Carla - Top Chef: New York

[lobeck]

Carla

AGE: 44

HOMETOWN: Nashville, TN

RESIDES IN: Washington, DC

POSITION: Owner/Chef, Alchemy Caterers

CULINARY EDUCATION: C.C.T. L’Academie de Cuisine

FAVORITE SIMPLE RECIPE: For summer: Small shaped pasta with hand-mashed salted heirloom tomatoes, garlic, red wine vinegar, chilies and a great extra virgin olive oil. For spring: Pea salad with radishes and feta cheese.

BIO: Carla is the chef and owner of Alchemy Caterers in Washington, D.C. Her food balances the heart and soul of the South and the refinement of her classic French training. She enjoys creating memorable comfort dishes with fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. Carla approaches each event as an opportunity to make a connection with the client and to change the way they experience food. She always has good European butter, Couverture chocolate, bacon, heavy cream, olive oil - pomace and extra virgin - on hand and pies are one of her favorite things to make.



Top Chef New York - Bios - Official Bravo TV Site

[Allie]

I like Carla. She reminds me of a bit of Tracee Ellis Ross, one of the actresses on Girlfriends.

[Shoepie]

Her eyes are alarming. Wearing glasses is a good choice for her.

[Krom]

Love the hair. It's fun.

Hate the bug eyes. Even behind those glasses they bulge.

[ThePinkOtterPop]

She can't exactly help the way her eyes look.

I do like Carla. She reminds me of Stephanie in the way she carries herself - above all the pettiness and all about the food. Hopefully she won't change as the competition goes on.

[ness]

There's something I like about Carla, too.

I read her as kind of dingy and goofy, but in and through all that, she IS about the food and what's going on with it. After the Thanksgiving Foo challenge, when her team had been picked as the losers, I recall her saying something to the effect of: "Well, whatever happens, we got the food out!"

I also zeroed in on her when she was making those apple pastries, and she keyed in on and acknowledged that the wedge of cheddar on her plate was sad. I had to give her props for realizing that and not backing down off the fact that that piece of cheese wasn't exactly making her stand up and cheer, so it probably might not make too good an impression on others, either.

I'd like to see how she does further on down the road, or as far as the road will take her.

[peachroses]

I love Carla's support of the other contestants. She always appears to be there with hugs and emotional support, and I have not heard her say anything negative about her competition yet. So far her food has been OK, but I don't think she is in the same league as some of the others. I hope I am wrong becaus I like her.

[Jexter]

I love Carla's support of the other contestants. She always appears to be there with hugs and emotional support, and I have not heard her say anything negative about her competition yet. So far her food has been OK, but I don't think she is in the same league as some of the others. I hope I am wrong becaus I like her.

I, too, like Carla for the same reasons. And she seems authentic. Sometimes, when people are like Carla is, the humanity is feigned - for whatever reason. With Carla, it seems natural and hence real.

So far anyway. I'm usally proven wrong with these types of assessments but for now, I like her a great deal.

Reg. her meals...I think she's doing o.k. so far. I don't think she's knocked socks off anyone yet, but she hasn't landed in the bottom either. And, the judges have been complimentary from time to time.

[CrossingGuard]

I love Carla's support of the other contestants. She always appears to be there with hugs and emotional support, and I have not heard her say anything negative about her competition yet. So far her food has been OK, but I don't think she is in the same league as some of the others. I hope I am wrong becaus I like her.

This is why I like Carla also. She seems to always be there for the others when they need to be consoled. And I loved the way she cheered for Ariane right after she won. This girl is a hoot.

As for her food, yes, it's been okay, but I don't think we have anything to worry about. I don't think Carla is going too soon. Like Jexter said, she hasn't really received much negative criticism yet.

[JayePeso]

I like Carla, I hope she does something soon to knock their socks off