recipe for success

10 female chefs, 10 courses, 1 incredible night for Houston's Hope Farms

A dash of culinary genius and a whole lot of heart filled plates at Hope Farms on November 11 as the 19th Annual Delicious Alchemy Banquet benefiting Recipe for Success Foundation dished an unforgettable evening. This year, the recipe called for a twist: A brigade of 10 phenomenal female chefs crafting 10 courses in a celebration of food, community, and creativity.

Fifty gourmands lined up under the glow of the United Healthcare Foundation Gathering Barn, where the ambiance was as curated as the dishes. White blooms from Flower Child Urban Farm and Studio levitated over a black tablescape designed by Recipe for Success founder Gracie Cavnar.

The star-studded chef roster featured some of Houston’s finest. Among the notable creations were chef Kate McLean’s duck cones with scallion pudding and chef Erin O’Leary Stewart’s black trumpet mushroom crisps paired with herbed cashew cheese. The crowd’s taste buds continued their joyride through courses like chef Suu Khin’s turnip coconut cream soup with turmeric, and chef Benchawan Painter’s crispy chicken bathed in coconut kombucha squash and pumpkin curry sauce.

By dessert, chef Alyssa Dole’s olive oil cake with beet mascarpone whip sweetened the experience, and chef Andrea De Gortari sent everyone home with a bag of bite-sized happiness featuring spiced sweet potato cookies and chocolate beet morsels. Other chefs contributing to the foodie wonderland included Barbara McKnight, Victoria Elizondo, Jane Wild, and Jessica Timmons.

No banquet is complete without libations. From the effervescent Poggio Costa Prosecco to Saint Arnold Brewing Co.’s craft brews and Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails, sips elevated the dining adventure. And of course, Natalie Vaclavik’s curated wine selection ensured a cornucopia of flavors. With service provided by Culinaire, this feast encouraged the coterie to save the date for the 20th annual fete, set for November 10, 2025 chaired by Virginia and Will McMullen.

The banquet mirrored Recipe for Success Foundation’s mission to combat childhood obesity through programs that teach kids and families the art of healthy eating. This gastronomic evening raised awareness for initiatives like Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education, serving more than 50,000 youth.

Wining and dining were: Bob Cavnar, Rudy Guerra, Ford Hubbard, Renea Abbott, Sherree and Norman Frede, Anita and David Garten, Matt Henneman and Kimberly Cutchall, Aashish and Erin Parekh, Jessica Rossman, Gayla Gardner, Ariel Lopez, Michele and Gerald LaNoue, Myrtle Jones, Kelly and Kim Hales, Lynne Goode and Harrison Williams, and Karen and Murry Penner.

Recipe for Success Delicious Alchemy banquet 2024

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Army Sadeghi and Mason Clark-Sadeghi.

fundraisers chefs recipe for success

sowing seeds

Houston billionaire bids record-breaking $1 million for rodeo's champion lamb

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo grand champion lamb 2026

Courtesy of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Regan Miller, center, exhibited the record-breaking lamb on Friday, March 13.

A Houston billionaire paid tribute to his daughter with a record-breaking bid at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Oil and gas entrepreneur Jeffery Hildebrand and his family paid $1 million for this year’s Grand Champion Market Lamb.

The bid, which doubled the highest price ever paid for the Grand Champion Lamb, was placed in honor of Hildebrand’s daughter, Brittany Ann Hildebrand, who died last year at the age of 34. With an estimated net worth of $10 billion, Hildebrand ranked as the No. 341 wealthiest person on Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List for 2026.

“We are sowing seeds,” Jeffery Hildebrand said in a statement. “This is a wonderful place, and kids like this are getting the chance to move on, advance, and grow. These are the kids who are going to save America.”

Reagan Miller of Seagraves, Texas exhibited the winning lamb. Per HLSR rules, she will receive $45,000 to continue her education. The rest is included in HLSR’s education fund, which will contribute more than $30 million to students statewide in 2026.

In addition to Miller’s lamb, the Grand Champion Market Goat also set a new record at $450,000. The donor group included Tea and Bill Pinkley; Anne and Chris Richardson; Skip Avara; and Fire Safe Protection Services LP, represented by Lizzy and Stephen McKinney.

The Reserve Grand Champion Lamb, exhibited by Raider McPhaul of Big Lake, Texas, also set a new record at $310,000. The Reserve Grand Champion Goat set a new record at $250,000.

The auction was held on Friday, March 13, at Houston's NRG Arena.

“The ‘why’ of this committee is the incredible kids and their projects and how we hope to shape their futures,” added Scott Townsend, chairman of the Lamb and Goat Auction Committee.

Upcoming auctions include Poultry on March 14, School Art on March 15, Barrow (pigs) on March 20, and the Steer auction on March 21.

houston livestock show and rodeo fundraisers auction