What’s Cooking

There was certainly food for thought when the 119-year-old Family Service Agency hosted its fourth annual Cooking Up Dreams gala at the Carriage and Western Art Museum, attracting 280 guests and raising around $100,000 for the nonprofit’s work, including counseling students at schools impacted by the recent disasters, providing basic-needs support to displaced workers and their families and helping relocate long-term care residents.

The boffo bash, featuring a culinary competition between local leading chefs from a number of Eden by the Beach noshetarias, including Casa Blanca, Finch & Fork, Les Marchands Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro, the FisHouse, Sama Sama Kitchen, Convivo, First & Oak, the La Cumbre Country Club, and Industrial Eats, was emceed by former school principal Kris Bergstrom with Marni Cooney chairing the event.

Judges were KEYT-TV anchor Joe Buttitta, Edible Magazine editor Krista Harris and food blogger Emily Nordee, with the culinary winner Renaud’s, which landed both the judges trophy and the People’s Choice award.

Among the gourmands attending the foodie fete were KEYT-TV meteorologist Kelsey Gerckens, sheriff Bill Brown, former mayor Sheila Lodge, Randy Weiss, Mahri Kerley, and Roger Aceves.