My plans are not to open a restaurant, but what I would like to do is open a kitchen somewhere in D.C. proper and have a chef's table where people can come and taste my food without having to have a catered event. Carla Hall More Quotes by Carla Hall More Quotes From Carla Hall If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation. Carla Hall reservations good-mood should I always tell people a clean cooking area is a clean mind which is available for the creativity. Carla Hall creativity cooking people The biggest challenge of being a pastry chef is that, unlike other types of chefs, you can't throw things together at a farmer's market. When you're working with baking powder and a formula, you have to be exact. If not, things can go wrong. Carla Hall baking challenges together I say no to nothing, yes to moderation. Thats how I approach everything. No matter if its candy or foie gras. When you have the real deal, youre satisfied with that one bite. I say go full throttle and call it a day. Carla Hall moderation real matter I lost my mother two years ago to cancer. But the greatest gift she gave to me was showing me how to be a wonderful and loving mom to my two sons, even now that they are grown men. Carla Hall cancer mom mother Keeping your space clean is as much a part of the end result as the dish being tasty. Carla Hall result your end space One of my early childhood memories was my grandmother always having a bowl of Nestle chocolate bars at her house. My sister and I would argue over who could eat the chocolate bars. Looking back, I don't know why we just didn't share. We could have split them. Carla Hall know looking-back childhood memories In catering, you're always changing; the client is always dictating to you in terms of their wishes. Carla Hall wishes you always catering When I do something that's stressful, I have to find a moment of peace, so I tend to meditate and get in the flow. It's a regular practice of mine. Carla Hall find moment practice peace For me, I love the flavors of Southern food, and people usually think of Southern food as heavy and fattening, but it doesn't have to be. Carla Hall me food love people I was in Paris, Milan and London from '89 until '91, and I did mostly runway modeling. I know there's so many people out there looking for pictures, but this was way before the age of the Internet, sorry! Carla Hall internet age sorry people Turkey is fine, but if I don't have the sides, forget about it. And cornbread stuffing is at the center of my plate. I will have about six sides and then a little bit of turkey and gravy. Carla Hall turkey will fine forget I believe that there are no mistakes in the universe, so I think it all happens as it should! Carla Hall mistakes think universe believe My biggest fear has always been being 40 and hating my job. I love challenges. I'm not afraid to try anything. Carla Hall job challenges fear love When people around me are getting rattled, I may just close my eyes and do a breathing exercise. Carla Hall eyes me exercise people I think of New Yorkers as not taking the time to talk to someone they don't know. Carla Hall new someone think time I went to L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and I think French cooking is the basis for a lot of classical cuisine, a foundation of a lot of other cuisines. That said, it's not the only way to approach a cooking career. Carla Hall think foundation cooking way What I love about 'The Chew' is that we have these celebrities come on, and you get to see them in a different light, cooking or enjoying food, when we usually don't see them in that setting. So it's a lot of fun for their fans to see them be normal people and having that commonality of food. Carla Hall cooking light food love Casseroles are one-pot-wonders! Carla Hall When I first started cooking, I was very much an intuitive cook when it came to taste, but that didn't mean I didn't want to know why some things worked and why others did not. My interest took me to culinary school. Carla Hall know me cooking school