While staying in Portland, OR, for a journalism convention, The Feather staffers endeavored to immerse themselves in the city by exploring and interviewing its residents.
The staff captured three scenes from the city: the story of a student at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland; the background on a local eatery, John’s Cafe; and a profile on Powell’s Books, the largest bookstore in the world.
Le Cordon Bleu
By senior editor Austin Ward
As one of the most prestigious schools for culinary arts, Le Cordon Bleu attracts a multitude of aspiring chefs and gourmets. However, one student at the Portland affiliate school stood out as having a unique background and an ambitious goal.
Meet Mary Ellen Rice.
A native of South Carolina, she decided that she “needed a change.” So, she got in the car and drove to Portland — without knowing anyone there.
“I was in South Carolina and wanted a change — change in atmosphere, change in culture,” Rice said. “It’s a huge change, but I love it here. I visited about two years ago and just fell in love with the terrain, the people, the attitudes.”
Although a photographer in the past, she found that she wanted to pursue a career in the culinary arts. In April she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu and has completed part of its 21-month program that culminates in an associate’s degree.
“There’s always going to be a place for a chef: we have to eat to survive,” Rice said. “I want to be a personal private chef, and this is a good thing on the resume. When you have Le Cordon Bleu behind your name, most people take notice of that.”
However, her experience with food extends to years before, when she started a catering business with her sister. She also spent some time with a chef in a small kitchen, acquiring skills that she later would use at Le Cordon Bleu.
After completing the program, she aspires to work as a private chef in people’s homes.
“Ideally I want to be my own boss. I want to work for people, go into their kitchens, create meals for them, give them instructions, then clean it up and leave,” Rice said. “I’d really like to work with them one-on-one.”
While many culinary arts students go on to work in a restaurant, she hopes to find a job that retains a more personal aspect.
“In a restaurant it’s great