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Make Artisanal Chocolate and Cure Meat at Downtown's New Cooking School

By Irene Plagianos | November 27, 2014 10:45am | Updated on December 1, 2014 8:27am
 The Institute of Culinary Education will open at Brookfield Place in January.
The Institute of Culinary Education Opening Downtown
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BATTERY PARK CITY — Learn how to make artisanal chocolate, cure meats and craft cocktails like a pro at the Institute of Culinary Education, opening soon in Battery Park City.

The institute, currently located in Chelsea, is slated to open its new 74,000-square-foot home in Brookfield Place in January. The sprawling facility will feature a host of innovative cooking amenities, open to both full-time students and amateurs.

The state-of-the-art facility will include a “bean to bar” chocolate making studio, said Michael Laiskonis, ICE’s creative director.

From bean roasting to refining the chocolate flavor, the entire chocolate making process will happen at the school.

The goal, said Laiskonis, is to give its students a deeper understanding of the multi-faceted steps to making chocolate.

“There’s a bit of mysticism to making chocolate,” Laiskonis said. “There’s no optimal time for roasting, for example — every step is important, and every step can change the flavor.”

The school is sourcing its cocoa beans from regions across the world, and students will also learn a bit of history and geography in addition to cooking skills.

ICE has not finalized its roster of recreational classes, which will be open to the public, but they will likely include artisanal chocolate making.

The school is also gearing up for its other "expansions of the hands-on experience," which includes a studio dedicated to charcuterie — learning how to cure and age meats — as well as a hydroponic farm and a wine cellar filled with wines and spirits from around the world. They'll have classes dedicated to wine studies and the crafting of cocktails.

"All these new features are meant to deepen the learning experience of our students," said Laiskonis.