With a background in both southern and Panamanian cuisine, Josh Marks has taken an unconventional route to his career as a fine dining chef.  Marks, who played collegiate basketball in college (Tougaloo, Miss. College) while studying economics and business administration, opted to go a different direction with his career—into the kitchen. The self-taught chef recently was a finalist on Fox Broadcasting’s “MasterChef,” where he received international acclaim for his use of explosive flavors and unique dishes.

He credits his time in college to the creative side of the dishes he makes now and to all the time he spent traveling with friends. While in school and living on a college student budget he would take the average everyday Hamburger Helper and make it culinary treat that would have his friends in aww.

Upon completion of college Josh earned his degree and had self taught himself into the creative culinary artist that you see be for you. To perfect his passion for food he, studied recipes, watched YouTube videos, and every cooking show that was on TV and would re-create the dishes with his own twist.

Deciding to take a chance and put his culinary skills to the test Josh where competed and beat out more than 30,000 contestants, some of them highly trained, to land a slot on this season’s “MasterChef,” Fox TV’s fierce cook-off competition. Josh finished second place and now he starting his own brand iShootOnions where he mixes his love for sports and food. Josh attributes all his culinary talent to God and keeps family first!