photo by Gabby Miller
Chef Thomas Rider prepares Strawberry Caprese Crostini with local strawberries.
by Gabby Miller
He stood before a crowd of college students and alumni. On the table in front of him was a basket full of fresh fruits and vegetables displaying the colors of the rainbow. A grey Chico State Wildcats baseball cap sat on his head, and his black chef’s jacket was lined with red trim and embroidered with his name and title on the front.
It read: “Thomas Rider, Executive Chef.”
“I’m on the Food Network at Chico State,” he said, receiving chuckles from the audience.
On the rainy Thursday evening before spring break more than 60 students arrived at CSUC’s Bell Memorial Union to watch Rider—the executive chef for Associated Students—put on a show.