Carla Hall

Carla Hall is a busy lady. Along with cohosting The Chew, she's also working with a bunch of really talented kids. Superchef Kids, a web-based cooking competition show for young chefs, invites kids to prove their skills through culinary challenges. With help from famed chefs John Besh, Elizabeth Karmel, and Aarón Sanchez, host Carla guides the contestants through the ups and downs of cooking — spills and all (appropriately, the show is sponsored by Bounty!).

I had the chance to chat with the Top Chef fan favorite, and here's what she had to say about her new show and cooking with kids.

On getting involved with Superchef Kids:
"I was excited to get involved with the next generation of chefs. These kids grew up watching cooking shows and see the chefs as heroes. I had different mentors while growing up, and to see that not only are athletes big heroes to these kids but also chefs is really exciting. And cooking is something you do every day, so I was all in with both feet."

On why kids should be excited about getting in the kitchen and cooking:
"Actually, two parties need to be excited: first the parents need to get excited. Because kids in the kitchen means the child has a hand in what's being made for dinner, and they'll be more motivated to try new foods. Whoever cooks in the family is usually so pressed and just wants to get through dinner, forgetting they could have help. Just giving kids the little stuff you don't want to do, like peeling garlic, is so great for kids who want to get in the kitchen. And cooking is a good skill to learn: math, hand-eye coordination, and cleanliness all happen when working with food, which should really get parents excited!

"Then it's about the child having the opportunity to be creative, gaining confidence, and getting excited about where the food is coming from. There's nothing like seeing a kid's face light up when they've accomplished something in the kitchen."

Keep reading for more conversation with Carla.

From Teleflora arrangements to Rutherford Hill wine, Bravo is the reigning champion of co-branding partnerships. The next move is to conquer all things digital. Now the network's teamed up with Groupon, a deal-of-the-day website, to offer localized Top Chef discounts in several major cities.

Right now through Aug. 8, if you live in Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta, or San Francisco, you've got the chance to snag deals from Carla Hall, Douglas Rodriguez, Mark Peel, Hector Santiago, and Mattin Noblia. "Emerging companies like Groupon are a perfect fit for our audience, allowing fans to engage with the chefs and food they see on our shows on a personal, one-on-one level," Bravo stated in a press release.

Sounds like these partnerships will only strengthen, given the changing marketing landscape — although I'd love to see a lineup that includes Jamie Lauren, Fabio Viviani, and the Voltaggio brothers. If you live in one of these cities, do you plan on going after a Top Chef-meets-Groupon deal?

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Last night the festivities at the Food Network's annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival kicked off with the highly anticipated Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. The line to get inside stretched from the beach to the street and the place was packed. There were celebrity chefs and well-known food personalities everywhere: serving burgers (Bobby Flay, Daniel Boulud, and Michael Symon), mingling with the crowds (Anne Burrell, Sam Talbot, Sandra Lee), and judging the competition (Art Smith and Carla Hall). I was in attendance and while I had my fair share of scrumptious burgers and amazing side dishes, I learned a thing or 10 at the party. To find out what they are, read more