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Food Network's new series, Ciao House, is all set to take 10 talented chefs to Italy. Premiering on Sunday, April 16, the show will feature an intense cooking battle between the contestants as they aim to prepare the best Italian dishes possible. The twist of the competition - the chefs will have to live together in one home and make alliances or rivalries with each other.
The season is being judged and hosted by world-renowned chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini. The last standing chef whose dishes impress the judges will win "an immersive culinary education with renowned master chefs across Italy."
Meet the contestants of Ciao House
Corey Becker: @coreytylerbecker
Cory had to cook out of necessity as a young child growing up with a single mother. This led him to find his passion early in life as he enrolled in culinary school. He loves Italian food and works as a chef at Vics. He has been employed by many popular New York restaurants but his dream is to open his own eatery on the Amalfi coast of Italy.
Jess Mahoney: Not on Instagram
Jess was raised by a single parent and attended a culinary school in New York. Apart from being a chef, she has also been a butcher in the past and enjoys skateboarding. Jess owns a bar in Mexico and has worked in fine-dining restaurants during the course of her career. The Ciao House contestant is all set to bring a touch of California to all of her Italian dishes.
Justin Robinson: @chef.jrob
Justin discovered his love for food when he was studying to become a surgical physician assistant, cooking in a hot skillet in his dorm. He told his parents about his love of cooking on the day he graduated and recently married the daughter of an Italian chef.
The private chef wishes to launch his own Italian restaurant on a property the family recently purchased.
Matt Wasson: @matt_wasson_
Matt grew up in a Sicilian family and making pasta is his “true passion.” He used to wake up early to help his grandmother make Sunday dinner when he was younger and has since worked in many top-notch restaurants.
Wasson is currently a private chef and teaches cooking to young students. The Ciao House contestant wants to open his own Italian restaurant and serve families and teach them how to cook, just like his grandmother did.
Natalia Rosario: @nataliaboa
Originally from Puerto Rico, Natalia moved to Mexico as a teenager and immediately joined a culinary school. She has worked with many world-renowned chefs and is currently a private chef.
She also works for The Alinea Group of restaurants and wishes to incorporate her Latin roots into original Tuscan food.
Omar Ashley: @chefbklyn
Omar is from Avenel, New Jersey and he will be traveling to Italy for the first time to participate in the Ciao House competition. He used to live in Brooklyn with many relatives in a small apartment but now works at world-class hotels in New York City as a chef.
He also shared many of the recipes on his Instagram page, where he has more than 1,500 followers. He wishes to teach the kids from his hometown authentic Tuscan cooking skills.
Preston Paine: @chefprestonpaine
Preston used to play football in college and also worked at many restaurants at the same time. He now works as the executive chef of Exxir Hospitality and is the owner of Shug’s Bagels in Dallas.
According to his Ciao House introduction, he is as competitive in the kitchen as he was on the field. Working in Italy has always been Paine’s dream and he is all set to participate in the competition in Tuscany.
Saba Duffy: @saba_wahid
Originally from Framingham, Massachusetts, Saba grew up in a South Asian household and her cooking is inspired by her childhood. She is known for her “Mediterranean cooking style, infused with spices and flavors from her South Asian heritage.”
Duffy is the winner of the Chopped Grand Championship and will now be seen on Ciao House.
Sarah Raffetto: @pastaheiress
Sarah runs her family’s 116-year-old pasta company in New York City. She did not attend culinary school but learned to cook at home. The "pasta heiress" says that she can defeat any trained chef since cooking is in her blood.
Trenica Johnson: @cheftrenicaashley
This Ciao House contestant used to work in the oil and gas industry and has a degree in Chemistry. Trenica decided to follow her passion by enrolling in culinary school and currently works as a food truck owner and private chef. She will connect her Southern Creole roots to Italian cuisine on the show.
New episodes of Ciao House will air on Food Network every Sunday at 9 pm ET.
