Snyder cooks her way to the semifinals international “Favorite Chef”

What started as a late-night scroll through Facebook has turned into a life-changing journey for Pie Town resident Kelly Snyder, a self-taught chef, homesteader and full-time master’s student who was recently a semifinalist in the national Colossal’s Favorite Chef competition.

The competition, which is a fundraiser for the James Beard Foundation, began during the pandemic to keep the culinary spirit alive when traditional cooking contests were shut down.

The competition gives contestants the chance to present signature dishes to celebrity judges, including Chef Andrew Zimmern. Snyder submitted a dish of rabbit—raised and processed on her property—prepared two ways: grilled with a rosemary turmeric brine and a zesty homemade barbecue sauce made from apples and plums.

“I was up late one night, couldn’t sleep, and stumbled across the contest,” Snyder said. “They asked for photos of your food, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ A week later, I was invited to compete.”

Snyder submitted simple snapshots of her meals—many served on paper plates, she noted, because she didn’t have fancy dishware. Despite the humble presentation, her hearty home-cooked meals—like homemade lobster ravioli, grilled steak, and casseroles made on an outdoor grill—caught the judges’ attention. Her creative approach to outdoor cooking, born of necessity in her off-grid lifestyle, has propelled her past tens of thousands of hopefuls. From over 75,000 initial contestants divided into 1,200 groups, Snyder made it into the top 20 and then the top 15 in her group.

As of May 28, she was holding 11th place in her group with just one day left in the semifinals. Only the top competitor from each group will advance to the finals.

“It’s been amazing to have the support of people I don’t even know—from across the county and online,” Snyder said. “I may not have the most professional photos or equipment, but I think people connect with the realness.”

Raised as a self proclaimed latchkey kid, Snyder learned to cook early on out of necessity. Since moving to New Mexico in 2010, she has combined her culinary passion with community service—organizing and cooking free holiday meals for the homeless through the Belen Moose Lodge and other organizations.

Her love for cooking endured through hardship. In 2020, her family’s home exploded due to a gas leak while they were away. Miraculously, no one was hurt. With only 35 feet of roof left, the family rebuilt the trailer into a tiny home and continued their homesteading life.

“We’ve been homesteading for 14 years,” Snyder said. “We live off-grid. No big solar system—just little power boxes. I cook on a wood stove and a grill.”

Now living on a property near Pie Town, Snyder continues her culinary creativity despite limited resources. “I want to write a cookbook for low-cost, outdoor family cooking,” she said. “We’ve lost the family dinner table. Cooking together and eating together builds community.”

Editor’s Note: On Tuesday Snyder reported she did not make the finals.

“But it was a hell of a ride. So much community support and love.” Snyder said.