Padma Lakshmi appreciation thread

[Canada]

Padma Parvati Lakshmi (Tamil pronunciation: [ˈpəd̪mə ˈləkɕmi]; born September 1, 1970) is an Indian-born American author, activist, actress, model, philanthropist, and television host. She has hosted the cooking competition program Top Chef on Bravo continuously since season 2 (2006). For her work, she received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Host in 2009 and 2020 through 2022. She is also the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed docuseries Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, which premiered in June 2020 on Hulu and explores the food and culture of immigrant and indigenous communities across America. In 2022, Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition won a James Beard Foundation Award in the Visual Media - Long Form category.

She has published six books: two cookbooks, Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet; an encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World; a memoir, Love, Loss, and What We Ate; a children's book, Tomatoes for Neela illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, and guest-edited The Best American Travel Writing 2021.