The Characters

Chairman: Mark Dacascos

Mark has appeared in a wide variety of feature films during the course of his career. Among his credits are the internationally acclaimed French epic Brotherhood of the Wolf, Cradle to the Grave in which he stars opposite Jet Li, Only the Strong, in which he plays a capoeira instructor, the global cult favorite Drive and the indie film, Only the Brave, which explores the story of the Japanese-American Battalion who so valiantly fought in WWII, and is scheduled for release later this year.

Mark also stars in the period piece Nomad, which was filmed in Kazakhstan over a two-year period. Picked up by former Miramax president Harvey Weinstein on the opening day of this year's Cannes Film festival, the picture had a major event theatrical release in the spring of 2006.

Mark's passion for the Martial Arts began at an early age under the tutelage of his parents. His father, Al Dacascos is the founder of the martial art, Wun Hop Kuen Do, and his mother, Malia Bernal, was the first woman to grace the cover of Black Belt magazine. Both are former national champions who still teach.

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Commentator: Alton Brown

Alton Brown's flair in the kitchen developed early with guidance from his mother and grandmother, a budding culinary talent he skillfully used later "as a way to get dates" in college. Switching gears as an adult, Alton spent a decade working as a cinematographer and video director, but realized that he spent all his time between shoots watching cooking shows which he found to be dull and uninformative. Convinced that he could do better, Alton left the film business and moved to Vermont to train at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt. Soon after, Alton tapped all of his training to create Good Eats, a smart and entertaining food show that blends wit with wisdom, history with pop culture and science with common cooking sense. Alton not only writes and produces the shows but also stars in each offbeat episode on Food Network.

Alton Brown's first book, I'm Just Here for the Food (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2002) won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Cookbook in the Reference category, was one of the bestselling cookbooks of 2002 and has sold over 300,000 copies to date. It was also chosen by Amazon.com as one of the top 50 books of 2002 by both editors and readers. Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen, his long-awaited homage to tools and gadgetry, was published by STC in September 2003 and was nominated for both a James Beard Award for Best Cookbook in the Tools & Techniques category and an IACP Cookbook Award in the Food Reference/Technical category. Gear is an essential guide to all the "hardware" you need in the kitchen. Packed with practical advice and tips, this book takes a look at what's needed and what isn't, what works and what doesn't.

Alton's third book, on baking, I'm Just Here for More Food, hit bookstores in November 2004 and has since gone on to become a New York Times bestseller.

Alton's newest series, Feasting On Asphalt , features Alton with only his motorcycle, a few buddies and the clothes on his back, taking a nostalgic trip across the country to rediscover the disappearing people, places and stories of great American road food. Feasting On Asphalt merges a little Easy Rider with good eats and great tales from our road food's past and present, while preserving the map for its future.

For more information on Alton Brown, visit www.altonbrown.com.

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Floor Reporter: Kevin Brauch

Since graduating from Canada's Ryerson University in Toronto, Kevin Brauch has kept busy as a radio host, television host, writer, actor and TV producer. But it was his seven-year stint as a bartender in Toronto, wowing local customers, which got him interested in the food and beverage world. Today, armed with a backpack and a terrific thirst for adventure, Kevin shamelessly asserts that he's got the best job in the world as host of The Thirsty Traveler on the Fine Living network. He travels the planet drinking the world's finest spirits, wines, beers and eating the best food imaginable. It's a tailor-made job if there ever was one.

Kevin stays fit by mountain biking, triathlon training and playing year-round ice hockey. Guilty pleasures include a steadily growing wine cellar, CD shopping and sneaking out of work mid-afternoon for a trip down to the pub for a pint and to cheer on the Arsenal Gunners Football Club of London, England.

Kevin's latest adventure takes him into the fire of Kitchen Stadium at Food Network, where he can be seen as the knowledgeable (and brave) floor reporter of Iron Chef America: The Series.

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