I don't know about else where but here in Israel the powdered sumac in the supermarket is cut with much cheaper citric acid and salt. I only buy it "on-flower" from my reliable spice dealer.

No, the site didn't come up while googling. Thanks

Thanks, I appreciate your reply as a career changer.

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping someone with first hand experience would reply. The thing is that as an engineer I'm all ready working nights, weekends and holidays to meet dead lines. And starting as an engineer doesn't seem to be all that different than as a cook. You spend all your time running simulations and going over drafts rather than any real design work (menial pre-jobs). To be a good engineer you really need it to consume your life. I'm okay with my career doing that. I love engineering but not enough.

Thanks for everyones replies. I'm 26. I worked in bars while i was in university, I washed dishes in high school. I know that it's a tough job but I'm not adverse to hard work. I was in the military for 3 years so I've been in stressful situations with people yelling at me; I was in command of a company for a year so I did allot of the yelling my self. I've wanted to work in the food industry since I was a kid, but I've always found the excuses not to. I'm not really questioning wether or not I want to pursue a career in cooking; but rather if i will i be able to pay the bills.

Im am seriously considering leaving a career in engineering to attend the International Culinary Center in NYC and thereafter start a career as a cook. Having to take out big loans in order to pay for the training I'm worried about not being able to pay them off. How much does a starting line cook make in NYC? While I don't mind working 12+hours a day 7 days a week; I don't even know if restaurants can accommodate this number of hours.
Thanks!