You could say Latin Chef Aaron Sanchez has cooking in his blood. Chef Sanchez inherited his love for cooking from his mother, renowned restaurateur and award-winning cookbook author, Zarela Martinez and her famous celebrity chef mentor, Paul Prudhomme.

After working for Chef Prudhomme for several years, Aaron went on to study culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University before moving to New York City where he went on to open two restaurants and to become a widely known television personality.

Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez has appeared on of Iron Chef America, where his battle against critically acclaimed Chef Masaharu Morimoto ended in a draw in a Season 2 episode. He was also a contestant on The Next Iron Chef and has appeared on the shows Heat Seekers, Chefs vs. City, The Best Thing I Ever Ate and is a recurring judge on Chopped and he also competed on Chopped All Stars in 2011. Aarón Sánchez is chef and partner of Paloma in Stamford, Conn., and Johnny Sánchez, with locations in Baltimore and New Orleans, alongside friend and colleague John Besh. He is the host of Cooking Channel’s Emmy Award-nominated, Taco Trip.

Chef Sanchez has received numerous awards and recognition, including the National Award at the Flavors of Passion Awards, the Time Out New York award for Best New Lower East Side Restaurant, one of People Magazine’s and People En Español’s 50 Most Beautiful People, as well as a nomination by the James Beard Foundation as the Rising Star Chef of the Year.

In addition to being a television personality and restaurateur, Chef Sanchez is also an author and entrepreneur. In 2011, he was chosen as the spokesperson for Bud Light’s Amigos y Carne Asada national grilling campaign. He has published two books and has also designed his own signature chef shoe line for MOZO Shoes.