• From left, Cooking Up Dreams co-chairwoman Meredith Garofalo, emcee Andrew Firestone, co-chairwoman Marni Cooney and Family Service Agency executive director Lisa Brabo. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • Celebrity chefs and judges are all smiles at the Cooking up Dreams fundraiser benefiting the Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County held at The Fess Parker. Front row from left, emcee Andrew Firestone with judges Thom Barry, George Yatchisin, Mary Pitman, Jackie Sorkin and Emily Nordee. Back row from left, event co-chairwoman Meredith Garofalo and chefsHarold Welch, World Cuisine Express; Ron True, Rincon Catering;Sergio Renteria, The Willows Restaurant at the Chumash Casino Resort; Gracie Littlehales, general manager with Patxi’s Pizza; Laurence Hauben, Roblar Winery; Grant Macdonald, Four Seasons Biltmore Resort; Grant MacNaughton, Mac’s Fish & Chip Shop and a representative with Nimita’s Cuisine; Michael Hutchings of Michael’s Catering; Irvin Velez Calderon, Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach; Julian Martinez, Barbareno; and Vincent Lesage, Angel Oak at Bacara Resort & Spa. Not pictured is Jesus Charco, Santa Barbara FisHouse. (Family Service Agency)
  • Little mentees from the Big Brothers and Sisters Program Samuel, Samantha, Cynthia, Daniel and Jimena posed for pictures with guests at the Cooking Up Dreams fundraiser benefiting the Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown and wife Donna. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • Pam Lewis, left, chief operating officer of the Hutton Parker Foundation, and Susan Parker. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • Big Sister of the Year Sandy Nordahl with Little, Samantha, and Family Service Agency board member and Big Brother Sean Whaley with his Little, Leo. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • From left, Angelique Musicant, Ashley Farrell and Michele Higgins. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • Chef Sergio Renteria, representing Willows Restaurant at the Chumash Casino Resort, serves up a tasty batch of Candid Pork Bellies at the Cooking up Dreams fundraiser benefiting the Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • Chef Laurence Hauben from Roblar Winery prepares a fresh tray of local big eye tuna tartare. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)
  • Chef Michael Hutchings took home the 2016 Judges Award and the 2016 People’s Choice Award for his mouth-watering Cultured Abalone with a Beurre Blanc Sauce. (Melissa Walker / Noozhawk)

Bill Macfadyen is Noozhawk’s founder and publisher. Contact him at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com, and follow him on Instagram: @bill.macfadyen. The opinions expressed are his own.