Celebrity Chef Carla Hall continues to inspire with her infectious positivity, recent Emmy win, and a treasure trove of culinary insights, including a secret baking ingredient and timeless cooking wisdom that delights fans and home cooks alike.
For fans of culinary arts and captivating personalities, Carla Hall is a name synonymous with warmth, expertise, and an unmistakable zest for life. From her memorable appearances on Top Chef to her co-hosting role on The Chew and her judging duties on various Food Network series, Hall has carved out a unique space in the food world. Her recent Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series for her HBO Max show, Chasing Flavor, only solidified her impact, celebrating her ability to connect food with story, history, and love, as she shared with Parade.
The Baking Game-Changer: Malted Milk Powder
Beyond her acclaimed television work, Hall is constantly innovating in her own kitchen, with a baking book slated for release next year. She recently revealed her current favorite ingredient that’s transforming her baking: malted milk powder. This nostalgic staple, according to Hall, offers endless versatility, capable of enhancing everything from pancakes to pound cakes. Imagine brown butter, malted milk powder, combined with chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry—a combination that promises to tantalize taste buds.
This secret ingredient is poised to become a game-changer for home bakers looking to add depth and a unique flavor profile to their creations. Hall even mused about its potential in cornbread, highlighting her continuous culinary exploration.
Southern Staples and Pantry Wisdom
Hall’s culinary roots run deep, heavily influenced by her Nashville native upbringing. Her pantry essentials reflect a Southern sensibility, focusing on ingredients that provide a flavor boost to any meal. She shared some of these must-haves with The Kitchn, resonating deeply with Southern hearts.
Carla Hall’s Southern Pantry Essentials:
- Hot Sauce: Hall alternates between Tabasco and Texas Pete’s, declaring herself a “big condiments’ person.” This fiery addition is crucial for her signature “sittin’ salad” vinaigrette and other dishes.
- Black-Eyed Peas: A staple in her kitchen, used in recipes like her “sittin’ salad” alongside grilled celery, cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, and hot sauce vinaigrette.
- Canned Tomatoes: Specifically, Muir Glen fire-roasted diced tomatoes are a go-to for salsas, stews, and other savory applications.
These selections underscore Hall’s practical approach to cooking, emphasizing readily available ingredients that deliver robust flavor.
Honey Ambassador: Sweetening the Deal for Bees and Bakers
Hall extends her culinary influence beyond the plate by advocating for an important cause: saving the bees. As the National Honey Board’s honey ambassador, she actively educates the public on the “Honey Saves Hives” program, highlighting how consuming more honey can directly support bee populations. This initiative, as discussed in her Tasting Table interview, connects directly to her role as a chef and teacher, raising awareness about the vital role bees play in our food ecosystem.
Carla Hall’s Tips for Cooking with Honey:
- Substitution Ratios: When substituting honey for sugar in baking, do not use a one-for-one ratio. Reduce the honey by half a cup for every cup of sugar.
- Baking Soda Adjustment: Increase baking soda to balance the pH, as its bubbles help baked goods rise against honey’s weight.
- Lower Oven Temperature: Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent honey from burning due to its inverted sugar content.
- Liquid Reduction: In baking, reduce any other liquid in the recipe by a quarter cup for each cup of honey used, as honey is itself a liquid.
- Flavor Exploration: Experiment with different honey varieties. Hall enjoys buckwheat honey in marinades and dressings for its deep, molasses-like, less sweet flavor, which pairs well with citrus and spice.
- Taste and Adjust: Always taste your honey-infused creations and adjust for more bitter, acidic, or salty notes as needed.
Hall also emphasizes the importance of buying local honey, not only for the unique taste profiles that reflect local flora but also as a direct way to support local beekeepers and their efforts.
End-of-Summer Eats and Unexpected Grilling Delights
As summer draws to a close, Hall has specific seasonal favorites she encourages everyone to enjoy. Tomatoes and corn are at the top of her list. She recommends a simple yet delicious late-summer tomato dish with hot pasta, cheese, and basil, using the drained tomato juice for a vinaigrette. For corn, she shares a clever trick for easy de-silking by microwaving cut corn and shaking it out.
Hall is also a proponent of grilling unexpected ingredients, including celery and figs. For celery, she advises stringing it, rubbing with olive oil, and grilling until slightly charred and translucent, which imparts a smoky flavor while retaining texture. Figs, being softer, are best grilled in a basket or on foil with olive oil and salt to prevent sticking, resulting in a slightly pudding-like center with a desirable char.
Her grilling recommendations extend to honey-based sauces:
- Quick Barbecue Sauce: Ketchup as a base, with apple cider vinegar, citrus (orange juice, lemon), and honey. The key is to add the sauce towards the end of cooking to prevent premature charring of meat.
- Hot Sauce Vinaigrette: A blend of hot sauce, yellow mustard, honey, a touch of vinegar, salt, and pepper. This versatile condiment dresses grilled salads (romaine, radicchio) and grilled fish.
The Secret to Carla Hall’s Unwavering Positivity
Hall’s radiant energy is one of her most defining characteristics, and she credits it to her intentional choices. “Everything that I do, I want to do. I do not do anything that I don’t want to do,” she explained to Parade. Her routine includes avoiding caffeine in the morning, prioritizing seven hours of sleep, and genuinely loving life and people. Her curiosity about others fuels her engaging interactions and contributes to her infectious upbeat demeanor.
Looking ahead, Carla Hall’s schedule remains as full as her laugh. Fans can catch her on Next Level Baker with Gordon Ramsay and Candace Nelson, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, and the ongoing Halloween Baking Championship. She also recently launched a children’s book, Carla and the Tin Can Cake Party, continuing to share her passion for food and joy with the next generation. Hall truly lives her best life, proving that curiosity and kindness are always in style.
