CARLA HALL’S NEW CHEW
‘Top Chef’ star has ‘Christmas’ book for kids
Carla Hall entered the holiday season with much cheer — and a gift that keeps on giving.
The “Top Chef” finalist turned culinary celebrity, entrepreneur and television personality published her latest literary offering, a departure from her previous best-selling cookbooks.
“Carla and the Christmas Cornbread” is her first children’s book — and the one that’s dearest to her heart.
“I’ve wanted to write a children’s story for a while,” Hall told the Daily News, fresh off a flight from Istanbul where she filmed a travelogue show for Discovery+.
“I just love picture books for myself. I don’t necessarily buy them to give to young people. I enjoy performing them in my head as I read. When I read to young people, I want them to see the story as well as hear the story.”
This particular story rings true for the 57-year-old Nashville native who gained fame through her top-rated cooking skills on the fifth and eighth seasons of Bravo’s long-running cooking competition “Top Chef.” Hall’s public profile grew exponentially when she joined Mario Batali, Michael Symon and Clinton Kelly as co-hosts of “The Chew,” ABC’s former daytime culinary variety show.
The 40-page book tells the semi-autobiographical tale of young Carla visiting her grandparents’ home during her favorite time of the year, and accidentally eating a sugary treat made specifically for Santa Claus.
Upset that she may have ruined Christmas, the precocious child and her grandmother cook up “Christmas Cornbread” to save the day.
“My grandmother, affectionately called Granny, had been making skillet cornbread for as long as I can remember,” Hall said about the holiday food staple, which the book shows how to make. “It was also a recipe that her mother, affectionately called Miss Jessie, made. Beyond that, I’m not sure how long it’s been in the family.”
The idea for the story started as a possible memoir, said the former runway model and accountant, who has published three acclaimed cookbooks.
“I was very close to my grandmother, but I didn’t cook with her as a child,” she said. “That’s probably one of my greatest regrets.”
Cherise Harris, an illustrator from Barbados and graduate of the School of Visual Arts, crafted the artwork for the “Carla and the Christmas Cornbread.”
“We immediately bonded over being children who loved arts and crafts,” Hall said of the artist.
“I was drawn to her illustrations because of the vibrant colors and details. During the process, we would have conversations about my family and our traditions. I sent her old photos of everyone as well as photos of my Granny’s house, and she would send me quick drawings of her thoughts.”
“I knew that I had made the right decision when she called to ask me if my sister and I wore rollers in our hair before a special occasion, in this case, Christmas,” said Harris, a Howard University alum. “The answer is ‘Yes,’ so you’ll see that I have rollers in my pigtails and my sister has a roller in her bangs.”
Hall said it was important for her to show inter-generational activities, “such as cooking or chatting, because that’s one of the ways our cultures are passed down.”
The former owner of Brooklyn’s Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen embraced the challenge of her first children’s book. She said her approach was: “Any and everything is possible ... My mantra is “Say Yes. Adventure follows, then growth.”
That belief system has paid off, big time. “Carla and the Christmas Cornbread” has reached No. 1 on Amazon’s children’s books ranking.
“I’m just as excited about this picture book as I would be a full cookbook, even though the latter seems to take 10 times as long to write,” Hall shared. “The reception has been so warm — regardless of the background of the person I’m speaking to about it.”
“I’m hoping that this is a new trend, because it’s easier and more accepting to share traditions and stories behind a dish when it’s in the form of a picture book,” she added. “All too often folks ask for recipes without understanding or wanting to know the story behind a dish.”