to where to find work, to readying yourself for interviews…and sealing the deal with an offer. If you are new to the field and need a primer on job hunting in the culinary industry or are looking to take your career search to the next level---this seminar is for you. Please bring a current copy of your resume and lots of questions for this interactive discussion.

Please RSVP to Deanna Silva at (888)960-CHEF, ext 776 or dsilva@iceculinary.com.

What began as a biannual job fair has steadily grown into a not-to-be-missed networking reception for current students and alumni alike. Our Fall Career Fair will bring together employers from virtually every niche of the food business (catering, large restaurant groups, corporate dining, hotels and much more) as well as our network of "connected alumni." If you’re looking for part- or full-time opportunities or just want to talk with food-industry professionals, chefs or other grads about future endeavors, here’s your chance to gain the information and contacts you need to make your next move.

Please RSVP after August 1 to Deanna Silva at (888)960-CHEF, ext 776 or dsilva@iceculinary.com.

Good knives and impeccable knife skills are critical for all professional cooks and chefs, and repetition and practice are at the heart of the development of high-level knife skills. You will be expected to have these skills when you go on your externships and out into the field. Chef Norman Weinstein is a nationally known expert on the subject of knife skills. He is the author of Mastering Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to the Most Important Tools in Your Kitchen (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008). This workshop is a great opportunity to learn from a master.

Open to current career students only; $50 registration fee. Wear your uniform and bring your own knives and sharpening stone. Class starts promptly!

Daniel Leader, who sits on ICE’s Chefs’ Advisory Council, is the owner and baker of the acclaimed Bread Alone Bakery in New York’s Catskill Mountains. He graduated at the top of his class at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and worked as a chef for some of New York City’s top restaurants, such as La Grenouille and the Water Club. He is the author of Bread Alone: Bold Fresh Loaves From Your Own Hands (William Morrow Cookbooks) and Panini Express: 70 Delicious Recipes Hot Off the Press (Taunton Press, 2008). In this unique demonstration, he will teach you recipes from Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers (W.W. Norton, 2007) with a focus on sourdough.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($35).

Nicole Kaplan most recently served as executive pastry chef of the Plaza Hotel, after holding the same position at Del Posto, working in collaboration with Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich in the traditional Italian style. She served as pastry chef of Eleven Madison Park for seven years, and studied with such masters as Patrice Caillot, Pascal Janvier, Frédéric Robert, and Pierre Hermé. Pastry Art & Design named her one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America in both 2003 and 2006, and she was included in New York’s Top 10 Rising Star Pastry Chefs in 2003. She will demonstrate Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Peanut Butter; Fleur de Sel Crème Fraîche Cheesecake with Local Strawberries; and Toasted Almond Classic Chocolate Soufflé with Brandied Cherry Chip Ice Cream.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

Chef Peter Hoffman and his wife Susan Rosenfeld opened Savoy in 1990. Known for his use of local ingredients and the strong relationships he has built with farmers over decades, Chef Hoffman has consistently been creating some of the best food served in New York. Since 2000, he has served on the board of Chefs Collaborative, teaching chefs and the public about the sustainable food choices available around the country. He also sat on the advisory board of the Greenmarket for 15 years. Chef Hoffman has been one of the most influential chefs in modern American cuisine, with his always direct, passionate, and ceaseless dedication to the betterment of food, their sources, and the economic concern of the producers. Come sample his food and see him prepare with expertise his improvisational cooking, using ingredients purchased at the Greenmarket that morning.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

Learn the secret of these chefs and butchers’ favorites, which are lean on your wallet but rich in flavor. Sirloin for sure, but learn to ask your butcher for the “lesser” cuts of meat: the flank, skirt, hanger, and flatiron steaks will delight any fan of sirloin or filet mignon with minimal preparation and a quick cooking time. You will be able to sample all of these great meats, pan- seared and roasted, including sirloin of beef, as well as learn how to trim them, cook them properly and to carve them effortlessly.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

Irena Chalmers has worn many hats in the food industry, including cooking school owner and teacher, pioneer author of the single-subject cookbook and award-winning publisher, restaurant consultant, and mentor. In this presentation, Chalmers will share many lifetimes of food career knowledge from her latest book, Food Jobs; 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers, (Beaufort Books, 2008). Here’s your opportunity to discover tips about targeting the right food job for you, as well as learn about niches of the food industry that you never knew existed. This is a perfect introduction for both career changers as well as those looking to shift gears within the food world.

Open to current career students and alumni only; $5 registration fee.

Chanterelle restaurant’s renowned Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn was given the rare title of Sake Samurai in an elaborate ceremony in Japan. He journeyed to Kyoto to accept this honor from the Japanese Sake Brewers Association, a title bestowed on only 17 specialists in the world. Dagorn has pioneered the introduction of fine, artisanal sakes in the West, seeking out and championing the high quality selections now available. Among his accolades, he has received the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine Service, was named Best Sommelier in New York by Chefs in America, Restaurant Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year by Santé Magazine, and Best Sommelier by the New York Press. Dagorn has served as a judge for the Best Sommelier in the World Competition and is a respected educator and lecturer around the world. Come for this incredible tasting of fine sakes and discover their unique and rare qualities.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

Join Chef Brad Farmerie, of the Michelin-starred Public and The Monday Room, and Chef Christopher Rendell of Double Crown (launched by the design and concept firm AvroKO) to learn more about their creative, global style of cuisine. Chef Farmerie’s cooking style is a result of his London training and travels through Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Melbourne-born Chef Rendell also developed his culinary philosophy in London, which paired with his heritage, create a “British-Indio-Asian” fusion in his kitchen. These two chefs cook just about everything and will wow you with their techniques and also a taste of their eclectic global cuisine.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

What does a chef do after having been through Iron Chef America, Food Network Challenge and Chopped as a judge? Host her own show! Acclaimed chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli is currently the host of The Cooking Loft on Food Network, as well as the executive chef of Butter. She has worked in Paris at the Michelin three-star restaurant Guy Savoy and at La Butte Chaillot as sous chef, and with Daniel Boulud at restaurant Daniel. Chef Guarnaschelli moved to Los Angeles for two years to join Joachim Splichal at the acclaimed Patina restaurant in West Hollywood, before returning to her hometown to delve into American cooking when Chef Splichal sent her to open Nick and Stef’s Steakhouse, his first New York City venture. She will demonstrate for you Cavatappi Pasta with Homemade Spicy Lamb Sausage and Yellow Tomato Sauce; Heirloom Tomato Salad with Mozzarella Whey Dressing; and White Chocolate Crème Catalane.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

Robert Bleifer is executive chef of culinary productions at Food Network, where he has been since 1995. Cooking professionally for 14 years and teaching cooking classes for 12 years, Chef Bleifer displays quite the varied background: he holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree of fine arts in photography, and a culinary diploma. He will talk to you about his work at Food Network Kitchens, while preparing some of the seasonal dishes he’ll be working on at that time.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

Pippa Calland first received a scholarship from the James Beard Foundation to attend what is now ICE in 1994. She went to the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Costigliote di Asti, and then was chosen as one of eight to attend the Beringer School for American Chefs in California, to work with world-renowned chef Madeleine Kamman. Her fame was made as chef at Pino Luongo’s Coco Pazzo in Philadelphia, and later as executive chef at Le Madri in New York. She has since relocated to Pennsylvania, where she works as a private chef with a focus on local, organic, and sustainable foods. This member of the ICE Alumni Hall of Achievement recently was a victor on Food Network’s “Chopped.” She will be joined by farmer Sukey Jamison of Jamison Farm, who owns a 210-acre farm with her husband John in Latrobe, PA. They raise 5,000 lambs a year, which are served in restaurants like Daniel, Café Boulud, and Telepan. Jamison will give a butchering demo and talk about the various cuts and farming methodology, while Chef Calland will use lamb shoulder, merguez, and lamb sirloin, along with Greenmarket ingredients, to make early fall dishes bursting with flavor.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).

See a half-carcass of a real steer be broken down into its primals, sub-primals, and ultimately into roasts, portions and by-products. In a world of “boxed” meat, this is a truly unique demonstration, as Master Butcher Rudi Weid takes out his knives and starts from the neck of the steer all the way to the back leg. Each section, cut, and muscle will be discussed. An opportunity to see a Beef Chart done in real time will not come around again, as these large cuts are broken down out west and don’t make it past the meat packing plants. Sample freshly and roasted seared cuts such as prime rib, sirloin, and filet mignon as they are being artfully fabricated by Weid.

Open to current career students and alumni; $5 registration fee. Limited seats for the general public ($50).