Chef Instructor & Catering Team, Santa Barbara
Chef Leslie Arnette, Pastry, Baking & Savory
"Cooking is a language taught by seasons, cultures, and a hefty dose of trial and error. Trust your palette and trust the process." -Chef Leslie Arnette
Chef Leslie has 15 years professional cooking experience, and continues to learn every day, reading cookbooks, researching recipes and techniques, writing and rewriting her own recipes as they get better and better.
Leslie was inspired to attend SBCC Culinary in 2009 by a trip to Europe at age 23, finding there was this whole world of food she had yet to explore. She went full immersion for 2 years, attending college in the mornings and often going straight to restaurant jobs at night and on weekends. There, she found a passion for bread, baking her way through multiple bread books. Later, armed with a well aged sourdough starter, she would start a side business in 2018 called The Bread Box, setting up tables at local markets and selling on the weekends. She has incorporated her own bread and pastry recipes into many of the restaurants she has worked with. Her recipes appeared on the covers of Edible magazine and Ventana in 2021.
Starting in 2016, she began at Paradise Pantry in Ventura, under Chef Kelly Briglio, where she found access to the highest quality ingredients she had ever worked with, from the best imported cheeses to local caviar and true farm to table food. Working her way to kitchen manager, she helped to create some staple menu items including gnocchi, flatbread and English muffins, to name a few.
During her culinary journey, she found time to start raising a family, and is mother to two amazing daughters, ages 8 and 11. She couldn't do any of this without the support of her husband Andy, mother Karen, and late stepfather Jerry.
Over the last few years, she has really found her passion for teaching. It is the "Ah-ha" moment for a student that is so gratifying to see. To Chef Leslie, cooking brings people together, brings everyone closer to nature, and is a bridge between all cultures.
Chef Randi Sullivan
Though Randi has always struggled with “knowing what she wants to be when she grows up”, her passion for cooking has never changed. It started when she was a kid and would watch cooking legends on tv, such as Emeril Lagasse and Julia Childs, with her dad.
After deciding to return to civilian life after doing six years in the United States Navy, Randi used her military education benefit to complete her B.S. in Computer Information Systems at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Since she still had some tuition availability left, she decided to pursue culinary school for “fun”. She attended the Institute of Culinary Education in Pasadena, CA and graduated with highest honors. She followed on to complete her externship with the Four Seasons. While navigating various culinary routes, such as an externship on a food truck and weekly meal prepping for service members and spouses, Randi is excited to join HEAT to fulfill the love she’s always had in the kitchen and share her passion with others.
Chef Eileen Foster Randall, Pastry & Savory
After culinary school in San Francisco and several years of working in great restaurants, hotels, and catering companies in SF & LA, Eileen returned to Santa Barbara where she owned a wedding cake and dessert catering company specializing in classic American desserts for 13 years. After closing Bella Dolce Bakery in 2010, Eileen switched from sweets to savory and has been a private chef for clients in Montecito, and a chef backstage at the Santa Barbara Bowl serving artists and crew.
In 2018 Chef Ramon Velazquez invited her to develop desserts for Corazón Cocina, his incredibly popular restaurant within the Santa Barbara Public Market. The opportunity to combine her deep love of Mexico and Mexican cuisine with a return to working with pastry has been a dream come true. In 2021 Chef Eileen created a new company, La Condesa Baking Company, to continue to provide Corazon Cocina and their new coffee shop Little Heart Cafecito with desserts. Corazon Cocina has several other restaurants in development, due to open in 2022. Chef Eileen is excited to join Heat Culinary as an instructor, looking forward to sharing her love of chocolate and desserts with students.
Chef Barb Kilroy, Savory & Teen Cooking
While working full time, as both a pediatric nurse and practicing as a trial attorney for 30 years - Chef Barb’s primary interest and passion has always been in cooking. While self-taught, she has been honing her culinary skills for many years to the delight of her family and friends with her “always homemade” cuisine. Barb recently retired and is redirecting her life to allow her to pursue her lifelong passion for cooking. She is an active volunteer with the Santa Barbara Food Bank and teaches the “Teens Love Cooking” program at multiple Girls’ Inc. locations. Chef Barb’s “learn by doing” attitude closely aligns with the HEAT Culinary program. She is looking forward to sharing her passion for cooking with HEAT and we’re so happy to have her join us as an instructor.
Chef Efe Onoglu, Savory Cooking
Efe Onoglu, a skilled chef hailing from both Turkish and Greek origins, is the visionary behind Aegean Neotaverna. With a globetrotting journey that has spanned over 15 years, Efe has honed his expertise in the culinary arts. His educational background includes graduation from Cordon Bleu in Cape Town, South Africa. Throughout his career, Efe has had the privilege of working alongside esteemed mentors such as Luke Dale Roberts, Margot Janse, Michael Mina, and Jose Andres.
Enriched by his extensive travels and the diverse individuals he encountered, Efe discovered a remarkable amalgamation of familiar comforts during his time in Santa Barbara. This city, characterized by its aspirational ambiance and bountiful agricultural landscape, became the canvas for his aspirations. Efe recognized the city's openness to the unexplored and saw it as the ideal community to share the vibrant narratives and delectable tastes of his Greek and Turkish heritage.