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www.MOSTmag.com || FITNESS MAG A ZINE || 19arla burst out into the public arena during her appearance on the fifth season of Top Chef. Carla quickly became a fan favorite, not just for her warmth and optimism, but her skill of cooking and unmatched passion and commitment. Viewers ourselves, we could not get enough of Carla. With her signature %u201cHootie Hoo,%u201d Carla quickly cooked her way through fellow competitors and right into our hearts.Carla%u2019s journey onTop Chef New York was surprising to her. Selected for the cast, Carla was simply excited to be a part of the process and be given a chance. Not too surprising, the ever humble Carla went into the audition process for Top Chef with very few expectations. Focused on the opportunities, she was excited just to be able to audition. And low and behold she was selected and thrust into the competitive ring, and being judged on national television for her cooking. %u201cLife gives you everything you need to get better, to progress, to grow. I have a fear of being judged, it%u2019s my cross to bear. And I find myself on this show, being judged.%u201d Since her mid-20%u2019s, Carla had been doing medi-physical work. And when she began to feel overwhelmed by the pressures and difficulties of the show, she knew she had to go inward to get through the lesson. Breathing through every single piece of it, she was able to let go of her fear. She began to realize that no one had ever died at the judges%u2019 table, so why not embrace being there? Win or lose. The opportunities to be put in front of the judges were chances to learn and become a fiercer competitor. This realization was a turning point for Carla, coming right after the Restaurant Wars%u2019 competition. From then on, Carla was the one to beat. Carla managed to stay above water, navigating through the first few competitions. Then came Restaurant Wars. A Top Chef classic competition, about midway through every season. Restaurant Wars is a cook-off unlike any other on TV. Contestants are split into two teams and are tasked to create a restaurant. From scratch. In 48 hours. Yeah - this is no joke. With this level of competition and pressure, you would imagine anything but success. But as we have told you, Carla shies away from no challenge. %u201cThe turning point was right after Restaurant Wars, I thought I was going home. That is when I started winning challenges.%u201d Armed with a new sense of clarity and drive, Carla would go on to the finale and finish 3rd.Shortly after finishing, Carla returned to her catering business. Attention growing from her popularity on Bravo, Carla%u2019s small business was thrust into a tailspin. Business was literally booming, going from 0 to 60 overnight. In the midst of this catering calamity, guess who comes knocking? Top Chef: All Stars. Carla was not ready. Jumping head first back into the belly of the competition beast was not a feat she was so eager to repeat. Carla passed on the offer not once, but twice. Then came the advice, go on the show, let the world know that you are done catering, make it part of your business plan. Armed with a drive toward self-improvement and a new business plan Carla packed up her knives and headed back to Top Chef.Can you tell us the story of how you joined The Chew?%u201cWhen they were pitching The Chew they had seen hundreds of chefs. Just after I had finished Top Chef I went to New York to meet with them. They did not pick me. Since they were taking the long-running soap opera, All My Children, off the air they wanted to have personalities already recognizable to the public. I had just won fan favorite for Top Chef. The five of us Michael Symon, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz, Mario Batali and myself >>>