

How will we feed 9 billion people in 2050?
I was honored to be asked to be part of the U.S. Presidential Delegation to the Italian Republic to attend the Milan Expo 2015, which is themed “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”, an exploration of how technology, innovation, culture, traditions and creativity are connected to food, diet, agriculture, and hunger. Led by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her Let’s Move! initiative, we toured the USA Pavilion, which is themed “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet”


Tangy Spicy Butter
The only thing fresh summer corn needs is a nice slather of butter. But I like to take it one step further by seasoning the butter.


Summer Cooking: Sweet Corn
No matter what corn recipe speaks to you, the key is to get really great corn. Corn aficionados say that the best corn is picked within the


Tomato Corn Chowder
From "Carla's Comfort Foods" 6 servings 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large yellow onions, diced kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried epazote or oregano
1 teaspoon ground Mexican chile, such as ancho
1 small yuca or Idaho potato, peeled and finely diced
4 cups unsalted vegetable broth
4 cups diced tomatoes
5 ears corn, husks and silks removed, kernels cut off and reserved, cobs reserved
Mexican crema or sour cream, for serving


Coconut Fish Stew
It’s a treat for me and a way to avoid wasting food!) Because the shrimp and fish cook quickly at the end, you need to develop the stew’s de


One fish, two fish, I fish, you fish
Back in 2011, I went fishing as part of a challenge on “Top Chef All Stars” where we literally had to catch our own ingredients; I ended up catching and making bluefish, an oily but very flavorful fish that tastes great smoked — and is also a sustainable seafood. Making just a little extra effort to buy sustainable seafood can have a positive impact on the planet, but most of the time, we don’t really know where that fish on our plates came from originally. Today we’re used t


Framing my face: Where convenience meets fashion
If you had asked “seventh grade Carla” how she felt about her glasses, she would have had a hard time imagining that one day her eyewear would become her fashion trademark. Back “in the day” when materials were more expensive, and there were less choices in eyeglasses (other than what worked for utility’s sake), wearing glasses could feel, at times, like a burden. Fashion trends swept through clothing, shoes, and hair - but when it came to glasses you basically had one choice