Chef Carla Contreras

We are thrilled to celebrate our talented and adorned Chef Carla Contreras of @chefcarla_c!

We met Carla last year, and since then, she has developed many delicious recipes for Tadin. From lattes to marinades, Carla knows how to make Tadin tea the estrella of each recipe! Dont’ forget to try her tasty Sweet Potato Pastel with Green Tea Glaze recipe!

Q: What inspired you to start recipe development and your podcast, Show Up Fully?

A: The day I started culinary school in 2001, I told my friend that I wanted to be a food stylist. But I ended up working at hotels and in restaurants. It took me until 2013 to start food styling. That’s when I took my first food styling class and met my mentor, Heather Meldrom. I worked as her assistant for almost two years. Once I had my daughter in 2015 and my son in 2016, I started working from home to develop recipes, write, food style, take photos, and create videos for brands. I started my podcast, @showupfully.podcast in 2020 to connect with my fellow creatives and entrepreneurs and ask them how they show up in their lives. “Showing up” feels like such a buzzword, and we’re asked to show up in so many aspects of our lives, but no one tells us how to do that—and more importantly, what to do when we don’t want to show up. I also have short 3-minute episodes called “Podcast Snacks”, where I share a quote that has inspired me and ask listeners to apply it to their lives, which includes journal prompts. (…continued in comments)

Q: Let’s talk tea! Are you a tea drinker? What is your favorite tea-inspired memory or moment?

A: I am a huge tea drinker. I lived in England during my internship in culinary school. I drank tea daily in the kitchen that I worked in. I associate tea with work and as a part of my workday. I drink at least three to five cups of tea per day. I love all tea: matcha and green tea, black teas like Earl Grey, and herbal teas like hibiscus and chamomile. I have a cabinet filled with my favorite teas, and it gives me so much joy!

Tea is not only part of my day, but it has also become a part of my writing process. I always sit down to write with a warm mug. My favorite time to drink tea is early, sometimes before 5 a.m. I sit with my warm mug and write before my family gets up. I also love a warm cup of chamomile tea (sometimes adding a scoop of collagen for a protein boost) before bed.

Q: Hispanic Heritage Month was last month. This campaign is meant to uplift and support one another every month. How do you carry on celebrating your Hispanic culture throughout the year?

A: My father is from Chile. When I was growing up, food was a huge part of my culture. My grandfather lived with us until I was about 6. I remember big pots of lengua de vaca, pernil, picante de guatitas, sopaipillas, empanadas de pino, and avocado toast for breakfast.

My cousins’ fathers are Puerto Rican, and we ate food like tostones and maduros, pollo guisado, arroz con gandules,, pastelón, and everything was seasoned with adobo.

For me, having two children makes it extra important to remember my heritage. I love getting books from the library and reading to them in Spanish. We listen to music, and I teach them how to dance. I also introduce them to the foods of my childhood. It’s so heartwarming when they like something that I ate as a child.

The colors, flavors, and music I choose for videos are all a part of my story and informed by my upbringing. I am grateful to work with brands like Tadin that celebrate Hispanic culture.