Cooking for a Cause 2026
Monday, September 28th
In partnership with
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds!
Join us for an epic culinary showdown at Cooking for a Cause 2026, presented in partnership with the incredible Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery in Pasadena. This vibrant and flavorful evening promises to shed light on the pressing issue of food insecurity in our local community, all while raising crucial funds for Friends In Deed’s Food Pantry.
Watch as talented up-and-coming chefs work their magic, crafting delectable dishes using pantry staples and surprise “mystery” ingredients sourced from our very own FID Food Pantry. After an intense hour of culinary creativity, our panel of expert chef judges will crown the champion of Cooking for a Cause 2026!
Can’t attend the in-person event? No problem! You can watch the entire evening on our YouTube Livestream.
Let’s raise our forks, fill plates, and fight food insecurity together.
While our chefs are battling it out on stage at Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery, you can join the challenge from home.
Help us raise an additional $10,000 for the Food Pantry.
It costs just $70 to provide a family of four with groceries for one week.
Meet our 2026 Competitor Teams
Team 1
Daryl Baugh
Daryl’s love of cooking began in his mother’s kitchen, where he helped season meats and soak up the aromas of Sunday morning meals. Daryl is working toward his dream of becoming a private chef for athletes and can’t wait to bring his Jamaican-inspired dishes to the Cooking for a Cause stage.
Jasmin Stewart
Jasmin brings a passion for Southern comfort and Southwestern flavors to the table, with standout dishes like corn chowder and roasted pork loin with apple glaze. Her dream is to one day open a cooking school welcoming chefs of all abilities. She can’t wait to share her love of food with the Cooking for a Cause audience.
Team 2
Jasmine Nguyen
Jasmine’s love of cooking centers around Asian fusion flavors, and she’s set her sights on bringing her dishes to life through pop-up events. She’s excited to bring that same creative energy to the Cooking for a Cause competition.
Irene Tobias
Irene recently opened Cozy Nook Cafe, bringing her Hungarian roots and a passion for fresh, delicious, affordable food to the table, along with a talent for cooking just about anything. A proud supporter of local artists, Irene is excited to bring that same community spirit to the Cooking for a Cause competition.
Team 3
Diana Ramirez
Diana’s passion for pastry runs deep, from her love of turning simple ingredients into beautiful desserts to her signature tres leches cake, inspired by a trip to Mexico that connects her to her culture with every bite. With her sights set on a career in fine dining, Diana hopes to one day lead her own kitchen team and use food to bring people together and create lasting memories.
Ian Williams
A new Los Angeles transplant from the Bay Area, Ian brings a love of French and authentic cultural cuisine to the Cooking for a Cause kitchen, with his sights set on a future in banquets and catering. He’s excited to bring his growing culinary skills to this cooking showdown.
Meet our 2026 Chef Judges
Chef Onil Chibás
Le Cordon Bleu–trained Chef Onil Chibás has over two decades of culinary experience, including his tenure as chef-owner of Elements Café and Kitchen. At Deluxe 1717 in Northeast Pasadena, his menus showcase New American cuisine distinguished by Cuban roots, seasonal and local produce.
Chef Bret Thompson
Chef Bret Thompson is the chef and co-owner, alongside his wife Lucy, of Pez Cantina and Pez Coastal Kitchen, an iconic DTLA restaurant and its newer Old Pasadena seafood counterpart. A native Angeleno trained at the California Culinary Academy, Bret spent 11 years opening restaurants across the country for The Patina Group before launching his own ventures.
Lucas Tran & Binh Trinh
Winners of the 2025 Cooking for a Cause, team members Lucas Tran and Binh Trinh return this year as judges.
2026 Sponsorship Opportunities
Every dollar raised goes directly to our Food Pantry, Pasadena’s largest food bank.
As the cost of living keeps climbing, your sponsorship helps ensure our shelves stay stocked and our neighbors stay nourished. Join us as a partner in the fight against food insecurity.
Thank you to our Generous Sponsors
Sous Chef
Ursula Hyman
Pastry Chef
Pasadena Methodist Foundation / First United Methodist Church of Pasadena
Vicki Thompson
Vegetable Chef
Courtney Construction Inc
Robert Long
Pam Marx and Mark Goldstein
Mishele and Ben Myers
Susan Rogers
Sauté Chef
Bonnie Buratati and Kai Lam
The Hansen Family
Jackie Knowles
Sabrina Peck
Gerry Puhara and Russ Ferrante
Leslie White
Grill Chef
The Bourland Team | Compass Real Estate
Vipula Cunningham
Anne Ferree
Colleen Roohan
Bret Schaefer
Jennifer Thibault
Junior Chef
Mary Baxter
Lisa Begerow
Jeannine Bogaard
Kerin Cantwell
Hannah Coan
Carole Grant
Nishanthi Kurukulasuriya
Joan Laidig
Matthew Lewis
Sue Ohearn
Janice Ohta
Richard & Mariver Copeland
Elliot and Marcia Sainer
Tamara Silver
Justin and Corrie Tanous