You know, I’ve watched both cities grow very much. I do live in D.C, but we moved out of our home because of some major renovations, so we’re here with my mom. HALL: Well, it’s interesting because I’m in Nashville right now. But how do you see the food scene in both of them? UITTI: Nashville, where you’re from, is a music town, and D.C., where you live, is a political town. So, every single time I see a woman, a Black woman who looks like me, make strides in what may be considered mainstream America, it’s very joyous and confirming that we can dream really big. I was born in ’64 and we didn’t see that. It was such an effort in dolls, because I’m almost 60-years-old. Growing up, I did not necessarily see myself on television or in the books that I read. HALL: I think that when you see someone in your culture get probably the second-most important seat in the country as a woman, as a Black woman, it is impactful because once you see somebody else who looks like you, it means you too can do it, that other young girls can do it. UITTI: May I ask, what does Kamala Harris taking office this week mean to you? Over in Hillsboro Village, I’m like, “Oh my gosh!” I’ll be in Green Hills, I’m like, “My goodness!” And then, Howard University-right now, it’s huge! With Kamala Harris as the next Vice President of the United States, just spotlighting Howard and other HBCUs is really exciting. And we talk about how Nashville has grown and changed. Even though I don’t do much with the alumni association, I’m still friends with people who went to Hillsboro. HALL: Well, Hillsboro is, obviously, a connection to Nashville. UITTI: What do your alma maters, Hillsboro High School and Howard University, mean to you today? Even though I went to culinary school, I didn’t really find the connection to my culture at a French cooking school. After that, it really became a way to understand my culture more and really lean into the food of my culture. Then it became something to discover strengths about myself that I didn’t know I had. Then, just like with anything else, the more you do it, you actually get good at it. I would cook for people who allowed me to couch surf. I didn’t know what that was going to be and I was willing to try it. I was like, “Wait, I’ve had this food all my life and you’re making it and you’re asking me what goes into it? I have no idea.” So, really, it was that curiosity and a little bit of ego to say, “Wait, I have to play catch-up.” Then it became this way of transitioning from one field to another, from modeling to something else. Initially, when I got involved in food, it was all about learning what I didn’t know based on what the people around me knew. It’s held my attention specifically because my perspective changes. JACOB UITTI: Why has food held your creative attention for this long?ĬARLA HALL: Oh, that’s a great question! I think it’s because it’s always changing and you’re always learning. We caught up with Hall to ask her about her love of food, what it’s like to see Vice President Kamala Harris take office, and much more. Hall will also be part of the Taste of the NFL program during this year’s Super Bowl weekend, a live-streamed event that raises funds for national hunger relief. What a thought!Ĭhef Carla recently launched a new podcast, Say Yes! with Carla Hall, which features a wide range of guests, from master chefs like Rachael Ray to the comedian Chelsea Handler and the ballet dancer Misty Copeland. In that way, to be negative while on the job is to offer a disservice to the diner. She believes that the emotions she’s feeling as she makes a particular dish infuse the food itself. Though she’s known for her soul food and love of biscuits, for Chef Carla, food is about so much more than any single style or genre it’s about nurturing the spirit, and the spirit of others. In a business dominated by obsessive, cutthroat behavior, Chef Carla stood out for her kindness and her philosophy of “cooking with love.” Since then, she has appeared on numerous other cooking shows like The Chew, written several cookbooks, and spread her positive spirit throughout the world of food. Many fans of the burgeoning culinary scene fell in love with Chef Carla Hall when she appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef, first in Season 5 and then later during the Season 8 “all-star” challenge.
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