Chef de Tucson: Danny Perez, Signature Grill at JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass

As a child, the kitchen was the center of Danny Perez‘s home.

“Every party was in the kitchen, every family meeting was in the kitchen,” says Perez, the executive chef at JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa’s Signature Grill and a contender in this weekend’s Iron Chef Tucson competition.

So it isn’t surprising he made food his career.

Perez grew up in Mexico City, and often stood at the elbow of his grandmothers as they whipped together enticing meals.

But it was when he moved to this country that he gained a sophistication about food and cooking.

“When I came to the states I was 10, and I began to understand the difference between culture and food,” he says. “It was fun to realize all the new flavors.”

He was 16 when he snagged his first job in a restaurant — as a dishwasher. “Within a year, I was in the kitchen,” says Perez.

“I was having fun. As a teen nothing engages as much as fun and friends, and I had both.”

He graduated from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in 2001, and worked at a few small resorts. He started at the Marriott when it opened in 2005.

This weekend he vies for the title of Iron Chef Tucson, competing against John Hohn, executive chef at Gringo’s Grill & Cantina Restaurant and the reigning Iron Chef.

His strategy?

“To be myself and cook what I know how to cook,” he says. “I want to cook what I would eat.”

We had a few other questions for Perez:

What three items will we always find in your ‘fridge?

“Limes, horseradish, and some kind of fish.”

Is there a spice you can’t live without?

“Ginger. Fresh ginger.”

When home and kicking back, what do you like to cook?

“I like simple stuff. Ceviche, fish tacos — a lot of seafood.”

What is your favorite kitchen tool?

“My knife. I can do everything with that thing.”