Spring 2014 Awards Season Honors ICE Alumni & Chefs

NEW YORK, April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute of Culinary Education takes great pride in the success and advancement of our staff and alumni. As we enter the culinary awards season, we are thrilled to recognize the wide variety of nominations, honors and awards that have been presented to members of our school community. From a Thai-inspired restaurant, to a chocolate-centric cookbook, award-winning turns on food television to the nation's best bakeries, their culinary accomplishments could not be more diverse.

One trend we have seen is that many of our alumni in the spotlight are entrepreneurs or small business owners. And even more notable, given the recent buzz about women's role in the culinary world, is that four ICE alumni semi-finalists for James Beard chef awards are female.

International Association of Culinary Professionals – 2014 Awards
Each spring, the IACP honors the industry's best work in food writing, photography, design, and journalism and presents "Awards of Excellence" to institutions and individuals who have demonstrated an exceptional dedication to the culinary arts, as well as innovation and leadership in their specific field.

ICE Creative Director Michael Laiskonis received the IACP Award of Excellence for "Culinary Professional of the Year".

ICE alumnus Rick Mast (Culinary Management '06), co-owner of the Brooklyn-based Mast Brothers Chocolate took home the "Best Single Subject Cookbook" award for Mast Brothers Chocolate: A Family Affair.

ICE Pastry & Baking Arts Instructor Jenny McCoy was nominated for her first cookbook, Desserts for Every Season, in the category of "Baking: Savory or Sweet".

ICE alumnus Sarah Copeland (Culinary Arts '02) was nominated in the category of "Culinary Based Column" for her work on "Things Cooks Know" at the magazine Real Simple.

James Beard Foundation – 2014 Awards
In February, the James Beard Foundation announced the semi-finalists for the organization's 2014 awards, including four female ICE alumni chefs. In March, five alumni were nominated for their work in food media and one was inducted into the organization's "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America". The award winners will be announced May 5th at Lincoln Center in NY.

Ann Redding (Culinary Arts '02) and her husband Matt Danzer's New York City restaurant, Uncle Boons, is a semi-finalist for "Best New Restaurant (in America)".

Tiffany MacIsaac (Culinary Arts '02), Executive Pastry Chef/Co- Owner, Neighborhood Restaurant Group in Washington, D.C. / Virginia is named an "Outstanding Pastry Chef" semi-finalist.

Rachel Yang (Culinary Arts '01) and her husband Seif Chirchi are nominated as semi-finalists as "Best Chef: Northwest" for their work as Chef/Owners of Joule Restaurant in Seattle.

Vivian Howard (Culinary Arts '03) is a semi-finalist for "Best Chef: Southeast" as Chef/Co-Owner of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, NC. She is also nominated for "Television Program, On Location" for her work as host of A Chef's Life on PBS.

Ed Behr (Culinary Arts '84) will be inducted into the JBF's "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America" on May 5th, for his significant contributions to the industry as the founder, editor and publisher of the quarterly food magazine, The Art of Eating.

Greta Anthony (Pastry & Baking Arts '95) is nominated for her work as Producer on Martha Stewart's Cooking School in the "Television Program, In Studio or Fixed Location" category.

Kristen Miglore (Culinary Arts '09) is nominated for her Food52 column "Genius Recipes" in the JBFA media category of "Food-Related Columns".

Sarah Copeland (Culinary Arts '02) is nominated as a cookbook author in the "Vegetable Focused and Vegetarian" category for Feast: Generous Vegetarian Meals for Any Eater and Every Appetite.

Jamie Tiampo (Culinary Management '06) is nominated for his work with SeeFood Media as a host of Upwave Eat Videos in the category of "Video Webcast, Fixed Location and/or Instructional".

Michelin Guide – "Main Cities of Europe" 2014
In March, the internationally renowned Michelin Guide released its updated guide for the leading culinary cities in Europe. Among the most exciting new additions is the Funky Gourmet in Athens, Greece. The restaurant, run by ICE alumni Georgianna Hiliadaki (Culinary Management '03) and Nikos Roussos (Culinary Arts '03) was awarded two Michelin stars for the "immeasurable thought, creativity and above all the taste, which matches [the chefs] playfulness".

ABC Television's "The Taste"
Lee Knoeppel (Culinary Arts '09) was a favorite on Team Anthony Bourdain throughout the season, eventually winning the bronze medal (third place) on season two of ABC's competitive cooking show, The Taste. This spring, Lee will return to restaurant kitchens as the Executive Chef at the Manhattan location of Barcade.

Forbes Magazine – 30 Under 30
Eden Grinshpan (Culinary Management '09) was named one of 2013's "30 Under 30" young professionals in the food & wine industry by Forbes Magazine. She is currently the host of "Eden Eats" and "Log On and Eat with Eden," on the Cooking Channel.

The Daily Meal – America's 50 Best Bakeries
This influential food blog / web magazine recently released its list of America's 50 Best Bakeries. Included on the list were ICE alumni Tim Healea (Culinary Arts '98) owner of Portland, Oregon's Little T Bakery and Connie McDonald (Culinary Arts '93), owner of Levain Bakery in New York City.

About ICE
The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is New York City's largest and most active center for culinary education. Founded in 1975, the school offers award-winning 6 to 13 month career training programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Culinary Management and Hospitality Management. Faculty and graduates of the school have won top national and regional honors, and ICE was named the International Association of Culinary Professional's "Culinary School of the Year" in 2013, 2008 and 2003. Beyond career training, ICE's School of Recreational Cooking is the largest such program in the nation. The school is located at 50 West 23rd Street in Manhattan. More information can be found at www.ice.edu.

Contact:
Shannon Mason
Institute of Culinary Education
[email protected]
(212) 847-0731

SOURCE The Institute of Culinary Education