Pathfinder Spotlight: Margie and Rodelio

In planning the Inca Trail contest we had pretty high hopes for our winners. Gregarious and adventurous, charismatic and substantive, we envisioned a Chef/Pathfinder duo equally comfortable scaling a mountain as posting to a blog. How fortunate for us, then, to have wound up with two such individuals possessing that rare combination of style and substance. Here's a quick look at Margie and Rodelio in action at the cookoff.

Chef Rodelio Aglibot 
It became clear early on that Chef Rodelio is quite comfortable holding forth on the subject of food. When a question is posed, he doesn't merely answer it. He delivers an insightful soliloquy in which he expounds such Zen-like tenets as, "Just cook," or "Just sit back and say, 'You know what? I'm gonna do a stewed chicken.'" He advises, when all else fails, to just call your mother for advice. But all this style and charisma belies a virtuosic command of his true art. And in fact, when the judges at the cookoff, faced with a masterful performance from all three chefs, decided amongst themselves to base their difficult decision solely on the food, ignoring any factors beyond the scope of the plate, one might have thought this disadvantageous for the style-heavy chef in the bright red coat, camera crew following his every move. Fortunately, as magnetic a personality as he is, Rodelio's gifts as a chef indeed outshine his skills as an orator. We couldn't have hoped for a better combination in our Peru-bound Chef, and we eager await discovering what culinary wonders the Food Buddha has in store for his fellow Inca Trail trekkers.

Margie Tosch
By the time Margie Tosch strolled into the lobby of Solvang's Hadsten House Inn to meet the gathering crowd of Pathfinder finalists and Firestone employees, many in the room already suspected that, considering her ubiquitous posts on our Facebook fan page detailing her every foggy morning hike and exquisite meal, she was the one to beat. After all, social networking is what she does. As the manager of the Wine and Hospitality Network, Margie clearly has the online thing down. But, as she amply proved at the cookoff, her skills are hardly limited to the digital realm. Whether chatting about her top-flight doggie boarding kennel (the guests have the option of a late-night snack), discussing her passion for the acrobatic arts (trapeze is more spiritual than physical), or bird-dogging the chefs, camera-phone at the ready, for a choice photo-op or insight into their intended dish, Margie was constantly engaged. When it came time to start cooking, she didn't let up a bit, making it clear that her front of the house hospitality is matched equally by her back of the house chops. Let's just say you don't want to be a bell pepper or hunk of bread when Margie's around. We're so excited to have the remarkable Ms. Tosch as our first ever Discoveries Pathfinder and can't wait to watch as the adventure unfolds further.

Pathfinder Chef Spotlight: Tim and Scott

As with our Pathfinders, the Chef finalists made it amply clear why they had made it so far in the competition. All three showed a level of enthusiasm and spirit beyond what we could have possibly hoped for, in addition to first class culinary skills. Fortunately for us, the incredibly difficult decision was in the hands of the judges with this one, and we did not envy their having to decide between three such remarkable competitors.

We wanted to take a moment to again thank our two runners-up, Tim Kirker and Scott Beale, for the incredible enthusiasm and skill they brought to the cookoff. Here are some short videos we put together of these amazing chefs in action.

Chef Tim Kirker
When Tim arrived in Solvang on that beautiful Central Californian Sunday, he was all smiles. Whether thrilled that the contest was finally upon us, or just excited to be off the plane and out of the 31-degrees-below-freezing Chicago winter, Chef Kirker's delight at being there was on full display. Once we arrived at the market, however, it was game time. And while his countenance clearly conveyed a focused intensity, the frequent reemergence of that warm smile and understated laugh was a subtle reminder that while the chef was certainly not taking the challenge lightly, he was undoubtedly enjoying every moment of it. In watching him explain the difference between a chive and a green onion to an El Rancho Market employee, or demonstrate the proper sizzle of a quinoa pancake in his role as patient mentor to his Pathfinder prep-chef Kim, Tim's deep passion for food was quite evident. His trail cooking experience was also clear from the cilantro-filled frisbees adorning his prep table and his intent to factor in the cool waters of the Rio Urubamba into his meal prep plan. We're extremely grateful to have had the chance to watch this passionate chef at work and sample his exquisite cuisine. Thanks Tim.


Chef Scott Beale
While Chef Scott Beale's infectious enthusiasm was clearly evident from the get-go, his gusto only amplified as the proceedings unfolded. A modest posse in tow, Scott took to the aisles of El Rancho Market like a man on a mission, methodically dispatching his accomplices to price-check mayo and procure armfuls of baguettes, yet never going long between jokes about the availability of hair-care products on the Inca Trail, or devising innovative methods of kicking things up a notch. This zeal didn't flag once the grills were fired up, and all that was needed to see Scott's eyes light up was to pose a question about those curiously flexible nonstick baking molds he employed. In fact, without those perpetually slick surfaces, Scott would likely not have even been present at the proceedings, as it was his development of this technology that led him from a career as a marine biologist, preventing zebra mussels from sticking to underwater pipelines, to his current calling as a chef, keeping filets from sticking to the grill. We'd like to take this moment to thank zebra mussels everywhere for their part in allowing this remarkable man to join us at the cookoff. And, of course, thank you Scott.

Pathfinder Spotlight: Kim and Chana

In whittling down the field in our Inca Trail contest from thousands of entries, to ten randomly drawn contestants, to three finalists, and finally to just one winner, the incredible degree of difficulty we faced in choosing a winning Pathfinder underscored just how fortunate we were to have had such an amazing group join us in Los Olivos for the final cookoff earlier this month. We were truly humbled by the kindness and enthusiasm of all three finalists, and as we could unfortunately pick only one winner, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to our two runners-up.

Kim Kulchicki
Soon after her arrival in Solvang, CA, Kim Kulchycki found herself clarifying the pronunciation of her name, for what was surely the thousandth time, by explaining that you simply say "Cool Chickie."  Apparently, this nickname (is it still a nickname if it's pronounced the same as your proper name?) has stuck with her, and it's no wonder why. Whether coolly yet enthusiastically explaining the commotion of our frenzied shopping spree to confused bystanders at El Rancho Market with a flurry of exuberant hand gestures or patiently observing Chef Tim Kirker demonstrate the art of quinoa-pancake frying before proceeding to produce a gorgeous pile of golden-brown hotcakes, Kim brought to the cookoff a genuine warmth and understated charisma. It was a true pleasure indeed to have met Ms. Kulchycki, and we're incredibly fortunate to have had her as one of our Pathfinders.

Lotchana Sourivong
Despite a canceled flight which forced her to miss much of the first day, Chana arrived Sunday evening in typically high spirits and wasted no time getting herself into the swing of things. The following morning she proved a terrific addition to Team Rodelio, bringing an effervescent personality and warm smile to the table, as well as impressive culinary skills which belied her lack of formal training. She made quick work of the mountain of potatoes she had been tasked to slice, all the while laughing and chatting away with anyone fortunate enough to pause by her station and, of course, never breaking from that infectious smile. We're very lucky to have had Ms. Sourivong as one of our Pathfinders, and we'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her in the future, as she currently has plans to start a cooking blog in which she'll take over her friends' kitchens and elucidate them on the finer points Laos cuisine. Best of luck, Lotchana!