John Pace | Head Chef | Recipe Developer | Midwestern Food Champion | Age 33

Hanover, Indiana-based culinary creator who believes that great cooking doesn’t require fancy ingredients—just good technique, honest flavors, and recipes you can count on.

My Story

I didn’t come from a family of cooks. I came from a family of eaters—the kind of Midwestern household where Sunday dinners were sacred, casseroles were a love language, and nobody left the table hungry. My mom worked two jobs, so cooking was about efficiency and making sure five kids were fed, not culinary artistry. But watching her turn a pound of ground beef, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and whatever vegetables we had into something that brought us all together? That was magic in its own way.

I got into cooking almost by accident. At sixteen, I needed a job, and the only place hiring was a local diner. I started as a dishwasher and worked my way up to the line, learning from a gruff old cook named Ray, who taught me that timing, temperature, and giving a damn were more important than expensive ingredients. After high school, instead of college, I went to culinary school in Indianapolis. My family thought I was crazy, but something about the structure, the precision, the transformation of ingredients into something greater—it just clicked.

The Turning Point

The moment that changed everything happened four years ago at a farm-to-table restaurant in Louisville, where I’d become head chef. I’d built a menu I was proud of—seasonal, local, and Instagram-worthy. Then one night during service, I overheard a couple at table twelve. The woman said to her husband, “This is beautiful, but I’d never be able to make anything like this at home.” Something about that comment hit me hard.

I spent years learning to cook at a high level, but who was I cooking for? People who could afford $40 entrees once a month? What about everyone else—people like my mom, like my neighbors in Hanover, like the version of me who grew up thinking restaurant food was a different universe? I realized I’d learned all these skills and techniques, but I was keeping them locked behind kitchen doors instead of sharing them with people who could actually use them.

That weekend, I drove home to Indiana and spent the entire visit teaching my younger sister how to make restaurant-quality meals with Kroger ingredients. Watching her confidence grow as she nailed a perfect pan sauce and seeing her face light up when the dish actually worked—that’s when I knew what I needed to do. Within three months, I’d launched PedroRecipes.com, dedicated to translating professional techniques into recipes that work in real kitchens for real people.

What I Learned the Hard Way

Starting a recipe platform while still working as head chef almost broke me. I was testing recipes at midnight, photographing food at 6 AM before my shift, and writing instructions on my phone during prep breaks. I burned out hard within six months, got sloppy at work, and nearly lost both my restaurant job and my website before I admitted I couldn’t do everything.

I also had to learn that my perspective as a professional chef wasn’t always helpful. My first recipes assumed everyone had sharp knives, knew how to brunoise an onion, and owned a kitchen scale. The feedback humbled me fast. I realized that if I wanted to actually help people cook better, I needed to meet them where they were—not where I thought they should be. I had to test recipes with basic equipment, write for varying skill levels, and remember that not everyone has two hours to spend on a Tuesday dinner.

My Approach Now

These days, I focus exclusively on PedroRecipes.com, creating recipes that bridge professional techniques with home kitchen realities. Every recipe gets tested at least three times in my home kitchen in Hanover—standard stove, basic pots and pans, and ingredients from the grocery store twenty minutes away. I time everything realistically and include both shortcuts and more involved options, so you can choose what works for your schedule.

I’m especially passionate about Midwestern cooking—not the stereotypical “bland” version people joke about, but the hearty, resourceful, make-it-work food that this region does so well. I love showing people how to elevate comfort food classics using techniques from my restaurant training or how to take intimidating “fancy” recipes and adapt them for a Tuesday night in Indiana.

What I Believe

• Anyone can cook at a high level with the right guidance. You don’t need culinary school—you need clear instructions and someone who believes in you.
• Regional ingredients deserve respect. The Midwest grows incredible produce, raises great livestock, and has food traditions worth celebrating.
• Technique matters more than tools. A sharp $20 knife beats a dull $200 knife every time.
• Recipes should scale to your life. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a family of six, the recipe should work.
• Confidence comes from repetition, not perfection. Make the recipe, learn from it, and make it again better.

How I Can Help You

Through PedroRecipes.com, I publish new recipes twice a week, ranging from quick weeknight meals to ambitious weekend projects. Each recipe includes detailed instructions, common mistakes to avoid, and pro tips I’ve learned from years in professional kitchens. I organize everything by cooking time, skill level, and occasion, so you can find exactly what you need when you need it.

I also create video tutorials breaking down specific techniques—how to get a proper sear, why your sauce broke and how to fix it, and the difference between sautéing and pan-frying. These aren’t fancy productions; they’re real cooking with real explanations. And for people who want more hands-on help, I offer virtual cooking classes where we work through recipes together, troubleshooting in real time.

My mission is simple: help you cook better food with more confidence, using what you have and what you can get.

A Little More About Me

When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll find me at the Ohio River, fishing or just clearing my head. I’m an obsessive collector of cast iron cookware—I’ve got pieces dating back to the 1800s that I’ve restored and actually use. I play guitar badly but enthusiastically, and I’m convinced that cooking and music follow a lot of the same rules about timing and intuition.

I live with my girlfriend and our rescue mutt, who’s convinced that every ingredient that hits the floor is meant for him. On weekends, I love hitting up small-town diners across Southern Indiana and Kentucky, studying how they do classic dishes and talking to cooks who’ve been doing this for decades.

Let’s Connect

I’d love to hear from you, whether you tried one of my recipes and want to share how it went, have questions about a technique, or just want to talk food. I answer every email personally because this

Get In Touch

Email: john@pedrorecipes.com
Instagram: instagram.com/john.pace24