ICE Alum Divides Her Time Between Two of Orange County’s Hottest Restaurants
Tanya thrives off of a busy schedule. Leaving behind a demanding corporate job as a manager to pursue a lifelong passion by attending culinary school, Tanya has proven that she can excel at anything
Meet Chef Norma Salazar
There is no (sugar-filled) challenge too great for Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Norma Salazar. Case in point: Prior to joining ICE, the classically trained, foundationally French chef was
Meet Chef Natsume Aoi
Chef Natsume is a classically trained pianist and music composer. She inherited her family's love of food growing up and pursued a career in music before she got burnt out and disillusioned, and the
ICE Alum Combines Management and Pastry Training for Chocolate Company
Joshua McCain (Management, ‘18/Pastry, ‘21) didn’t always love to cook. At first, he simply made food to help his family. As the oldest of four children to a single mother, Joshua was often
David Schneider's Path to Portale
From a young age, food was a major influence for David Schneider (Culinary, ‘02). “I grew up in a family of foodies,” David says. “In Huntsville, Alabama, there weren’t a tremendous number of great
Veterans Become Culinarians at ICE
In July 2020, Alex Clark, Kenji Alexander Chang and Patrick Claytor put on their chef whites to begin their post-military journeys at ICE. From F-16s to Food Trucks Alex Clark grew up in New York City
ICE Alum Pivots Paella Experience to Private Catering
Although Genna has found her true calling in the culinary industry, she admits it didn’t come to her immediately. "Right after high school, I went to art school in San Francisco, and I quickly learned
Meet Chef Stephen Chavez
The first thing Chef Stephen Chavez remembers baking, with his mother’s help, was a pineapple upside-down cake that he discovered flipping through the pages of an issue of the children’s magazine,
Broadway Star Turned Culinary Student
Before the pandemic, I found myself performing for Hillary Clinton, Kim Kardashian and a slew of other celebrities that made my life feel a bit like a dream. I had just graduated from high school and
Meet Chef Jürgen David
Jürgen initially aspired to act, sing and dance, but he followed in his sister's footsteps pursuing a career in the kitchen to have a solid job in case those passions didn't pay off. While making
ICE Alum Shenarri “Greens” Freeman Opens Vegan Soul Food Restaurant
Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, Shenarri “Greens” Freeman (Health-Supportive, ‘20) showed an interest in wellness from an early age, but it wasn’t until her hospitality industry lifestyle began to
From a Career Crossroads to Croquembouche
In many ways, coming to culinary school has been a decade-long dream in the making, with a lot of detours along the way. I didn’t grow up in a family that appreciated food or restaurants much, so it’s