Latest news with #InstituteofCulinaryEducation
Buzz Feed
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
'Chaos Cooking' Could Radically Change How You Use Leftovers
Chefs have long been combining ingredients that don't typically go together (just think about all the fusion restaurants out there), but this idea is being taken to the next level with an emerging social media trend. The hashtag #ChaosCooking has over 1.6 million views on TikTok and thousands on Instagram. (Yes, IG is still a place for plenty of food inspiration.) It's even namechecked in the Season 2 trailer of 'The Bear.' Aside from combining ingredients that wouldn't normally go together, another cornerstone of chaos cooking is using whatever you happen to have on hand. In other words, you peek into your fridge and pantry, see what you need to get rid of and figure out a way to combine them. A TikTok video by user @MyCursedBrain is the perfect example of chaos cooking in action. In the clip, she combines edamame pasta, peanut butter, Everything But the Bagel seasoning, chili powder, cucumbers and a handful of other ingredients for her take on a peanut butter noodle dish. Other of her creative standouts include Big Mac pizza and Filipino spaghetti and lumpia burritos. Stephen Chavez, a chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, is intimately familiar with the concept of chaos cooking. 'When I was growing up, my mom would make 'musgo salad' in the summer and 'musgo soup' in the winter. Basically, this was anything in the fridge or pantry that 'must go,'' he said, adding that he makes 'musgo meals' all the time himself. Chaos cooking can help cut down on food waste, but it's helpful to have a few tips tucked into your apron if you actually want your meal to taste good. Here are seven tips to keep in mind while you chaos cook your heart out, according to four professional chefs. 1. Center your dish around an ingredient you're already good at cooking. Part of the fun of chaos cooking is using ingredients you either have never cooked before or using them in a completely new way. But when you're getting this creative, James Beard-winning chef Ken Oringer said it's best to start with one core ingredient you're already comfortable cooking. For example, if you've already cooked rice, pasta, eggs or chicken countless times, start with that. Then, you can get funky with the other ingredients. 'It's those few surprise elements that bring the dish to the chaotic level,' Oringer said. 2. Figure out your theme. After you've landed on a core ingredient, Chavez said it's time to decide on a theme, or the flavor profile of the dish. 'This will make the combining of ingredients much easier and it will give you a direction,' he said. 'It's like that situation when you are deciding where to go out to eat. Usually, people will start with international flavors, [asking], 'Do you want Thai, Italian or Greek food?' Using that same thinking, create your own 'chaos cooking' dishes with a theme or specific international flavor profile in mind.' This doesn't mean that just because you've decided on pasta for your core ingredient, for example, you have to stick with using Italian seasonings. In fact, going an unexpected way is what this trend is all about. But Chavez explains that deciding on a theme will help you figure out what seasonings or sauces to pair together. For example, if you decide you want your pasta noodles to have a Thai theme, you know that all your sauces and spices will be Thai-inspired. 3. Add a wild-card ingredient. OK, you have your core ingredient and theme picked out. Now it's time to get weird. Chef Dafne Mejia, who was a contestant on 'Hell's Kitchen,' said chaos cooking can be an opportunity to cook with something you've never cooked with before. As a recent guest on the 'Bourbon Lens' podcast, she encouraged more people to cook with bourbon. 'If you don't have vinegar, you can use bourbon, which gives a dish a beautiful, smoky flavor,' she told HuffPost, adding that this makes for an especially yummy marinade for steak. Another way Mejia said you can get creative is by using baking soda: 'I've learned from Italian chefs that adding baking soda to tomato sauce-based dishes can balance out some of the acidity,' she said. 4. Cook your ingredients separately. Chaos cooking can sound like just throwing a bunch of random ingredients into the same pot or pan, but Chavez said to resist doing this and to cook each ingredient separately. 'If you are trying to cook [everything] at the same time in the same pan, you are destined to have sub-par results and poor textures,' he said. 'Almost always the pan is overcrowded, the temperature drops, and you end up with a soft, steamed mess instead of a combination of exciting textures and flavors.' For example, if you're making stir-fry, the protein (whether it's meat or tofu) will require more time in the pan than the veggies. Also, if the pan is too crowded and ingredients are piled up on top of each other, not everything will be cooked evenly. Instead, cook your protein in one pan and your veggies in another. If you're making a meal with a bunch of veggies, keep in mind that some need to cook longer than others. For example, potatoes are thicker than carrots, so they should be boiled in different pots. Otherwise, you risk either the carrots getting too mushy or the potatoes too firm. 5. Make sure your ingredients balance each other out, flavor-wise. Pro tip from Ann Ziata, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education: Balance is key. 'For a meal to work, it needs to be balanced by flavors, textures and somewhat nutritionally, too,' she said. She adds that every great dish has at least some element of all the basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and rich. 'They don't all need to be in equal measure, but they all should be present for a meal to be truly delicious,' she said. 6. Add spices and flavors incrementally. All four chefs say that another common mistake people make with chaos cooking is adding too many ingredients in an effort to make a dish more outrageous. 'Each ingredient should be there with the intention to serve the dish,' Ziata said. If you're debating adding another ingredient to your dish, she says to think about why you want to add it first. If it's to balance flavor or texture, go for it. If it's just for the heck of it or in an effort to make something 'viral,' you might want to skip it. Similarly, Oringer said it's important not to add too much of a spice or sauce. 'You can always add more, but it's hard to balance out a dish if too much of something is already in there,' he pointed out. If you're not sure how a combo will taste, try a small amount first before going all-in. 7. Consider the texture. Last, Ziata and Mejia both say to consider the texture of your meal. 'Texture will make or break a dish,' Ziata said. If your dish has a lot of baked or roasted elements to it, she recommends adding a sauce to prevent it from feeling too dry. If your dish is soft and mushy, she recommends adding something toasted or fried for a crunchy or crispy texture. 'No one wants to eat like they're 2 or 95 years old,' Mejia said, echoing Ziata in saying that soft dishes need something crispy or crunchy. 'You can really elevate a dish by balancing the texture.' With these tips in mind, you're ready to embrace the chaos. You just might find yourself obsessed with a completely new meal. Ramen bolognese, anyone?
CNET
24-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Love Your Cast-Iron Skillet? Here Are 4 Foods You Should Never Cook in It
You'd be hard-pressed to find a cookware material more fawned over than cast iron. While cast iron is exceptionally durable, it's not impervious to damage. Cooking with highly acidic ingredients, exposing the pan to prolonged moisture, or using it improperly can compromise the integrity of its seasoning or even cause lasting harm to the surface. Such missteps can reduce a once-dependable kitchen mainstay to a crippled piece of kitchen cookware. To find out exactly which foods to keep out of cast iron -- or at the very least, cook with caution -- I asked Eric Rowse. Rowse is the lead chef instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education and shared tips for using the cult-favorite cookware without ruining its surface. If you want to keep your cast iron slick, smooth, and worthy of its place on the stovetop throne, there are a few things you should never let near it. Here's what to avoid — and why your pan will thank you. 4 foods that will ruin cast-iron cookware According to Rowse, you can technically cook anything in cast iron -- even fish and eggs -- but some foods react poorly to cast iron if not done properly, leading to surface decay or food with a metallic taste. 1. Tomatoes It's OK to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar in your cast-iron pan but letting them sit for long periods can eat away at the seasoning. istetiana/Getty Images "Highly acidic foods, such as tomato and tomato-based dishes, can be problematic on raw iron, poorly or underseasoned cast iron," Rowse says. "Cooking these foods in neglected cast iron can lead to a metallic taste in the food. If the pan is well seasoned and cleaned out after each use, it isn't a problem." To be safe, cook some bacon in your skillet afterward to give the seasoning extra protection. As a bonus, you'll have bacon on hand. What you don't want to do is leave the acidic food just sitting in the pan, which can eat away at the seasoning. 2. Vinegar Most BBQ sauces have a fair amount of vinegar that can damage your cast-iron cookware. CNET For the same reason as tomatoes, vinegar can eat away at a seasoned cast-iron skillet, sending you back to square one. Vinegar-based foods like adobo or Carolina-style barbecue sauce are good examples of acidic foods that shouldn't sit in a cast-iron pan for long. If you do use vinegar in a recipe and cook it in cast-iron, be sure to clean the pan immediately afterward with hot water and salt or a small dash of gentle dish soap. Read more: Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet Easily With This Common Kitchen Staple 3. Citrus Avoid cooking citrus-based sauces in your cast-iron cookware for long periods. Géza Bálint Ujvárosi/EyeEm/Getty Images While they're may not be a ton of reasons to put citrus in a cast-iron skillet, certain recipes call for a fair amount of lemon or lime juice. A squeeze of lemon at the end probably won't destroy your cast-iron pan, but don't let citrus juice simmer inside of it for long, or your precious patina won't survive the night. 4. Wine-based sauces Red wine is great to add into stews and red meat dishes. fermate/Getty Images Cooking with wine is almost always a good idea. In fact, we have a list of recipes that thrive with a few ounces of red or white. But letting acid-heavy wine braise or simmer in a cast-iron pot or pan for too long could cause the slick patina to erode, leaving you with an unseasoned skillet that food will stick to. Can you cook eggs in cast iron? A properly seasoned cast-iron skillet can cook eggs without issue. Getty Images While they won't damage your pan, eggs are tricky to pan-fry without having a sticky mess to deal with after. While cast-iron cookware isn't as nonstick as chemically coated pans, it's still a fine candidate for scrambling or frying the morning staple. "I love cooking eggs in cast iron," Rowse told us. "I have a small 5-inch one that I cook fried eggs in. Cast iron is able to get super-hot, and precise control is harder because it retains heat for longer, and therefore it is more difficult to make small adjustments to the temperature." What about fish? I heat my prepared meals up in a skillet or air fryer if I'm home. David Watsky/CNET Likewise, many varieties of fish are flaky and tend to stick to surfaces if not managed properly. If your cast-iron's patina isn't properly slicked or is too hot when the fish goes down, you may end up scraping half of your halibut from the bottom of the pan. How to avoid a cast-iron cooking conundrum Properly seasoning your cast iron will keep foods such as fish and eggs from sticking. Tyler Lizenby/CNET First and foremost, you'll want to properly season so you can cook even the stickiest foods without worry. When cooking acidic foods in cast iron, avoid slow-braising or simmering on the stovetop for long periods. When the food is finished cooking, remove it and wash your cast-iron pan immediately with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a sprinkling of kitchen salt for extra stuck-on foods. And if you're not sure, opt for an acid-safe piece of cookware as an enameled Dutch oven or stainless-steel skillet.
CNET
16-05-2025
- General
- CNET
I Cooking Instructor Told Us 4 Foods That Will Ruin a Cast-Iron Skillet
Using a cast-iron pan is more than just a way to cook — it's a ritual, a relationship, a legacy. A well-seasoned skillet can outlast its owner, passed down like a family heirloom, its glossy black surface telling stories of meals shared and flavors perfected. But even the toughest kitchen tools have their kryptonite. Cast iron may be rugged, but it's not invincible. Simmer the wrong sauce, soak it too long, or pick the wrong ingredients, and you could strip away that hard-earned seasoning or damage the pan's surface for good. Acidic foods, prolonged moisture, and a few other culinary culprits can turn your skillet from hero to hazard. To find out exactly which foods to keep out of cast iron -- or at the very least, cook with caution -- I asked Eric Rowse. Rowse is the lead chef instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education and shared tips for using the cult-favorite cookware without ruining its surface. If you want to keep your cast iron slick, smooth, and worthy of its place on the stovetop throne, there are a few things you should never let near it. Here's what to avoid — and why your pan will thank you. 4 foods that will ruin cast-iron cookware According to Rowse, you can technically cook anything in cast iron -- even fish and eggs -- but some foods react poorly to cast iron if not done properly, leading to surface decay or food with a metallic taste. 1. Tomatoes It's OK to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar in your cast-iron pan but letting them sit for long periods can eat away at the seasoning. istetiana/Getty Images "Highly acidic foods, such as tomato and tomato-based dishes, can be problematic on raw iron, poorly or underseasoned cast iron," Rowse says. "Cooking these foods in neglected cast iron can lead to a metallic taste in the food. If the pan is well seasoned and cleaned out after each use, it isn't a problem." To be safe, cook some bacon in your skillet afterward to give the seasoning extra protection. As a bonus, you'll have bacon on hand. What you don't want to do is leave the acidic food just sitting in the pan, which can eat away at the seasoning. 2. Vinegar Most BBQ sauces have a fair amount of vinegar that can damage your cast-iron cookware. CNET For the same reason as tomatoes, vinegar can eat away at a seasoned cast-iron skillet, sending you back to square one. Vinegar-based foods like adobo or Carolina-style barbecue sauce are good examples of acidic foods that shouldn't sit in a cast-iron pan for long. If you do use vinegar in a recipe and cook it in cast-iron, be sure to clean the pan immediately afterward with hot water and salt or a small dash of gentle dish soap. Read more: Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet Easily With This Common Kitchen Staple 3. Citrus Avoid cooking citrus-based sauces in your cast-iron cookware for long periods. Géza Bálint Ujvárosi/EyeEm/Getty Images While they're may not be a ton of reasons to put citrus in a cast-iron skillet, certain recipes call for a fair amount of lemon or lime juice. A squeeze of lemon at the end probably won't destroy your cast-iron pan, but don't let citrus juice simmer inside of it for long, or your precious patina won't survive the night. 4. Wine-based sauces Red wine is great to add into stews and red meat dishes. fermate/Getty Images Cooking with wine is almost always a good idea. In fact, we have a list of recipes that thrive with a few ounces of red or white. But letting acid-heavy wine braise or simmer in a cast-iron pot or pan for too long could cause the slick patina to erode, leaving you with an unseasoned skillet that food will stick to. Can you cook eggs in cast iron? A properly seasoned cast-iron skillet can cook eggs without issue. Getty Images While they won't damage your pan, eggs are tricky to pan-fry without having a sticky mess to deal with after. While cast-iron cookware isn't as nonstick as chemically coated pans, it's still a fine candidate for scrambling or frying the morning staple. "I love cooking eggs in cast iron," Rowse told us. "I have a small 5-inch one that I cook fried eggs in. Cast iron is able to get super-hot, and precise control is harder because it retains heat for longer, and therefore it is more difficult to make small adjustments to the temperature." What about fish? I heat my prepared meals up in a skillet or air fryer if I'm home. David Watsky/CNET Likewise, many varieties of fish are flaky and tend to stick to surfaces if not managed properly. If your cast-iron's patina isn't properly slicked or is too hot when the fish goes down, you may end up scraping half of your halibut from the bottom of the pan. How to avoid a cast-iron cooking conundrum Properly seasoning your cast iron will keep foods such as fish and eggs from sticking. Tyler Lizenby/CNET First and foremost, you'll want to properly season so you can cook even the stickiest foods without worry. When cooking acidic foods in cast iron, avoid slow-braising or simmering on the stovetop for long periods. When the food is finished cooking, remove it and wash your cast-iron pan immediately with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a sprinkling of kitchen salt for extra stuck-on foods. And if you're not sure, opt for an acid-safe piece of cookware as an enameled Dutch oven or stainless-steel skillet.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Institute of Culinary Education Los Angeles Campus Celebrates 2025 Graduates in Milestone Ceremony, Celebrating 50th Anniversary
LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) will honor the next generation of culinary leaders at its LA campus commencement ceremony on May 12, 2025, at the California Institute of Technology. The ceremony will feature chefs and industry leaders, including chefs Curtis Stone and Steve Samson. Stone, acclaimed chef and television personality, will deliver the keynote address to the graduates. Known for his Michelin-starred restaurant Gwen and extensive media presence including Iron Chef, Top Chef Masters and more, Stone's career is a testament to the accomplishments that culinary professionals can achieve with passion and dedication. Samson, a celebrated ICE alumnus and the executive chef/owner of Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza, is the alumni speaker. This year, in celebration of the school's 50th anniversary, Samson has been recognized as one of ICE's 50 Distinguished Alumni. "We are incredibly proud of all our graduates have accomplished and the dedication they've shown throughout their time at ICE," said Lachlan Sands, president of ICE's Los Angeles campus. "As they move into the future, we are confident they will make a lasting impact on the culinary world with their passion, creativity and leadership." The ceremony will include presentations to graduates of ICE's associate degree and diploma programs."We are proud of the growing graduation classes at our Los Angeles campus since its opening in 2018," said Rick Smilow, ICE CEO. "Since our founding 50 years ago ICE has trained thousands of culinary professionals who have gone on to achieve success in every area of the industry. This graduating class joins a legacy of talented alumni who continue to shape the future of food." ICE's New York campus students will graduate on June 24. About the Institute of Culinary EducationThe Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is one of the largest culinary schools in the world. Established in 1975, ICE offers award-winning in-person (in NYC & LA) and online career training programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Plant-Based Culinary Arts, Restaurant & Culinary Management and Tourism, Travel & Hospitality Management, and professional development in Bread Baking, Advanced Cuisine, Cake Decorating and Sommelier Training. Visit us at or join us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube at @iceculinary to Find Your Culinary Voice™. CONTACT:Stephanie FraimanInstitute of Culinary Education(212) 847-0703sfraiman@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The Institute of Culinary Education Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNET
07-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Don't Even Think About Putting These 4 Foods In Your Cast-Iron Skillet
Cooking with cast-iron pans is a labor of love -- a well-season skillet can last your entire life, and maybe even longer. That's why the last thing you want to do is ruin the glossy, nonstick patina on your cast-iron pan by cooking the wrong foods in it. While cast iron is known for being durable, it has its weaknesses. Certain ingredients can cause serious damage when left to simmer, bubble or soak for too long. Some foods can eat away at the seasoning, cause discoloration or even harm enameled finishes. If you want to keep your skillet smooth, slick and looking like the kitchen MVP it is, steer clear of these usual suspects. To find out exactly which foods to keep out of cast iron -- or at the very least, cook with caution -- I asked Eric Rowse. Rowse is the lead chef instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education and shared tips for using the cult-favorite cookware without ruining its surface. Tomatoes, wine and vinegar-based sauces, and citrus are a few foods that require special attention when using cast iron. If you're new to cast-iron cooking or unfamiliar with its nuances, consider stainless steel or nonstick cookware for the following. 4 foods that ruin cast-iron cookware According to Rowse, you can technically cook anything in cast iron -- even fish and eggs -- but some foods react poorly to cast iron if not done properly, leading to surface decay or food with a metallic taste. 1. Tomatoes It's OK to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar in your cast-iron pan but letting them sit for long periods can eat away at the seasoning. istetiana/Getty Images "Highly acidic foods, such as tomato and tomato-based dishes, can be problematic on raw iron, poorly or underseasoned cast iron," Rowse says. "Cooking these foods in neglected cast iron can lead to a metallic taste in the food. If the pan is well seasoned and cleaned out after each use, it isn't a problem." To be safe, cook bacon in your skillet afterward to give the seasoning extra protection. As a bonus, you'll have bacon on hand. What you don't want to do is leave the acidic food just sitting in the pan which can eat away at the seasoning. 2. Vinegar Most BBQ sauces have a fair amount of vinegar that can damage your cast-iron cookware. CNET For the same reason as tomatoes, vinegar can eat away at a seasoned cast-iron skillet, sending you back to square one. Vinegar-based foods like adobo or Carolina-style barbecue sauce are good examples of acidic foods that shouldn't sit in a cast-iron pan for long. If you do use vinegar in a recipe and cook it in cast-iron, be sure to give the pan a good cleaning with hot water and salt or a small dash of gentle dish soap immediately after. Read more: Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet Easily With This Common Kitchen Staple 3. Citrus Avoid cooking citrus-based sauces in your cast-iron cookware for long periods. Géza Bálint Ujvárosi/EyeEm/Getty Images While they're may not be a ton of reasons to put citrus in a cast-iron skillet, certain recipes call for a fair amount of lemon or lime juice. A squeeze of lemon at the end probably won't destroy your cast-iron pan, but don't let citrus juice simmer inside of it for long, or you're precious patina won't survive the night. 4. Wine-based sauces Red wine is great to add into stews and red meat dishes. fermate/Getty Images Cooking with wine is almost always a good idea. In fact, we have a list of recipes that thrive with a few ounces of red or white. But letting acid-heavy wine braise or simmer in a cast-iron pot or pan for too long could cause the slick patina to erode, leaving you with an unseasoned skillet that food will stick to. Can you cook eggs in cast iron? A properly seasoned cast-iron skillet can cook eggs without issue. Getty Images While they won't damage your pan, eggs are a tricky food to pan-fry without having a sticky mess to deal with after. While cast-iron cookware isn't as nonstick as chemically coated pans, it's still a fine candidate for scrambling or frying the morning staple. "I love cooking eggs in cast iron," Rowse told us. "I have a small 5-inch one that I cook fried eggs in. Cast iron is able to get super-hot, and precise control is harder because it retains heat for longer, and therefore it is more difficult to make small adjustments to the temperature." What about fish? I heat my prepared meals up in a skillet or air fryer if I'm home. David Watsky/CNET Likewise, many varieties of fish are flaky and tend to stick to surfaces if not managed properly. If your cast-iron's patina isn't properly slicked or is too hot when the fish goes down, you may end up scraping half of your halibut from the bottom of the pan. How to avoid a cast-iron cooking conundrum Properly seasoning your cast iron will keep foods such as fish and eggs from sticking. Tyler Lizenby/CNET First and foremost, you'll want to properly season so you can cook even the stickiest foods without worry. When cooking acidic foods in cast iron, avoid slow-braising or simmering on the stovetop for long periods. When the food is finished cooking, remove it and wash your cast-iron pan immediately with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a sprinkling of kitchen salt for extra stuck-on foods. And if you're not sure, opt for an acid-safe piece of cookware as an enameled Dutch oven or stainless-steel skillet.
