I Zoomed with Padma Lakshmi, whose body of work makes the word "multihyphenate" feel like an understatement. |
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Padma Lakshmi's cinematic universe is only just beginning |
How does Padma Lakshmi not only do it all, but do it all so well? That's what I thought this summer when I saw her in real life during the photoshoot for Eater's dream dinner party, and it's also what I thought a few weeks later when we hopped on a call to discuss her latest project, Padma's All American, a new cookbook that collects the recipes and stories from her two-season show about immigrant foodways, Taste the Nation. For Lakshmi, who has long been politically outspoken, it felt essential to go deeper into the topic of immigration through both the show and the book.
That thought popped up yet again partway through the call, when Lakshmi started talking about her future ambitions for food TV. Two years ago, Lakshmi announced that she was leaving Top Chef, the show with which she was essentially synonymous, after an impressively long run of hosting the iconic series for 19 seasons. Her departure has meant anything but shying away from the spotlight, however; Lakshmi has since doubled down on cooking content on Instagram, has this new book to promote, and soon, she'll have a new show as well: America's Culinary Cup, on which she's a host, creator, and executive producer. While Taste the Nation might be over, if Lakshmi has it her way, she'll never stop making food TV, she says.
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Photo courtesy Knopf | Collage by Masood Shah |
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Over Zoom, Lakshmi and I talked about what she learned from the Taste the Nation project, how she hopes to revive its spirit in the future, and what the future of food shows looks like for her. "I was always interested in doing and teaching about completely different kinds of food from completely different kinds of people than [the chefs who] were walking into the Top Chef kitchen," she told me. Read my full interview with Padma Lakshmi here. |
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Save room for something grand. |
Elegant design meets signature versatility in the 2025 Jeep® Grand Cherokee L. |
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Restaurant owners are Substackers now, too |
Here's an email I got yesterday: "You've been invited to subscribe to Affable Notes!" It was the kind of automated email you get when someone you know has joined Substack. I guess I did recognize its sender, given that I've dined at the New York City restaurants Dame, Lord's, and Crevette before — all are part of Affable Hospitality, which appears to be planning to use the platform to share news, information about dishes, and recommendations via the new newsletter Affable Notes. It joins restaurants like the East Village's Smithereens, which has published a zine-inspired mix of experimental essays, playlists, and interviews on the platform since late last year, as well as King, which sees its new Substack like a "moodboard before you see the finished product," according to partner Annie Shi. According to chef and partner Nick Tamburo of Smithereens, "Calling it a 'zine' also speaks to the longstanding DIY and printmaking culture of our East Village neighborhood, which we love." While restaurant newsletters aren't a new idea, the shift is proof of Substack's growing prominence in the media landscape. Instagram and TikTok helped democratize disseminating creative work; now Substack is allowing anyone and everyone to deepen their relationship with their audience. |
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