MasterChef fans have come to know Aarón Sánchez, who made his debut as judge in 2017 at the start of the shows eighth season. However, he was far from an unfamiliar face to fans of foodie television. Prior to joining MasterChef, Sánchez had appeared in numerous series on the Food Network and other outlets. According to his IMDb page, hes headlined such shows as Chefs vs. City, Unique Eats, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Heat Seekers, Taco Trip, and Guilty Pleasures. Other series have included Chopped (and spinoffs Chopped Junior and Chopped After Hours), while hes also expanded his MasterChef role from the original to MasterChef Junior.
Of course, someone doesnt just wake up one morning and become a celebrity chef. The son of trailblazing chef Zarela Martinez, Sánchez trained under a legendary New Orleans chef before he eventually opened New York City eatery Paladar (he sold his interest in that restaurant in 2010) and Mexican restaurant Johnny Sanchez in New Orleans.
Despite being a near-ubiquitous presence on television since the late 2000s, theres much that fans of this talented chef, entrepreneur, and TV personality may not know about him. Continue reading to discover the untold truth of MasterChefs Aarón Sánchez.
Aarón Sánchez’s mother and grandmother inspired the MasterChef judge’s love of cooking
When Aarón Sánchez was just three years old, the MasterChef judge told Latin Trends, his mother, Zarela Martinez, divorced his father and opened her own catering business. That humble venture, he explained, led to her “becoming the most recognized Mexican chef in the country.” She did this, he explained, by recreating the recipes she learned from her mother, Aida Gabilondo, whose cookbook, Mexican Family Cooking, was published in 1986.
In an interview with The Austin American-Statesman , Sánchez shared the most important piece of advice he received from his mom. “Develop your own style,” he recalled her telling him. Advising him to not “regurgitate” what hed learned, she encouraged him to work with “a bunch of different chefs that have different styles and cultural points of view, and then disseminate that to find your own culinary voice.”
As Sánchez told Refinery Times, he feels like hes come full circle, finding himself returning to his mothers and grandmothers recipes after decades spent “trying to reinvent everything and make all my dishes new and unique.” Moving away from more avant-garde cuisine and back toward traditional recipes, he explained, feels like “honoring my legacy through keeping these recipes alive.”
How a trailblazing New Orleans chef inspired Aarón Sánchez’s passion for food
One figure who loomed large in the life of Aarón Sánchez was legendary New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. A key figure in popularizing the distinctive cuisine of the Big Easy, Prudhomme was a mentor and father figure to the young Sánchez when he began pursuing a career as a professional chef.
As Sánchez told InsideHook , he had been hanging out with “a bad element” as a teenager when his mother, in “a sort of intervention,” called on Prudhomme to take her son under his wing and guide him. The lessons he learned from Prudhomme — who passed away in 2015 — set the aspiring young chef on the path to success. “He was a big force in my life. I wouldnt be successful if he hadnt taught me to taste food properly,” explained Sánchez, describing Prudhomme as “arguably the most recognized chef” of his time in America. “His whole thing was layering flavors and how seasoning affected food. He really taught me how to think, and develop my palate. He was a man of very few words but, boy, when he talked, you listened.”
Here’s The Truth About MasterChef’s Aaron Sanchez
FAQ
What happened to chef Aaron on Chopped?
Is Aaron Sanchez on Food Network?
Who owns Johnny Sánchez?
Who is Aaron Sanchez on choppedseason5?
ChoppedSeason5 featured a new professional chef, Aaron Sanchez, as the competitor. Sanchez started off on the show by winning a first-place trophy in the Culinary Race. He then proceeded to win three other trophies in the course of the season.
What did you not know about Aaron Sanchez?
Over the course of his career, Aaron has appeared on several shows including Chopped, MasterChef and Iron Chef America. Although he is widely regarded for his Mexican food, Aaron Sanchez has proven that he can make just about anything. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Aaron Sanchez. 1. He’s A Big Music Fan
Who is MasterChef judge Aarón Sánchez?
MasterChef fans have come to know Aarón Sánchez , who made his debut as judge in 2017 at the start of the show’s eighth season. However, he was far from an unfamiliar face to fans of foodie television. Prior to joining MasterChef, Sánchez had appeared in numerous series on the Food Network and other outlets.
What’s going on with Aaron Sanchez?
The Mets have avoided the worst with the centerfielder, who left a Grapefruit League game with an ankle injury Friday night. Imaging showed taken Saturday morning showed a low-grade sprain to his right knee and ankle and he’s considered week-to-week.