Food & Wine USA - (06)June 2020

104 JUNE 2020

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PADMA LAKSHMI is best known as

the host of Top Chef, but those

close to the show know her as a

canny executive producer whose

leadership has defined the series.

As a guiding creative force,

Lakshmi has been key to the

franchise’s success. (The finale for

season 17, filmed in Los Angeles,

airs in mid-June.) Yet Lakshmi’s

career extends far beyond TV: She

has written cookbooks, cofound-

ed the Endometriosis Foundation

of America, acts as a United

Nations Development Programme

Goodwill Ambassador, and is a

spokesperson for the ACLU.

Lakshmi’s latest project, a Hulu

show premiering in September

called Taste the Nation, accom-

plishes a long-standing goal: to be

a filmmaker. “It’s a very personal

project for me,” Lakshmi says.

“My goal is to bring people

together over food, regardless of

their point of view.”

Padma’s Next Role

“I’ve spent my career

analyzing ‘the best of the

best.’ In my new show, I

wanted to get out of fine

dining and look at the

people behind the food that

defines our communities,

whether that’s a plate of

tacos or a bowl of noodles.”

—PADMA LAKSHMI

In each episode of Taste the Nation on Hulu, Lakshmi visits a different U.S. city to get to know a cuisine through

the people who call that food their own. She shared her favorite moments from the upcoming season.

LOS ANGELES

Lakshmi delves into Persian

food as well as misconceptions

that some Americans might

have about Persian culture.

“Persian food is one of the most

underrated and undervalued

cuisines in our country.”

CHARLESTON

“I thought it was very important

to focus on Gullah Geechee

food,” says Lakshmi. In this

episode, she explores the cuisine

of a community descended from

enslaved Africans in the

Carolinas and Georgia.

PATERSON, NEW JERSEY

Peruvian cuisine is wildly

diverse and globally influenced.

Its many facets can be found in

Paterson, where Lakshmi tastes

variations including Chinese-

influenced Chifa and Japanese-

influenced Nikkei dishes.

SAN CARLOS, ARIZONA

On the San Carlos reservation,

Lakshmi learns about problems

facing the Native American

community and the ways in

which they continue to persevere.

She calls the experience “a

humbling moment.”

DIRECTOR’S CUT

BY THE

NUMBERS

5

Languages

Lakshmi speaks:

Hindi, English,

Spanish, Italian,

a n d Ta mi l

8

Times Lakshmi

has been nomi-

nated for Emmy

Awards

16

To p C h e f sea-

sons Lakshmi

has hosted

(season one

was hosted by

Katie Lee)

38,121

Students

educated by

ENPOWR,

an offshoot

of Lakshmi’s

endometriosis

foundation

Books Lakshmi

has written

5

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PA

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ICK

JA

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S^ M

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FW_0620_BackStory.indd 104 FINAL 4/16/20 12:18 PM