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Founded in 1975 by the legendary teacher Peter Kump, the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) offers an encyclopedic array of courses allowing beginners and hobbyists to hone their knife skills, wine palates, confectionary techniques, and food-writing panache. The upstairs demo kitchen, with its wide counters and huge windows, employs established New York chefs like Chris Gesualdi (Montrachet), Einev Gefen (Daniel), and Sabrina Sexton (Gramercy Tavern) to act as instructors for special events like birthday parties and wedding showers. Under the chef’s expert guidance, celebrants sport kitchen whites and prepare their own feast. For those who want a broader view of the city's food scene or culinary history, ICE offers walking tours and market classes that familiarize students with local farmer's markets and neighborhoods like Manhattan’s Chinatown and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. The consistent excellence of the educational offerings has snagged the institution’s alumni numerous James Beard Foundation Awards and ICE is often named as one of the best avocational cooking schools in the world. A 2004 renovation, which enlarged the classrooms, expanded the library’s holdings, added a mural, and modernized the kitchens, doesn't hurt ICE's appeal either. — Laurel Fantauzzo

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Culinary Arts (2004)

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