Reunited and it feels so good...

When the pandemic hit back in March and classes at JJC originally went remote, I couldn't even think about the possibility of being back at school doing anything, let alone carving ice! After entering in one specific entrance, having my temperature checked by a tablet at the door, using hand sanitizer and wearing a face mask, it didn't feel normal by any means but it did feel great to be back!

I was asked to come back to JJC for an interview for the virtual National Community College Leadership Conference that was highlighting Joliet Junior Colleges' Culinary Program. I had spent 8 years in the industry decorating cakes, then went to JJC, graduated their program with high honors, and got hired as a professional ice carver. Without the proper attitude paired with intense drive and determination, that wouldn't have been possible. I was chosen to tell a little bit about my story and what JJC has done for my career.

Equally important, after getting hired in the industry at Nadeau's Ice Sculptures in Forest Park, IL, the things I have learned and am continuing to learn in their shop and on deliveries and setups is amazing. What I thought I knew after finishing ice class at JJC compared to what I'm learning working at Nadeau's was just the tip of the iceberg! ;) I just can't resist a good ice pun!

Interview for National Community College Leadership Conference:

For the virtual tour, I carved a couple of pieces along with other graduates and instructors to display for a candle lit tour of the ice lab. I chose to go with something seasonal, I just can't get enough of all things pumpkin these days! This pumpkin-headed scare crow ice carving was fun to do with the taller ice blocks that they use at JJC. This carving was almost as tall as me!

I've always had a love of making food items that are made out of other foods. Whether it's a big cake that looks like a stack of pancakes, a deconstructed apple pie that looks like a green apple, or a big ole' pizza made out of extremely detailed fondant, gum paste, and airbrush work, it brings out the kid in everyone that gets to enjoy it (and the kid in me as I get to make them all... :) ).

So, I was pretty excited to make an ice cream cone out of ice that was almost five feet tall. Obviously. After all, I scream, you scream, for five foot tall ice cream... right? ;)

Although the larger ice blocks are fun to use for extra height in certain pieces, the downside is the way in which they have to be formed. Without boring you all with the science and methods behind how different ice blocks are made, it's easy to see the shadow in the middle of the scarecrow ice carving and this ice cream cone ice carving right here. These blocks are frozen vertically with a hose that is slowly pulled out of the center of the block, leaving behind a thin shadow that will never melt out of the block as its on display.

While working at Nadeau's, we love to light our ice carving displays with colored lights to accent the theme of the party and really highlight the details of the piece. We make our ice using a completely different method which leaves the ice clear and beautiful throughout. It involves freezing the ice horizontally and very slowly, as well as eliminating the air from the ice. This makes the finished ice carvings clear, clean, and highlighted beautifully when they are lit and on display.

Chef McGreal did an ice carving demo for the virtual National Community College Leadership Conference, look at him in action! He's showing the students in the class currently what their angel fish carving assignment is going to be the following week. I remember when I was at that point in class for the first time, taking on a more whimsical design instead of all straight edges with platters and vases. I was so nervous! And so were they. But that's part of it when it comes to ice carving, if you ask me. If you're not nervous, you're not learning. I've heard that from many great Chefs throughout my career.

Here is the candlelit tour of the ice carvings in the lab at JJC. This place is truly magical, I have to say. It was my first introduction to what an ice carving could really be (I remember getting goose bumps the first time I saw Chef carve a piece, and not because I was cold! ;) ), and gave me the experience I needed to get started in the professional ice carving world.

Overall, ice changed my life. A simple and humble ingredient, water, and a complex and beautiful way to manipulate it into something that looks like a sculpted diamond. Then it melts away after several hours and is completely gone. You need confidence, strength, a basic understanding of physics, artistic ability, and quick wits to be a successful ice carver. I've spent a lot of my life learning these separate characteristics. After all, after I graduated high school I did start out going to college to be a physics teacher. I'm learning more every day, and see how far I have to go to be as great as I want to be at it. I have to say, I never thought I would be learning personal life lessons, building relationships with great mentors and role models, pushing my own physical and mental capabilities as a woman, an artist, and a chef, and creating works of art all thanks to something as simple and beautiful as ice.