Changes were afoot!

I wrote this in early 2017 just as I was being cast on the Holiday Baking Championship and couldn't yet say what was going on. Unfortunately, it was also right after Dorothy Cann Hamilton was killed in a car crash. She was the owner/founder of the International Culinary Center. It threw us into a downward spiral. The school never recovered. I retired. I sadly lost my dream job. I had to find my way all over again.\

Here I am with my son who graduated from the school in 2019 just a couple of months before it closed. I am so grateful he got to experience this wonderful school and I got to experience his graduation.  

I never got around to publishing this blog. I think I was both scared of what was on the horizon and what might happen to the school now that Dorothy was gone. We continued teaching and hoping but ultimately the guy who became the CEO did not possess the passion or interest in the school that Dorothy had and he let it die. I know Dorothy would be so disappointed if she knew that he let it just dissolve. It was such a great school with a stellar reputation. So much so that each student that came out of the school and wanted to succeed in this industry did extremely well. Employers who saw our school on a resume gobbled up our students. No pun intended. 

Now the food industry suffers. There are not enough good qualified cooks or bakers out there looking for work. Consequently, those still on the stoves and ovens are working longer hours and more days to make up for the lack of good people. We need culinary schools. We need trade schools in general. The world is changing and we need to think of the young ones coming up. 

Being a cook or a baker is honorable work. Yes, it is very physical and the hours suck. But there is nothing more rewarding than feeding people who love good food. Or being part of someone's special day by making their special occasion cake or meal. 

I miss my students. I miss teaching and guiding them into this exciting and tasty industry.  

Here is the piece I never published...it's unfinished. 

As I approach 12 years teaching a full time professional Pastry Arts Program at the International Culinary Center (Ok, for the first 5 years it was the Professional Culinary Institute until ICC bought them) I look back at the delicious and beautiful projects that both inspire and thrill the students and instructors. Beginning with cookies and moving all the way through chocolate confections, wedding cakes and showpieces, the students always make me proud! We learn from each other and I try to give them all the tricks and lessons I have learned while in this business for the last 44 years.
My career seems to be taking a leap... perhaps a leap of faith...but certainly a leap into something exciting and unknown... to me anyway.
I will elaborate on that at a later time. Now I want to share some of the highlights of my experience here at
the ICC.

 The classic Apple tarte tatin created by a beautiful mistake.
Caramelized apples baked under a layer of flakey puff pastry.
The story goes like this: two sister pastry chefs in France owned the Hotel Tatin and were famous for their apple tarts. One day when sister Stephanie was making the tarts she got distracted and over caramelized the apples. Attempting to save the apples, she quickly put the crust on top baked it and the tarte was born!

 A cupcake class where the students got to play with buttercream, fondant, marzipan, fresh fruit, food colors and sprinkles.
When will this trend of cupcakes end? Hopefully, never!

 My personal favorite gooey, sweet, sticky, nutty, spicy, sticky buns! We make it with a light orange flavored sweet dough rolled up with a cinnamon filling and a glaze of brown sugar, honey and butter... it is just addictive!

 Here are the gorgeously light and rich Challah breads. Braided and seeded, they cut like cake and taste like an eggy buttery bread. One of my favorite desserts is bread pudding made with a good Challah bread... of course french toast is marvelous with this bread too.

 Classic Charlotte with fresh raspberries in the summer and poached pears in the winter. Topped with a perfect chantilly cream and handmade ladyfingers around the outside.

A classic French dessert that never goes out of style is the Marjolaine. A nine layer cake with chocolate, hazelnut, coffee and vanilla flavors between the layers. 

I love to make yeasted breads because they are alive and grow. One of my seasonal favorites is Panatone. A typical Italian Christmas bread.