Chef Pedro Alaniz was born in Jalisco, Mexico, into a large family that consisted of eleven siblings. He decided to migrate to the United States of America to follow “The American Dream”, which caused much hardship and strain on his family at the young age of fifteen. In order to cross over into California, he had to endure living in the mountains until he was able to get into the United States. When he finally reached California, he settled and worked in an agriculturally rich part of the state, picking the vegetables from the fields when in season. He was determined to find more work to continue to provide for his family because of the unpredictable hours in the fields. He was given the opportunity to work as a dishwasher and night cleaner at The Lodge at Pebble Beach while simultaneously attending early scheduled school to learn the English language. Although it was strenuous work, he did so in order to provide financial stability and funding for his siblings’ education. He worked hard for three months and quickly earned a promotion into line cook. He strived for further advancement and gained a job at club XIX. At the five-star restaurant, he learned to cook under the apprenticeship of Bradley Jones, known for his cooking skills, and Ricardo Murillo, known for both his bakery and pastry skills.
Being as motivated as he is, Pedro sought for more. At age 23, he found the opportunity to move to the east coast where he would begin his career as a pastry chef at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. There, he gained his full potential and was inspired by the vibrant state allowing him to gain numerous job opportunities and networking skills. For instance, while working at Cheeca Lodge in Isla Morada, multiple events were held, such as the Delta Airlines seafood show, international renowned chef expos, and a fishing tournament, where he had the honor to cook for President George W. Bush. Thanks to such events, he was invited to cook for the President at the White House. With the confidence and skills Chef Pedro gained in Florida, he moved to Massachusetts to work. He alternated between Boston working at prudential building for the Top of the Hub restaurant, and Cape Cod, at the Chatham Bars Inn and The Beacon where he specialized in Mediterranean cuisine.
“Representing Diaz Foods at their Fall Festival was one of the best experiences I have ever had. The VP of Marketing, Antonio Casas took time to introduce us to everyone and made us feel special, it was like a Christmas Holiday Party and we were the guests! My experience cooking with top products from La Cena for the store demos, VIP dinner and actual show made each recipe special and delicious.” commented Chef Pedro.
In the year 2000, Chef Pedro reached another huge milestone in his career, he inaugurated his first restaurant, Beethoven 5th in Florida city. Here he served a fusion of Mexican European cuisine for his loving clientele. Due to his success, Chef Alaniz was then requested to work for intercontinental hotel in Dubai in the middle east. He then went into a vigorous training in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu culinary art institute, on French cuisine. After he received his degree, he returned back to his Roots in Florida to work for the Everglades Club, an exclusive five-star restaurant Café L Europe and other exclusive country clubs in Palm Beach. Shortly after, Pedro partnered with a colleague to open up Puerto Vallarta restaurant in Redlands Miami, FL.
Chef Pedro Alaniz is currently pursuing other projects in production and journalism for gastronomy. He appears in Univision on Despierta America where he demonstrates his many delicious recipes from around the world to educate his audience. He produced shows for Orale Con Veronica for Telemundo in Boston and made appearances in live two hour shows at Hola Florida in Palm Beach. In partnership with Addiel Perera, he is currently producing his own show on Estrella TV in West Palm Beach, FL and the 10 countries that surround South Florida and will eventually also air in English. He is host to two radio show, Sabores del Mundo in Florida, and Somos Tu Mundo in Boston. He also writes articles on food for Extra, El Migrante, Action, Guide Me, Sabor Hispano, 360 Degrees and Dreams, where he shares his recipes to the public around the world. Finally, Chef Alaniz is working on writing his own recipe book.
Overall, Chef Pedro Alaniz maintains his hard work ethic and continues to strive for more. He was given the opportunity to work in a career that he loves with a passion and intends on showing the world what he can do.