Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Chef Penny's Pistachio and Jelly Doughnuts

crose — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Chef Penny's Pistachio and Jelly Doughnuts crose Thu, 06/08/2023 - 09:00 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/pistachio-jelly-doughnut-HERO.jpg.webp?itok=CpN29WyQ She uses flavors of Sicily as inspiration. June 8, 2023

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

In an episode of Epicurious' Pro Chef vs. Home Cook, Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Penny Stankiewicz shares her recipe for Sicilian pistachio and calamansi jelly doughnuts.

Sicilian pistachio and calamansi jelly doughnuts — a mouthful to say, but delicious to eat. Chef Penny's recipe combines rich caramel and the bright citrus flavor of calamansi to create an indulgent desert with a light finish.

Starting with a classic brioche dough, these doughnuts call for four individually prepped additions: Sicilian pistachio pastry cream, caramelized pistachio, calamansi jelly and calamansi caramel glaze. Plan to make this dish over the span of two days, or with enough time to let the dough chill before adding fillings and toppings.

Watch the video below to see the techniques used to make this dish, and check out the recipe for detailed ingredients and baking instructions.

Study Pastry & Baking with Chef Penny at ICE New York.

Chef Penny's Sicilian Pistachio and Calamansi Jelly Doughnuts

Yields approx. 1 dozen doughnuts

Brioche

Ingredients

Sponge

9 grams instant yeast
120 grams whole milk
50 grams sugar
100 grams all-purpose flour

Dough

100 grams double flour
215 grams all-purpose flour
5 grams salt
100 grams whole egg
20 grams egg yolk
175 gram softened butter
1 lemon, zested
Peanut oil for frying

Directions

Warm milk slightly to take off the chill. Do not overheat or it will harm the yeast. Add yeast, sugar and flour and mix to a paste. Let this mixture sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
Add the sponge to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add whole eggs and yolk and mix to combine. Add flour and salt, and mix with the dough hook on speed 2. Allow the mixture to knead to develop the gluten, about 8-10 minutes.
With the machine still running, start to add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, until all of it is completely incorporated. Continue mixing until there are no more traces of butter.
Place dough in a bowl more than twice its size that has been coated in a thin layer of oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. If it’s cold, it may need more time. When the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the counter top. When it’s about double in size, gently deflate it, and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, place chilled dough onto the counter with a sprinkling of bench flour. Roll it to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out doughnuts. Place on a parchment-lined sheet that has been sprinkled with flour, and it allow to proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size. It is ready when you gently press the dough with a finger and the indent remains.
Set up a frying station with either a Dutch oven or deep fryer and sheet pan with rack on it or a plate lined with paper towels. Heat peanut oil to 350 F. Gently place the doughnuts into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning them, until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Rely more on your eyes for timing. Remove and place on the rack or towel-lined plate to cool.

Sicilian Pistachio Pastry Cream

Ingredients

200 grams Sicilian pistachios
2 tsp pistachio oil
465 grams whole milk
120 grams granulated sugar
58 grams corn starch
1 egg
4 egg yolks
60 grams unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean

Directions

Toast the pistachios in a 325 F oven until lightly golden.
Remove and place in a blender or food processor. While still warm, puree pistachios adding oil as needed to create a smooth paste.
Place the scraped vanilla bean, half the milk and half the sugar into a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil.
In bowl, combine the rest of the milk, sugar, whole egg, yolks and cornstarch. Whisk it all to combine. Temper the eggs into the hot milk mixture. Place back in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. When it’s thickened, stop to make sure there is at least one lava-like bubble. Then cook for one more minute, stirring constantly.
Take off heat and stir in the butter. Transfer to a sheet tray in a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap, which should touch the surface. Place in the refrigerator to cool.
Add 150 grams pistachio paste to cooled pastry cream. Transfer to a pastry bag with a dough filling tip.

Caramelized Pistachio

Ingredients

100 grams Sicilian pistachios
150 grams granulated sugar
2 grams lemon juice

Directions

Make a dry caramel with the sugar by heating a small sauce pan and adding the sugar and lemon juice. Stir constantly until it has melted and turned golden brown.
Stir in the pistachios and pour out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cool.
Break into large shards with the end of a rolling pin and place into a food processor. Pulse carefully to process into crumbs.

Calamansi Jelly

Ingredients

4 grams powdered gelatin
180 grams calamansi puree
10 grams sugar
2 vanilla bean scraped

Directions

Add sugar to puree. Sprinkle gelatin over the top and allow it to bloom for about 5 minutes.
Microwave in short bursts to melt the gelatin. Do not boil.
Add vanilla bean seeds.
Place in the refrigerator to set.
When set, use an immersion blender to soften texture to be able to pipe.

Calamansi Caramel Glaze

300 grams granulated sugar
3 grams lemon juice
300 grams calamansi puree
2 vanilla bean, split

Make a dry caramel with the sugar and lemon juice.
Add the calamansi puree and vanilla bean and cook to 265 F. Keep warm to dip doughnuts.

To Assemble

Place the jelly in a small piping bag. Place pastry cream in a piping bag, fitted with a filling tip. Make sure glaze is warm.
Fill doughnut with a small amount of the jelly, trying to get it dispersed evenly.
Fill doughnut with pastry cream, waiting to feel the resistance. When a small amount comes out, you know it's full.
Dip doughnut in warm glaze and top with pistachio caramel crumbs.

More donut goodness: Lemon Meringue Pie Doughnut Recipe

Recipe Desserts Baking Arts Pastry Arts Epicurious

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Recipe steps

Brioche;
Step 1 - Warm milk slightly to take off the chill. Do not overheat or it will harm the yeast. Add yeast, sugar and flour and mix to a paste. Let this mixture sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes;

Step 2 - Add the sponge to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add whole eggs and yolk and mix to combine. Add flour and salt, and mix with the dough hook on speed 2. Allow the mixture to knead to develop the gluten, about 8-10 minutes;

Step 3 - With the machine still running, start to add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, until all of it is completely incorporated. Continue mixing until there are no more traces of butter;

Step 4 - Place dough in a bowl more than twice its size that has been coated in a thin layer of oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough sit at room temperature for 90 minutes. If it’s cold, it may need more time. When the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the counter top. When it’s about double in size, gently deflate it, and place it in the refrigerator overnight;

Step 5 - The next day, place chilled dough onto the counter with a sprinkling of bench flour. Roll it to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out doughnuts. Place on a parchment-lined sheet that has been sprinkled with flour, and it allow to proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size. It is ready when you gently press the dough with a finger and the indent remains;

Step 6 - Set up a frying station with either a Dutch oven or deep fryer and sheet pan with rack on it or a plate lined with paper towels. Heat peanut oil to 350 F. Gently place the doughnuts into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning them, until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Rely more on your eyes for timing. Remove and place on the rack or towel-lined plate to cool;

Sicilian Pistachio Pastry Cream;
Step 1 - Toast the pistachios in a 325 F oven until lightly golden;

Step 2 - Remove and place in a blender or food processor. While still warm, puree pistachios adding oil as needed to create a smooth paste;

Step 3 - Place the scraped vanilla bean, half the milk and half the sugar into a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil;

Step 4 - In bowl, combine the rest of the milk, sugar, whole egg, yolks and cornstarch. Whisk it all to combine. Temper the eggs into the hot milk mixture. Place back in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. When it’s thickened, stop to make sure there is at least one lava-like bubble. Then cook for one more minute, stirring constantly;

Step 5 - Take off heat and stir in the butter. Transfer to a sheet tray in a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap, which should touch the surface. Place in the refrigerator to cool;

Step 6 - Add 150 grams pistachio paste to cooled pastry cream. Transfer to a pastry bag with a dough filling tip;

Caramelized Pistachio;
Step 1 - Make a dry caramel with the sugar by heating a small sauce pan and adding the sugar and lemon juice. Stir constantly until it has melted and turned golden brown;

Step 2 - Stir in the pistachios and pour out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cool;

Step 3 - Break into large shards with the end of a rolling pin and place into a food processor. Pulse carefully to process into crumbs;

Calamansi Jelly;
Step 1 - Add sugar to puree. Sprinkle gelatin over the top and allow it to bloom for about 5 minutes;

Step 2 - Microwave in short bursts to melt the gelatin. Do not boil;

Step 3 - Add vanilla bean seed;

Step 4 - Place in the refrigerator to set;

Step 5 - When set, use an immersion blender to soften texture to be able to pipe;

Calamansi Caramel Glaze;
Step 1 - Make a dry caramel with the sugar and lemon juice;

Step 2 - Add the calamansi puree and vanilla bean and cook to 265 F. Keep warm to dip doughnuts;

To Assemble;
Step 1 - Place the jelly in a small piping bag. Place pastry cream in a piping bag, fitted with a filling tip. Make sure glaze is warm;

Step 2 - Fill doughnut with a small amount of the jelly, trying to get it dispersed evenly;

Step 3 - Fill doughnut with pastry cream, waiting to feel the resistance. When a small amount comes out, you know it's full;

Step 4 - Dip doughnut in warm glaze and top with pistachio caramel crumbs;

Einat Admony's Fried Beef Kibbeh

crose — Fri, 13 May 2022 16:36:07 +0000

Einat Admony's Fried Beef Kibbeh crose Fri, 05/13/2022 - 12:36 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Untitled%20design%20%2836%29%20%281%29.png.webp?itok=JQuH3n0j A recipe from the ultimate balaboosta May 16, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Balaboosta's Einat Admony visited ICE's NY campus and shared her recipe for fried beef kibbeh.

In Yiddish, the term balaboosta means "perfect housewife." Einat Admony, chef and owner of fine dining Middle Eastern restaurant Balaboosta in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood, champions this phrase in the spirit of welcoming and connecting with people over food. Chef Einat is also the owner of the falafel chain Taim and New York's first couscous bar, Kish-Kash. In keeping with the flavors found at her restaurants, Chef Einat chose to demonstrate a Middle Eastern staple during her visit to ICE's campus: fried beef kibbeh.

"This is what my Mom would make for us when she was nice," she says, laughing, of the inspiration behind her kibbeh. "My mom was born in Iran and came to Israel when she was 11, and ended in an Iraqi foster home. And my dad was [a] Yemenite, so we grew up with a lot of Persian food, a lot of Moroccan food — a lot of different cultures in one house."

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One thing these cuisines all rely on heavily are spices, and Chef Einat stresses that she never purchases ground spices. At the start of every week, the Balaboosta team will toast and ground all spices needed for the entirety of the week. "Middle Eastern food depends so much on spices," she says. "It makes a huge difference."

Try your hand at Chef Einat's fried beef kibbeh with her recipe below.

Fried Beef Kibbeh

For the Kibbeh Dough:

3 cup fine bulgar wheat
½ cup (100 grams) flour
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon cumin

For the Kibbeh Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 pounds ground beef
2 white onions, cut into small dice
3 jalapeños, de-seeded and cut into small dice (optional)
50 grams parsley, chopped
5 grams black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons Baharat
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoon salt
25 grams currants
20 grams pine nuts, toasted

For the Preserved Lemon Yogurt Sauce:

8 wedges preserved lemon*
1 jalapeño, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups (480 milliliters) whole-milk Greek yogurt

For the Kibbeh Dough:

Wash the bulgar wheat well, strain, and remove to a mixing bowl.
Heat up a pot of water until boiling and add the water to the bowl, covering the bulgar with 1” of the water.
Let sit for 40 minutes and strain again well, squeezing additional moisture from the bulgar by hand.
Remove bulgar to new mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
Mix well and form into a dough.

For the Kibbeh Filling:

Heat oil in a large pan and brown meat. Drain and set aside in a bowl.
With remaining oil, sweat onions and jalapeños.
Add parsley, spices, currants and pine nuts and stir until well combined.
Remove from heat and place contents in with the meat.
Mix, cover, and place in fridge to set (will facilitate shell making).

For the Preserved Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Rinse the preserved lemon wedges and remove the seeds.
Combine the preserved lemon, jalapeño, lemon juice, water, honey, turmeric, salt and extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor and purée until you have a completely smooth mixture.
Add the yogurt and pulse a few times until the sauce is smooth. Reserve.

For Assembly:

Bring a deep fryer or a pot of neutral oil to 325˚F.
Fill a bowl with some warm water and dampen hands.
Take 2 tablespoons of the kibbeh dough in hand and flatten into a cupped palm.
Add 1 tablespoon of kibbeh filling in the well of the dough and close the dough around the filling to form an outer shell.
Working in batches, fry kibbeh until golden-brown and crisp, about 3-5 minutes.
Plate with preserved lemon yogurt sauce and serve immediately.

*Preserved lemons can be found at most major grocery stores.

Recipe Demos & Lectures

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Chef Jürgen's Buchteln (From His Mother's Cookbook)

crose — Tue, 03 May 2022 15:40:50 +0000

Chef Jürgen's Buchteln (From His Mother's Cookbook) crose Tue, 05/03/2022 - 11:40 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/buchteln-hero.jpg.webp?itok=d1iCFSHP Celebrating memories made with Mom over food April 28, 2023

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

In celebration of Mother's Day, Chef Jürgen recreated one of his favorite childhood dishes: buchteln.

Food does more than just sustain us. It connects us with the people we make it and share it with. We asked ICE chef-instructors for their favorite memories with their moms from time spent in the kitchen.

Lead Recreational Chef-Instructor Roger Sitrin says his mother's specialty was baking the perfect apple pie, which she'd make for holiday desserts or just to lift her own mood. Chef Roger's mother was often cooking to feed a family of six, and she was his inspiration for pursuing a culinary career.

Even the not-so-perfect dishes created memorable moments. Chef Roger remembers one meal of hamburgers, frozen in the center and charred on the outside, served with instant mashed potatoes from the box. "My mother was a funny cook," he says. "She was either a gourmet chef or a complete disaster."

For Chef Jürgen David, ICE's Director of Pastry Research and Development, quality time spent baking with his mom sparked his interest in pastry and baking. Growing up in Vienna, Austria, his favorite dish was buchteln.

Buchteln, or Austrian sweet rolls, are yeast-raised dough rounds served with vanilla custard sauce and often filled with apricot or prune jam. This dish was a staple of Chef Jürgen's childhood. His mom has been making buchteln — always from scratch — for as long as he can remember.

Chef Jürgen has fond memories of sitting in the kitchen with his mom and sister, watching the dough rise in a big bowl on the counter, waiting for it to be ready for the oven. "We used to eat them so quickly and when they were so warm that we'd get stomachaches," he says. "There were always leftovers, but they didn't last long."

This Mother's Day, Chef Jürgen took a page out of his mother's handwritten cookbook and showed us how to make buchteln with vanilla sauce. Check out the full recipe below.

Learn more about earning a Pastry & Baking diploma at ICE.

Buchteln with Vanilla Sauce

1000 grams all-purpose flour
400 grams milk
80 grams fresh yeast
160 grams sugar
120 grams butter
100 grams whole eggs
40 grams egg yolk
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
10 grams salt
Prune jam, for filling
Melted butter, for brushing
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Vanilla custard sauce, for serving

Combine all of the ingredients except the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes.
Remove the paddle attachment and switch to a dough hook attachment.
Add the salt and mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until developed. Use the window pane test to assess the dough.
Turn the dough out into an oiled bowl and bulk ferment for about 1 hour.
Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll to about 16 x 14 inches. Cut into 3-inch squares and pipe a small amount of filling on each square.
Gather the corners and seal well.
Place the rounds seam-side down into a buttered baking dish and let proof for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Brush with melted butter and bake at 350°F in a convection oven, until evenly browned and instant read thermometer reads 200°F. Brush with more melted butter while hot from the oven.
Lightly dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Serve with vanilla custard sauce.

Recipe Pastry Arts

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Recipe steps

Step 1 - Combine all of the ingredients except the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes;

Step 2 - Remove the paddle attachment and switch to a dough hook attachment;

Step 3 - Add the salt and mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until developed. Use the window pane test to assess the dough;

Step 4 - Turn the dough out into an oiled bowl and bulk ferment for about 1 hour;

Step 5 - Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll to about 16 x 14 inches. Cut into 3-inch squares and pipe a small amount of filling on each square;

Step 6 - Gather the corners and seal well;

Step 7 - Place the rounds seam-side down into a buttered baking dish and let proof for about 45 minutes to 1 hour;

Step 8 - Brush with melted butter and bake at 350°F in a convection oven, until evenly browned and instant read thermometer reads 200°F. Brush with more melted butter while hot from the oven;

Step 9 - Lightly dust with powdered sugar before serving;

Step 10 - Serve with vanilla custard sauce;

Chef Joshua's Sephardic Charoset

crose — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 16:32:52 +0000

Chef Joshua's Sephardic Charoset crose Fri, 04/15/2022 - 12:32 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/charoset-joshua-resnick-hero.jpg.webp?itok=NwG2Dh7P A simple dish with a rich history April 15, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Chef Joshua shares his recipe for charoset, a Passover Seder staple.

Charoset is a traditional dish served at Passover Seder. But exactly what that tradition looks like varies by region. Ashkenazi charoset, made with apples, walnuts and cinnamon, is the version of the dish that many people are familiar with. Lead Chef and Operations Manager Joshua Resnick's charoset recipe takes a different approach.

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Chef Joshua's recipe follows the culinary traditions of Sephardic Jews, hailing from Spain and Portugal. It calls for dates, figs and raisins, in addition to the walnuts and cinnamon commonly found in the Eastern European recipe. Substituting the apples with darker, dried fruits drastically changes the color of the dish, making the Sephardic charoset version noticeably different, though the basis of the recipe — fruit, nuts, wine — are the same.

During Passover, charoset represents the mortar used by enslaved Jews in Egypt. The texture of the dried fruit mixture draws a closer resemblance to mortar than diced apples, which is why Chef Joshua chooses to use this recipe at his Passover Seder.

Check out the full recipe for Chef Josh's Sephardic charoset below.

Charoset Bites

Yield: 20 pieces

200 grams toasted walnuts
150 grams dates
50 grams figs
150 grams raisins
2 grams ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
30 grams red wine (ideally Manischewitz)

In food processor, blitz walnuts until chopped fine. Remove 1/2 cup and set aside.
Add dates and figs to processor and blitz until very small, about 30 seconds. Add in raisins and chop on high for another 30 seconds. Mixture will not look homogenous but should be uniformly cut.
Add in spices and red wine and blitz again until uniform. Mixture will look dark and be sticky to the touch.
Portion out mix into 30 gram pieces (which should yield roughly 20 portions), then roll into balls. (You may need to wet your hands every couple of pieces.
Roll finished balls in chopped walnuts to coat. Cool in fridge for 30 minutes on a plate, then store in airtight container.

Recipe Passover

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Recipe steps

Step 1 - In food processor, blitz walnuts until chopped fine;

Step 2 - Remove 1/2 cup and set aside;

Step 3 - Add dates and figs to processor and blitz until very small, about 30 seconds;

Step 4 - Add in raisins and chop on high for another 30 seconds;

Step 5 - Mixture will not look homogenous but should be uniformly cut;

Step 6 - Add in spices and red wine and blitz again until uniform;

Step 7 - Mixture will look dark and be sticky to the touch;

Step 8 - Portion out mix into 30 gram pieces (which should yield roughly 20 portions), then roll into balls. (You may need to wet your hands every couple of pieces;

Step 9 - Roll finished balls in chopped walnuts to coat;

Step 10 - Cool in fridge for 30 minutes on a plate, then store in airtight container;

Chef Jürgen's Natural Dye Eggs-periment

crose — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 02:20:00 +0000

Chef Jürgen's Natural Dye Eggs-periment crose Thu, 04/14/2022 - 22:20 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/eggs.png.webp?itok=1nv8Gr4S Decorate eggs using what's in your garden. April 14, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Chef Jürgen tested out several methods to add color to eggs using natural dyes. Here's what worked — and what didn't.

Easter is upon us, along with a bounty of egg-related traditions. Among them: egg decorating. Chef Jürgen David, ICE's Director of Pastry Research and Development, investigated how to take a natural approach to dyeing eggs, using coloring agents like beet powder and green tea.

Chef Jürgen tried out several methods, attempting to find the most streamlined approach. This is the process he found most effective:

1. On a piece of cheesecloth, place herb leaves to create a design.

In the spirit of using natural ingredients, Chef Jürgen used herbs from ICE's hydroponic garden to create designs on the eggs. The leaves cover part of the egg, keeping that portion white while the rest of it is dyed. The best method is to lay the herbs on the cheesecloth and wrap around the egg, rather than placing the herbs on the egg directly.

2. Wrap egg in cheesecloth. Pull together with a rubber band.

3. Place cold egg in an inch of cold water and white vinegar.

The vinegar is a key component to the dye mixture. It's what makes the color actually stick to the egg.

4. Add desired dye.

The color achieved by each ingredient is not always intuitive. Red cabbage makes blue. Hibiscus makes gray. Bull's blood beet powder results in a gray-pink color.

Chef Jürgen thought getting a red dye would be easy, but it was one of the more challenging colors. Bulls blood beets are known for their deep red color. They stained everything red...except the eggs.

5. Boil for approximately five minutes.

6. Remove from heat and cover in foil.

Let the eggs cool at room temperature. Only put the eggs in the refrigerator after they are already cool.

7. Let sit overnight.

Artificial dyes only take a few minutes to add color to the egg. When using natural dyes, the egg needs to spend several hours in the dye mixture to achieve a noticeable color.

9. Remove egg from dye and unwrap cheesecloth.

Removing the cheesecloth and the herb leaves will reveal your eggs final color and design. Voilà: naturally dyed and decorated Easter eggs.

Learn more about earning a Pastry & Baking diploma at ICE.

Pastry Arts Holidays

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Make the Most of Spring with Ramps

crose — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 15:46:11 +0000

Make the Most of Spring with Ramps crose Tue, 03/29/2022 - 11:46 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Untitled%20design.png.webp?itok=jXsSg86q Ramp up your dishes with this spring vegetable March 30, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Ramp season is here, but it won't last long. Here's how to take advantage of ramps' distinct flavor while you still can.

Ramps are wild leeks native to the eastern regions of North America. They are often one of the first signs of spring, making an appearance in late March and early April, after the last snowmelt. Indigenous peoples in these regions, like the Cherokee, would use ramps as a tonic to renew and refresh after the long winter.

"It's a true sign that spring is in full swing." - Culinary Arts Chef-Instructor Chris Arturo

Ramps have a distinct flavor that sits somewhere between onions, garlic and scallions. Ramps' versatility and unique taste make them a chef favorite. As Culinary Arts Chef-Instructor Chris Arturo puts it: ramps are gold.

"I love the slightly floral, yet smooth garlic flavor they impart," Chef Chris says. "I'm always making a ramp vinegar or tincture to provide a garlicky umami to dishes."

If you want to get the most out of this sweet spring vegetable, you need to act fast. The ramp season doesn't last long — by summer, the leaves begin to wither. Chef Chris suggests stocking up while you can. "I usually buy tons of them and pickle them to use for the following year," he says.

Since the flavor of ramps resembles that of onions, garlic and scallions, they can often be used as substitutes in recipes that call for those ingredients (and vice versa). In the recipe for haricots verts with ramps below, you'll notice that scallions can take the place of ramps if none are available. However, scallions would not provide the same garlicky notes as ramps. Ramps can add layers of flavor to dishes such as this one, which calls for only a handful of ingredients.

Check out the full recipe for haricots verts with ramps below.

Haricots Verts with Ramps

Yield: 6-8 servings

1 ½ pounds haricots verts, trimmed
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces ramps* (1 bunch), trimmed and thinly sliced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from ½ lemon)
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

*If ramps are not available, substitute 1 bunch (4 ounces) scallions.

In a 1-gallon pot, bring 3 quarts of water to boil with 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Prepare ice bath.
Blanch haricots verts until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer haricots immediately to ice bath. Drain in colander.
In 12-inch sauté pan, heat oil over medium flame, add ramps, mushrooms and remaining salt. Sweat until vegetables are tender.
Add haricots verts and heat to warm through.
Add lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with almonds.

Spring Recipe

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How to Become a Hotel Manager

crose — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 15:39:34 +0000

How to Become a Hotel Manager crose Wed, 03/23/2022 - 11:39 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Hotel%20Call%20bell%20on%20counter.jpg.webp?itok=fzXBwBo1 April 4, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Pursue your hospitality career dream in New York City with ICE's Hospitality & Hotel Management diploma program.

Hotel and hospitality management positions are found in hotels, resorts, cruise ships, casinos, conference and event centers, spas and country clubs, to name a few. As a global industry, the hotel and hospitality sector offers opportunities all over the world. The industry reflects its diverse clientele in its multi-generational, multicultural workforce.

Hospitality management is a rewarding and exciting career path with plenty of opportunity for working abroad. While some people become a hotel manager by working their way up the ranks, others choose to pursue their ambition with a more formal education.

Study the essentials of the hotel and hospitality industry

ICE's Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management program uses a mix of in-class instruction, guest lectures and real-world application. The curriculum is segmented into focused units, ranging from hospitality, travel and tourism to accounting and finance. Students are taught the ins and outs of marketing and sales, hotel and restaurant management, payroll and pricing, human resources, event planning and front desk operations. A well-rounded education about all aspects of the hospitality sector gives students the foundation to explore and excel in the industry.

The program is designed to give students the skills and knowledge needed to launch a career in hospitality management, which includes training students on industry-standard technology. OPERA PMS is a property management system used by many hotel chains. It's a crucial technology for the day-to-day activities of hotel management. Hospitality students will have the opportunity to learn this technology before their first day on the job.

The program's instructors offer years of industry experience. Several instructors work as active consultants, and students can benefit from these instructors' insight on current industry trends and standards.

Connect with experts in the field.

The program is offered at ICE's New York campus, and the curriculum incorporates opportunities available throughout the city. New York City is a hub for hotels and tourism, drawing both domestic and international visitors with a range of budget and hospitality needs. The high-demand for hospitality services in the city creates unique opportunities for students to observe hotel operations in action and build a network with industry professionals.

The program includes field trips to hotels around the city up to the instructor's discretion; past field trips have included the Ritz-Carlton by Central Park, The Wolcott Hotel on 5th Avenue and Double Tree Hotel in Times Square. ICE also invites experienced hoteliers and hospitality experts to speak as guest lecturers. Past guest speakers include Richard Amato, Vice President of the Hotel Association of New York City, Deborah A. Croce, Director of Human Resources at the Ritz-Carlton and Mark Lauer, General Manager of the New York Hilton.

Apply classroom knowledge to real-world operations.

ICE's Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management program culminates in a 200-hour externship, in which students apply their classroom knowledge to gain hands-on work experience at a hotel or related establishment. Externships are an opportunity to get a foot in the door of the industry and build relationships that, for many students, lead to full-time job offers in the future.

Students secure their externship with the help of ICE's career services, which is a valuable tool for finding available positions and launching a hospitality career without prior connections in the industry. Past externships held by hospitality students include positions at Le Parker Meridien, The Standard and The Waldorf-Astoria.

The hospitality industry encourages career movement from entry-level positions to higher managerial roles. Many larger organizations offer a career ladder program, so employees can rise the ranks within the same company as they gain more experience throughout their career. The externship program helps students enter into this upward career path.

Start your dream career.

With ICE's Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management program, you can receive a diploma in 8 to 12 months, opening the door to a career in hospitality. Take the first step toward a career in the world of hotels, tourism and hotel restaurant management today.

Learn more about ICE's Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management program here.

Hotels Hospitality Management

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Chef Sohrob's Piping Bag Hacks

crose — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 18:12:23 +0000

Chef Sohrob's Piping Bag Hacks crose Tue, 03/22/2022 - 14:12 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Untitled%20design%20%2824%29.png.webp?itok=m8yLoc4F Alternate between piping tips with ease. March 22, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Sohrob Esmaili shared his tips and tricks for seamless pastry piping.

Piping is an essential skill in any pastry chef's toolkit, and switching between several tips and fillings can be time-consuming. In his classroom at ICE's Los Angeles campus, Chef Sohrob explains his hack of easily alternating between piping tips and frosting colors.

First, place the piping bag in a cup or container to give it structure as you scoop in the frosting. To fill the bottom of the bag with frosting, hold the bag closed and swing it down and away from your body. The momentum will force the frosting to fill the tip of the bag.

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Place a piping tip in an empty piping bag. Run scissors around the piping tip to cut the end off of the bag. Use a separate bag for each tip that you plan to use. Next, cut the end of the filled piping bag. Make sure it's wide enough to fit the largest piping tip you'll be using.

Place the filled piping bag into the empty bag with the piping tip you'd like to use, and voilà, start piping. Switching between piping tips is as simple as slipping the filled bag out of one piping bag and into another. This can also be used to easily switch between fillings when you want to use the same tip for different types of frosting.

A little bit of preparation beforehand makes the actual piping process much quicker. Try out Chef Sohrob's piping pro tip next time you need to juggle several piping tips and fillings.

Pastry Arts Baking Arts

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Recipe: Rhubarb Crumble

crose — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 14:13:46 +0000

Recipe: Rhubarb Crumble crose Tue, 03/22/2022 - 10:13 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/rhubarb-header%20%281%29.png.webp?itok=EYXFZQxl The time to whip up this vibrant springtime vegetable is now. March 22, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Spring has sprung — and so has rhubarb. Here's how to get the most out of this seasonal vegetable.

Rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, rhubarb boasts several health benefits. Rhubarb is high in vitamin K, which supports bone health and blood clotting. Its antioxidant properties help prevent the onset of several chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants — vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, et cetera — don't provide the same benefits when taken as supplements. Incorporating antioxidant-rich foods, like rhubarb, into your diet is more effective.

Pursue your culinary dreams at ICE today.

In order to get the most out of this seasonal vegetable, it's important to know how to cook with it. Culinary Arts Lead Chef Barbara Rich explained that using sugar to balance the rhubarb's sharp flavor can counteract its health benefits. "The main issue is that since it’s so sour, you usually use it in conjunction with sugar which tends to negate the overall health properties," she says.

Her suggestion: use diced rhubarb as a substitute for another sour ingredient. "It can be chopped small and used in savory recipes in place of lemon," she adds. "It will basically disintegrate into the item, such as a lentil soup."

If you decide to use rhubarb in a sweet dish, such as in the rhubarb crumble recipe listed below, consider using sweeteners with less sugar. This rhubarb crumble uses date sugar rather than white sugar, and also calls for almond flour, which has fewer carbohydrates but is slightly sweeter than wheat flour. Maple crystals are another sweetening agent in this recipe. Maple sugar provides antioxidant nutrients of its own, without sacrificing any sweetness.

Take advantage of the season, and try bringing this health-supportive ingredient into your own kitchen. Check out the full recipe for rhubarb crumble below.

Rhubarb Crumble

Yield: 8" x 8" crumble

1 teaspoon canola oil for greasing pan
12 ounces rhubarb, cut into medium dice (about 3 cups)
¼ cup water
¼ cup date sugar
2 tablespoons arrowroot combined with 2 tablespoons cold water
1 pint strawberries, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup maple crystals
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 8” x 8” baking dish.

2. In 1-gallon pot, over low flame, combine rhubarb with water. Whisk in date sugar and arrowroot slurry. Simmer until rhubarb begins to soften. Add strawberries and mix to incorporate.

3. Transfer fruit mixture to baking dish and set aside.

4. In medium bowl, combine almond flour, maple crystals, cinnamon and salt.

5. Add melted coconut oil to mixture and, using wooden spoon, mix to combine.

6. Distribute crumble topping over fruit mixture. Bake in oven until browned, about 20 minutes.

Spring Recipe Desserts

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How To Become a Sommelier

crose — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:50:41 +0000

How To Become a Sommelier crose Wed, 03/09/2022 - 11:50 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/wine%20pouring-compressed.png.webp?itok=ugVSX2G0 Find your future in wine March 9, 2022

By Carly Rose — Social Media Assistant

Here's how you can earn your sommelier certification at ICE and discover a future in the world of wine.

How hard is it to become a sommelier? With The 51�Թ�’s Intensive Sommelier Training, offered at ICE’s New York and Los Angeles campuses, you can take courses in the only wine course approved by the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas.

With a curriculum created by ICE’s Dean of Wine Studies, Master Sommelier Scott Carney, the course prepares students to become internationally-certified sommeliers in as few as 10 weeks. ICE’s Intensive Sommelier Training is the nation’s best* for a reason.

Here’s how to be a sommelier, the ICE way.

Step 1: Choose an expertly-designed course

ICE’s Intensive Sommelier Training covers 200 hours of instruction, during which students taste more than 300 wines. The duration of the course ranges from 10 to 17 weeks. Courses are offered in the morning or evening, and students can decide which session will best fit their schedule. Morning sessions span 10 weeks, while evening sessions take 17 weeks.

Designed by the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, ICE’s course offers a curriculum based on the industry standards and techniques. The course teaches students how to approach wine tasting using the Court of Master Sommeliers' Deductive Tasting Method, setting it apart from other wine courses.

The curriculum is organized into eight modules, covering essential skills and then some. Students will study the processes behind grape growing and winemaking, master wine tasting and professional service techniques, virtually explore notable wine-growing regions and learn how to navigate the business sector of the beverage and hospitality industries in becoming a sommelier.

Step 2: Learn from masters in the industry

Like in all courses offered at ICE, the Intensive Sommelier Training is led by instructors with extensive experience and expertise.The course's curriculum was developed by Dean of Wine Studies Scott Carney, who became a Master Sommelier 30 years ago and now serves on the Court’s board of directors.

In addition to a decades-long career in the industry, Scott has 10 years of experience as an educator. Before coming to ICE in 2020, Scott became the dean of wine studies at the International Culinary Center in 2012. The course is informed by Scott’s wealth of industry knowledge and driven by his passion for teaching aspiring sommeliers.

Scott’s experience as both a full-time sommelier and a restaurant manager is reflected in the course's comprehensive curriculum, which covers fundamental wine knowledge along with practical service and business skills. Taught by experienced wine professionals, the course focuses on relevant and contemporary skills from the very beginning.

Step 3: Receive an internationally-recognized certificate

After successfully completing the course, students take the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Introductory and Certified Sommelier examinations, administered at ICE’s campus. Passing these exams is the final step before students receive their sommelier certification, which is recognized at restaurants and hospitality establishments worldwide.

A certification from ICE’s Intensive Sommelier Training gives students a competitive edge when entering into a career in the beverage or hospitality industry. Within these industries, students can explore a wide range of opportunities, from sommelier or beverage director to brand ambassador or retailer.

Whether you’re looking to pursue a career in the beverage or hospitality industry, or deepen your knowledge as a wine enthusiast, ICE’s course offers a respected wine education. Take the first step in becoming a sommelier and enroll in ICE’s Intensive Sommelier Training.

Learn more about the course here.