If you're interested in learning culinary arts in MN, view some of the success stories of our Minnesota cooking school students from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul. These stories are inspirational for anyone looking to explore culinary opportunities.
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Linda Binion
Graduate: September 2006, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Current Position: Culinary Professional, Macy’s Department Store
After more than 20 years as an office administrator in Detroit, Linda Binion changed her life by enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu. Today, as a Culinary Professional at Macy’s Department Store, Linda remembers and appreciates the challenging, fun, and supportive environment in which she was allowed to develop her culinary skills at Le Cordon Bleu. At Macy’s, Linda demonstrates recipes for the Culinary Council, whose members include top Food Network chefs Tyler Florence, Cat Cora, and Tom Douglas. She also demonstrates the cooking equipment of Emeril LaGassee, Rachael Ray, and other celebrity-chef brands. Linda’s signature dish is Cornish hens with apricot or peach glaze and peach cobblers. Cable viewers in Bloomington can watch Linda prepare any number of creative dishes on her show, “Cooking with Linda B.”
Linda credits Le Cordon Bleu’s Chef Jonathan Kaye and Chef Amy with mentoring her: “Chef Kaye was very serious about how foods from around the world were prepared. He wanted us to be just as excited about them as he was. Also, he was a disciplinarian, which I found refreshing because in this business you have to be disciplined in order to make it. Chef Amy was great! I truly liked her spirit and her enthusiasm. She made you feel like you could do anything.”
Linda would advise current and prospective students to “be committed . . . respect one another and your instructors; be serious but have fun; study, study, study; laugh at yourself and have fun; persevere, and have faith in yourself.”
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Jenna Johnson
Graduate: 2008, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Degree: Pâtisserie and Baking
Current Position: Cake Decorator/Kitchen Manager, Gateaux, Inc., Duluth, Minnesota
The inspiration for Jenna Johnson’s decision to pursue a culinary career was her mother and grandmother, who started her interest in baking, as well as the cake decorating she had been seeing on TV. She decided to withdraw from Michigan State University, where she had been pursuing a business degree, and enroll at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul. She was attracted by Le Cordon Bleu’s focus on specific programs, and found the Pâtisserie and Baking program an invaluable hands-on experience. One instructor she found admired in particular is Chef Amy Shipshock. She found her to be helpful in class and outside of class and was continually learning from her. While in the program, she also took advantage of opportunities to volunteer for outside events and network with people like Susan Notter and Bronwen Weber.
Now a graduate in Pâtisserie and Baking, Jenna works as Cake Decorator/Kitchen Manager at Gateaux, Inc., a small bakery in Plymouth, Minnesota. Jenna even got the opportunity to work on Gateaux owner Robin Martin’s team at the Food Network Cake Competition. They placed second.
Jenna’s advice for Le Cordon Bleu students is to work at events outside of class, because they can lead to great connections and further your knowledge. She also believes that attendance is key—“missing one day can mean missing lots of beneficial information”.
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Logan Julstrom
Graduated: 2008, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Degree: Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Research and Development, Target Corporation
Logan Julstrom came to Le Cordon Bleu—after previously earning a bachelor’s degree in food science—because she wanted to further her education at a culinary school of unquestioned respect in the industry. Logan flourished in Le Cordon Bleu’s hands-on environment and appreciated the support and encouragement of her instructors.
Logan now designs and conducts experiments with food in the kitchen of Target Corporation’s research and development department. She also travels to a number of locations to work with vendors on rapid prototyping. Her future plans include working with food in the context of children’s health and wellness. Taking her inspiration from the colors and textures of the seasons, she wants to make food for kids that is fun, healthy, and creative.
Logan believes that you don’t have to be famous to make an impact in this industry, and she would advise current or future Le Cordon Bleu students to “not be know it alls . . . take in all you can from your instructors and peers. Look at the big picture and to be open to learning new things all the time.”
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Ken Liss
Graduate: February 2005, Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College
Current Position: Owner, Premier Cheese Market, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ken Liss graduated from Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College in 2005, only a year after an especially triumphant birthday meal he prepared for his wife, Amy, inspired him to pursue a culinary career. Ken’s passion is cheese, and he followed it to an externship at the prestigious Artisan School in New York.
At the Artisanal Cheese Counter at the school’s restaurant, Ken mingled with food critics and instructors, learning many things not taught in the classroom. Ken applied the lessons he learned and followed his passion. Today he and Amy own and operate the Premier Cheese Market in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota (MN), offering cheeses from all over the world, as well as cured meats, hand-pressed olive oils, preserves, baked goods, and more.
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Ross Reed
Graduate: October 2004, Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College
Degree: Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Executive Chef/Owner, Tangled Up in Blue, Taylors Falls, Minnesota
Ross Reed, a 2004 graduate of Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College, has been in kitchens all his life, starting with his first job as a dishwasher at age 13. Even by that tender age, Ross had already developed a passion for cooking sparked by watching his mother, a home economics teacher, prepare the family meals. Later, while working as a line cook under a very talented Executive Chef in Deadwood, South Dakota, Ross decided to turn his passion into a career by enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu.
Ross worked as lead line cook at Palamino while pursuing his formal culinary education, and served his externship at Three Sons Kitchen, a by-design catering company that provides menu design, event planning, and event execution services. He stayed on at Three Sons after his externship, earning promotions to Sous Chef and then Executive Sous Chef after only a few short months. Since 2006, Ross has been with Tangled Up in Blue, an eclectic food and wine bar in Taylors Falls, taking over ownership of the restaurant in 2007. Here in this hidden gem Ross has created a unique menu of French influenced cuisine with a Midwestern feel. His mission: to provide guests with a complete experience—“not just something to eat.”
Successful and self-motivated, Ross’ advice to students is “don’t rely on your diploma, you’re going to have to work for your career.”
Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College is now known as Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
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Lori Schmolke
Graduate: March 2007, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Current Position: Manager, Food and Beverage Department The Grand Casino, Hinckley, Hinckley, Minnesota
It was her third job in the gaming industry—director of hospitality at a Wisconsin gaming resort—that gave Lori Schmolke her introduction to the culinary industry. She oversaw five food venues and was pleasantly surprised at how much she enjoyed the challenge of preparing and serving good food. A short time later, after she and her husband had relocated to their native Minnesota, Lori decided to chase her new-found fascination with culinary arts by enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu.
Going back to school wasn’t easy in some ways, but the stimulating and supportive environment of Le Cordon Bleu made it a great experience. The chef instructors inspired Lori to “stretch my skills to another level, and I will always appreciate them for their commitment to teach.” Chef Daniel, Chef Whitwin and Chef Kaye in particular influenced Lori with their skills and charisma in producing quality food.
Today, Lori is combining her gaming and culinary experience as a manager in the food and beverage department at Grand Casino Hinckley. She’s doing what she loves and she’s confident of an exciting and rewarding future in a growing industry.
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Mike Shannon
Graduate: February 2008, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Current Position: Cooking School Coordinator, Cooks of Crocus Hill, St. Paul, Minnesota
Mike Shannon’s greatest influence came from his mother, whose simple approach to cooking taught him to love food. As Cooking School Coordinator of the Cooks of Crocus Hill (Edina location), he now enjoys working with an organization that brings that same passion for food to others. Mike coordinates all aspects of CCH’s cooking classes and private events, networks with local guest chefs, manages kitchen operations and staff, sources ingredients, teaches classes, and leads cooking demonstrations on and off site.
Mike focuses on using local foods and sustainable agriculture and experimenting with flavor combinations. His next challenge will be to collaborate on a program with the Mayo Clinic called “Life Recipes,” which will help people enhance their nutrition through food selection and preparation methods.
Mikes’ advice to current Le Cordon Bleu students is “learn how to work neatly and efficiently in a small space. Take the opportunity to learn everything you can from the talented Chef Instructors and push them to give you something beyond the syllabus.”
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Nels Storm
Graduate: February 2002, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Current Position: Manager of Product Development, Caribou Coffee, Inc.
Since graduating from the Le Cordon Bleu program in 2002, Nels has garnered a number of prestigious awards, including the International Guest Chef Nominee, Excellence Heartland Region Gold Medal, and Operations Excellence Champion for the Heartland Region.
During his time at Aramark, Nels was Team Executive Chef for the Minnesota Vikings, collaborating closely with team dieticians as well as the coaching and conditioning staffs to create specific menus for individual players. He became an invaluable team player by using his creative culinary ideas to create a nutritionally sound menu. He is now Manager of Product Development for Caribou Coffee, Inc., where he is busy refining and expanding the company’s already diverse food and beverage catalog.
Throughout his career, Nels’ objective has been to better the organizations he works for, and to continually exceed client and guest expectations by ensuring each experience is a memorable one. Nels believes the extensive training he received at Le Cordon Bleu has contributed a great deal to his success.
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Doug Streeb
Graduate: February 2007, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul
Current Position: Pastry Chef, Freeport Country Club, Freeport, Illinois
Doug Streeb can hardly believe it himself: from marking time in an unrewarding office job to setting his own hours and creating his own dessert menus as Pastry Chef for the Freeport Country Club—all in less than two years.
Life changed for Doug when he saw a Le Cordon Bleu TV commercial that inspired him to commit to a dramatic career change in his mid-forties. He hasn’t had any reason to look back. Now an established Pastry Chef, Doug is praised for his signature dish of raspberry-filled flourless cake iced with milk chocolate ganache. Wedding cakes are his next challenge, as Doug plans to continue his education.
The most influential and admired chefs in Doug’s career have been the Chef Instructors at Le Cordon Bleu: Chef Amy Broderick, Chef Michelle Gayer-Nicholson & Chef Clarence Trenda. These chefs guided Doug through the course and made it easy—and a lot of fun—to learn the required techniques and skills.
To current or future culinary students, Doug would say: “If you have a passion and love for the field, then take and run with it as far as you can, for the potential in this field is just amazing.”
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Amparito Versalles-Curtis
Graduate: December 2003, Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College
Degree:Certificate in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Head Chef
Amparito Versalles-Curtis was encouraged to pursue a culinary arts career by family members who loved her cooking. Amparito loved all her classes at le Cordon Bleu, and will remember fondly Chef Mark Seaburg and his knowledge of wines, as well as Chefs Pauline Barrett, Steven Shapley, and Kelly Boffone and the wealth of information they passed along to her.
After an “eye opening” externship at a local upscale hotel, Amparito says she learned a lot about herself, and found that she did not want to work in a restaurant—she wanted to put her own twist on things. With the help of Career Services, Amparito found her way to the owner of a local gourmet meal assembly business that allows customers to order a prepared meal for pick up or book a session in which they prepare the meal themselves.
Now the head chef, Amy’s responsibilities include inventory, ordering, creating the monthly menus, taking a hand in the marketing of the business, and helping with the hiring of staff. And she prefers to hire Le Cordon Blue students. “I want only the best trained preparing the entrees for our customers,” she says.
Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College is now known as Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
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