Bob Cavnar, Ford Hubbard, Gracie Cavnar with Chef Fellix Flore
The in-person event may have had fewer attendees than in years past, but the lavish 10-course dinner was anything but pared down. It was held at Recipe for Success' Hope Farms, and kicked off with a cocktail hour in the Chef's Kitchen Garden that included refreshing gazpacho shooters topped with the farm's edible flowers.
The evening proceeded with dinner in the farm's "gathering barn." Guests took their seats, looking up to find four "living chandeliers" hanging from the vaulted ceiling, made with maidenhare ferns and multicolored hydrangeas. Back on the ground, a gray and silver tablescape featured beautiful pastel flowers arranged in rustic pots and glass vessels.
Then came the truly "delicious" part of Delicious Alchemy: Chefs, including Culinare's Barbara McKnight, Guard & Grace's Adam Stephens and Bistro Menil's Greg Martin, served up sensational seasonal dishes. Ouzo Bay chef Thomas Laczynski wrapped his Chilean sea bass in collards from the farm, for example, and Stephens' squab en crepenette was smoked using wood from the Hope Farms peach tree that did not survive February's freeze.
In fact, the event raised funds to not only support Recipe for Success' mission, but also to restore Hope Farms following the historic weather event. Cavnar thanked McDugald Steele for donating a collection of Asian pear trees, sharing with the crowd that 100 percent of the citrus orchard and 50 percent of the other fruit trees were killed off this winter. More than half of the attendees agreed to underwrite new trees!
Delicious Alchemy also honored Peg Lee, a Houston culinary institution who cooked her way through kitchens across Houston and eventually launched Central Market's cooking school. It was announced on this night that Hope Farms' new classroom would be named after Lee.
Chef Charlie Ho
Councilman David Robinson presents proclamation to Peg Lee
David Garten, Suzanne and Jon Fain
Cocktails in the garden
Elizabeth and Bob Phillips
Ford Hubbard
Julia & Jason Woertink
Chef Sasha Grumman
Chefs cooking over live fire
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Christie Sullivan, Millette Sherman and Alissa Maples
Some 250 supporters donned seasonal finery to sip mint juleps and watch the Run for the Roses on multiple large screens. Medina Spirit won, as did guest who bet on him on the "racing wall." The prize was a gift card to IW Marks jewelers.
Chairs of the successful event were Alissa and Kevin Maples, Millette and Haag Sherman, and Christie and Mark Sullivan. Honorary Chairs included Paige Fertitta, Megan and Luke Hotze, Hannah and Cal McNair, Hallie Vanderhider, and Kelli and John Weinzierl.
Guests included Debbie Gregg, Fady Armanious, Bill Baldwin, Stacey and Al Lindseth, Jade and David Shine, Beth Wolff, Travis Torrence, Maria and Neil Bush, Julia and Harvin Lawhon, Tonja De Sloover and Adam Hricik.
In all, the Derby event raised more than $280,000 for Bo's Place, a nonprofitbereavement center that offers grief support services for children, families, and adults who have lost loved ones, at no cost.
Andrea Rigamanti, Erika Benz, Randi Raizner
Brooks Bently Gunst and Lila Sharifian
Carolyn Faulk and Missa Sutton
Cheryl Haseeb, Denise O' Brian, James and Nicole Lasseter
Cicely Reid and Travis Torrence
David Hartland, Megan and Jason Wilkins
Debbie Bernstein, Rozlyn Bazzelle, Bailey Dalton-Binion
Kelli and John Weinzierl
Mark and Christie Sullivan, Kevin and Alissa and Maples, Millette and Haag Sherman
Paige Fertitta and Deanna Barton
Stacey and Al Lindseth
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