Alejandro Valdivia, a Season 11 participant, will return to the MasterChef Season 12 kitchen on May 25, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET. The Primetime Emmy-winning program will feature 20 MasterChef alumni fighting for the crown and $250,000 in prize money. The Atlanta native, a professional animal trainer, was the first season 11 participant to be rescued despite being in the bottom more than twice. He finished fourth in the previous season of the program.
Alejandro Valdivia From MasterChef Season 12
Alejandro Valdivia immigrated to the United States after growing up in a destitute Cuban household. Valdivia and his family immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1994 when his mother won a visa lottery run by the United States government. The family went to the new nation after completing all of the paperwork, which took about a year and a half.
Valdivia’s culinary obsession began when he relocated to Miami and began experimenting with different recipes. He told Atlanta Intown and Reporter Newspapers:
“I spent much of my time at home alone, watching cookery programs.” And I attempted to make meals out of whatever we had in the fridge.”
After racing the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta roughly 11 years ago, he chose to relocate to Sandy Springs. He just “fell in love with the cuisine and the people” and decided to relocate his own animal trainer firm, AV Dog Training, with him.
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The MasterChef journey of Alejandro Valdivia
Valdivia’s love of cooking inspired him to compete in season 11 of the program, where he wowed the judges with his culinary abilities. Valdivia prepared fresh herb-crusted lamb chops for judges Aaron Sanchez, Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsay, and Joe Bastianich in the first round. The judges were blown away by his flavorful meal and instantly granted him the apron. He was the first season participant to earn an apron. He stated:
“I’m from Cuba, and I’ve never seen so much food in my life.” The hues, the aromas. It’s incredible. It’s as if you just have one shot and want to make the most of it.”
The chef is a “huge meat man” who enjoys cooking wild games such as duck, octopus, and venison. He returned to his career as a professional animal trainer after his MasterChef stint and continued his culinary quest. He often posts images of delectable delicacies on his Instagram account, which has 8,737 followers as of this writing. The chef has also starred in the films Ultimate Beastmaster (2017) and Power (2017). (2014).
Tune in to Fox on Wednesday to see Valdivia return to the MasterChef kitchen with other contenders. After the episode airs on the channel, it will also be available on the network’s website. Season 12 is also available via live streaming providers such as Sling, DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Philo, and YouTube TV.
