Chef Carla Hall’s Soul Food

Chef Carla Hall (http://www.carlahall.com) is on a Soul Food journey to “redefine soul food, to reclaim it.”  Her new cookbook Carla Hall’s Soul Food (https://amzn.to/2RNm014) shares her passion from the past and her plan for the present to make Soul Food an official cuisine.  What a delightful honor to visit with Carla in her New York City apartment for a Kitchen Chat and to learn how to make her delicious Shrimp and Grits recipe! Her kindness, graciousness and laughter are all genuine and heartfelt. Cooking with Carla in her kitchen was truly a special milestone in my mid-life culinary journey.(http://kitchenchat.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMG_4351-750x750.jpg)The colorful array of fresh ingredients includes corn, peppers, tomatoes, thyme, parsley and of course shrimp.  Carla encourages us to think of Soul Food as something fresh with lots of vegetables: “What people tend to forget is that it is primarily an agrarian cuisine.”  This dish is so delicious!(http://kitchenchat.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMG_4357-750x750.jpg)Chef Carla Hall is a familiar face on television including Top Chef (http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef), The Chew (https://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew) and now GMA Day. (https://abc.go.com/shows/gma-day)  And of course you can see her on Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championships (https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championship)Chef Carla always lights up a room and rocks the Red Carpet.  My dear friend and Kitchen Chat co-host Chef Jaime Laurita (https://www.instagram.com/jaimelaurita/?hl=en) and I loved seeing Carla on her on the Red Carpet at the James Beard Awards for which she was an emcee.Even with a busy schedule, she still prioritizes special ways to make a difference in the world including Helen Keller International (https://www.hki.org)In addition, she supports fellow female chefs get funding for medical care through I’ll Have What She’s Having. (https://www.illhavewhatsheshaving.org)(http://kitchenchat.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IMG_4359-6-750x750.jpg)In our past Kitchen Chats, Chef Carla has shared tips for the home chef.  And you can see those with this link. (http://kitchenchat.info/2874/the-chews-chef-carla-hall/)  This time I asked her to share her top tip for living life well.  I absolutely love her answer:  “Live life with intention.”What are your favorite Soul Food recipes?Savor the day!