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Oscar Barrera wasn’t always a chef—before he followed his passion for the kitchen, he was a medical resident studying to become a doctor in Chile. After realizing that food was his true calling, he competed on MasterChef Chile and worked with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants organization. It was through these experiences that Oscar desired to develop his skills in the kitchen—leading him to enroll in the International Culinary Center’s Professional Culinary Arts program in 2017!

On Sunday, March 24, 2019, the International Culinary Center hosted a jam-packed day of discussions and networking for pastry professionals at the second Pastry Plus Conference. Pastry Plus provides a unique opportunity to connect the innovative minds of pastry professionals to meet and discuss the changing landscape of the industry. As a community, pastry chefs, sous chefs, line cooks, bakers and pastry business owners address the evolving workplace, learn about industry innovations and expand the sphere of the modern pastry chef.

In 1796, Amelia Simmons accomplished something that had never been done in America before — she published a cookbook! Contained within its 47 pages were recipes informed by British heritage and culture. Though her cookbook was the first to be written by an American, at the time, she still had to sign a contract with a publisher to get her book on shelves.

Opening a successful restaurant, bakery or any other food business takes more than just a great idea — it requires concept development, finance, market savvy and operations, along with how to handle real estate, marketing and social media — in other words, decisions that can make or break your restaurant’s success.

As the Director of Culinary Arts & Technology, Chef Hervé’s sense of adventure is put to good use researching and developing new techniques to include in ICC’s curriculum.

You may be wondering, “What can I do with my professional culinary or pastry arts education after I graduate?” From working in esteemed kitchens around the world in any number of global cuisines, to building their own businesses and brands, ICC alumni work in every facet of the food industry.

Fermentation is founded on the effects of microbes in nature. In ancient civilizations, from Iran and Yemen to Saudi Arabia and North Africa, vats of grapes were seen “boiling” as microscopic yeasts broke down natural sugars into molecules of alcohol, of course not boiling at all, but bubbling under the action of yeast consuming sugar and excreting alcohol. Wine was discovered and with this, another twist in the magical work of bacteria, vinegar became a byproduct.

The latest episode of Epicurious' 4 Levels series showcases how two cooks and one professional chef from the 51�Թ� prepare a UK staple. Chef Palak's take on traditional, pub-style fish and chips includes mushy peas and herbed tartar sauce. She demonstrates frying beer-battered cod and double frying duck fat chips.