Melissa and I spent an evening last week at a cooking demo by Top Chef contestant Carla Hall. This is the third class we have taken from her and each one has been a lot of fun and entertaining. Did I also mention we got to try some great food? During the past season of Top Chef All-Stars, Melissa and I were pulling for Carla and very happy that she made it to the final 5 and won the fan favorite prize. We have a few pictures here from the class, including the dishes that we got to try. Just overlook the fact that my eyes are closed in the picture above, not a great shot.
For the cooking class, we had four courses to try, each accompanied by a wine pairing. The meal included Goat Cheese and Leek tart, Persian Turkey Burgers with flatbread, Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken, and Chocolate Mousse Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce. Carla made a portion of each of the recipes herself, demonstrating the techniques she used and giving tips for improving your ability to create recipes on your own. We all were given a serving of each dish which was made earlier in her kitchen. I really liked all of the dishes, even the cucumber relish and ailoi that accompanied the turkey sliders. I don't normally like cucumbers, but the flavors worked well together in the dish.
Carla's class was at her cookie making headquarters located in Silver Spring. She has ended her catering service and is now focusing on making and selling cookies, both savory and sweet. We got to sample cookies during the class and bought some to bring home. Yum! You can order some by visiting her web site at Alchemy by Carla Hall.
Carla appears to be a very busy person. Not only has she made several Top Chef appearances, she recently appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Paula Deen's Show. She recently landed a spot on a new daytime talk show about food which premeirs in September. The show will be on ABC (after All My Children ends) and is called The Chew, and will also include Mario Batali and Michael Symon. Her cookbook proposal is also going up for auction among publishers. Looking forward to getting a copy when it is finished.
Mark --
ReplyDeleteAny idea when she will have other classes? Or how to sign up?
We found out about this class through Carla's posting on her Facebook page. She had listed 2 or 3 classes on Groupon. However, that deal had already passed. So we sent an email to the contact info on her web site, www.alchemybycarlahall.com to see if we could register, even though we did not buy the Groupon and that's how we signed up. I would say that your best bet is to email them and ask if they have anything coming up. She mentioned that she was planning on having a knife skills class sometime. We also took two other classes from her (in 2009) at L'Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda and she has also taught classes at Culinaire in DC. However, I don't think she has any more scheduled right now for L'Academie or Culanaire. She seems to be pretty busy these days. Good luck!
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