Celebrity chef, best-selling author and television host Carla Hall is returning to her first culinary love with her new cookbook, “Carla Bakes: Sweet, Savory, and From the Heart.”
The book features more than 80 recipes inspired by Hall’s Southern roots and travels around the world. During the interview with Chris, Hall discussed the memories behind her recipes, making baking approachable and the care she believes should go into every dish.
One of the book’s standout recipes is a giant frosted strawberry Pop Tart, a colorful creation inspired by Hall’s childhood. She explained that much of her cooking is rooted in food memories because she did not begin cooking until she was in her mid 20s.
Hall was not raised cooking alongside her mother or grandmother. Instead, she draws inspiration from the foods she remembers enjoying as a child and recreates those experiences through her recipes.
“I loved a Pop Tart. I loved a frosted Pop Tart,” Hall said. “And so I want to recreate some of those memories that I feel like a lot of people are drawn to because they have a memory already.”
Beyond its nostalgic appeal, Hall said making one giant pastry is more practical because it requires less filling, crimping and cutting. The finished dessert also creates what she described as a showstopping presentation.
Hall designed the cookbook to be accessible to home bakers regardless of their experience. Each chapter begins with simpler, faster recipes before gradually moving into dishes that require more time. Readers looking for something quick can start with the first few recipes in each section.
The cookbook also gives Hall an opportunity to enter one of the South’s longest running food debates: whether sugar belongs in grits.
Hall created a grits brûlée specifically for people who insist grits should always be savory. She said adding sugar depends on how the grits are being served, noting that sugar would not belong in grits served beneath shrimp or fish.
“When I tell you there is no such thing as a grits brûlée, I made it specifically so that if you make this, you’re going to put sugar in your grits,” Hall said.
For Hall, however, the book is ultimately about more than individual recipes. She believes a cook’s attitude and intentions can shape how others experience a meal.
“If you are not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation or buy something at the store,” Hall said.
To listen to the full interview, click the link above.
Celebrity chef Carla Hall shares her baking secrets.
Celebrity chef Carla Hall shares her baking secrets.
