Twelve culinary talents are making waves as they embark on a life-changing adventure in Puglia, southern Italy's coastal paradise. From mastering the art of Italian cooking to competing for the coveted title on Food Network's "Ciao House" Season 2, these chefs are set to redefine gastronomic excellence. One of these contestants is South Florida native Ivan Barros, who joined Inside South Florida to share his journey.
Ivan explained his motivation for joining the show: "I just wanted to take a leap of faith. When I first started cooking, I really was one of those cooks who would just have their head down and work through the ranks. I just took a chance. They found me, luckily, through Instagram. And then I said, you know, why not? Let's take the chance. At the very least I can go to Italy and see something new and meet new people."
Competing on "Ciao House" presented several challenges for Ivan. "I think the biggest challenge was getting to know the kitchen itself. We cook in the same kitchen every day. But even being in there, you think you know where something is but the adrenaline's pumping, you're running around, and you're like, ‘Oh, I think this pan is in the drawer,’ and you open the same drawer six times looking for stuff. You’re just so frazzled. So, trying to stay level headed and trying to actually remember where all the equipment is, was definitely one of the biggest challenges," he shared.
Participating in "Ciao House" has given Ivan a broader audience and a chance to showcase his true self. "People do competitions and don't get a chance to represent their true self. And lucky for me, a lot of people, friends, and family have reached out and have thanked me for just being myself, which is something that I don't really think about. I know others struggle with that from time to time. I'm just glad that I was able to represent myself in my truest expression," he said.
Back home in South Florida, Ivan is making a mark as the executive chef at Amara at Paraiso in Edgewater. The restaurant is owned and operated by Chef Michael Schwartz, a James Beard Award-winning chef known for his longstanding presence in Miami's food scene with Michael's Genuine.
Since returning to Miami from Los Angeles, Ivan has been busy with new menu items and various culinary events. "We're doing so many different things. This weekend, we have one of the world's best restaurants in Uruguay coming to do a pop up this weekend... And then we're in the midst of doing an Amara’s friends dinner series that we represent different countries. Last month we did Cuba. This month we did Peru. Next month, we're doing Colombia, then Puerto Rico and Mexico," Ivan shared enthusiastically.
For those interested in following Ivan’s culinary journey, you can find him on Instagram at @chefivanb. Catch Ivan and the other talented chefs on "Ciao House," airing on Food Network and streaming on Max.
