Padma Lakshmi - Apple Podcasts

Critics at Large | The New Yorker

Critics at Large | The New Yorker

The New Yorker
Ask Me Another

Ask Me Another

NPR

11/06/2025

Critics at Large Live: Padma Lakshmi’s Expansive Taste

Padma Lakshmi is unquestionably a woman of taste. As a host of the beloved food-competition series “Top Chef” and the star of the culinary docuseries “Taste the Nation,” she’s spent nearly two decades artfully conveying—and critiquing—flavors and aromas for an audience. Before that, she was a fashion writer and model, cultivating her own sense of what’s worth wearing and seeing. And she isn’t done evolving: she’s recently begun performing standup comedy, an art form with a notoriously steep learning curve. In a live taping at The New Yorker Festival, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz talk with Lakshmi about the difference between discernment and pickiness, how travel has expanded her taste, and her approach to rendering judgement on TV. “I see my job as helping,” Lakshmi says. “I see my job as being the person in the kitchen who’s saying, ‘Does this need a little salt?’ ” Read, watch, and listen with the critics: “Top Chef” (2006—)“Taste the Nation” (2020-23)“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (2009—)“American Idol” (2002—)“Project Runway” (2004—)“Padma’s All American,” by Padma Lakshmi“Padma Lakshmi Walks Into a Bar,” by Helen Rosner (The New Yorker)“Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” (The New Yorker)Dijon’s “Baby”“Frankenstein” (2025) New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts. Critics at Large is a weekly discussion from The New Yorker which explores the latest trends in books, television, film, and more. Join us every Thursday as we make unexpected connections between classic texts and pop culture. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

36 min
08/19/2021

Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is a food expert, author, and television personality. Padma joins the Armchair Expert to discuss moving to America from India at a young age, how she feels people from India have been misrepresented in American pop culture, and that people need to start having more complex nuanced conversations that might be uncomfortable. Padma and Dax talk about how American culture is really a mixture of many cultures, how learning recipes from your ancestors brings you closer to them, and why Americans love monster trucks so much. Padma explains the importance of teaching your kids about seasonal foods, how she came to write multiple cookbooks, and how Indian food is a good baseline for eating healthy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1h 42m
12/01/2024

Host Padma Lakshmi (‘Taste the Nation’) is Just Getting Started

To close out the holiday weekend, we're revisiting our conversation with writer, food expert, and television host Padma Lakshmi. At the top, we discuss her Hulu docuseries Taste the Nation (4:40), a formative episode in El Paso, Texas (8:14), and how the show connects to Padma’s personal history (11:59). Then, she reflects on her childhood in New York City (14:07), a heartbreaking event at seven (17:30*), and her unexpected entry to the modeling industry (25:14). On the back-half, we walk through the early years of her trailblazing career (33:52), the patriarchal systems she fought back against (38:58), and her painful essay in The Times in response to the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh (44:00*). To close, Padma talks about her powerful work through EndoFound (45:30), the activist underpinnings of Taste the Nation (49:21), and the stories she hopes to tell in years to come (52:44). *At this time-code, there is a discussion about sexual assault. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

54 min
06/18/2020

Padma Lakshmi on ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Taste the Nation.’ Plus, ‘The King of Staten Island.’

Is ‘The King of Staten Island’ a good movie? Or is it just that there have been no new movies in a really long time (3:10)? Plus, Padma Lakshmi joins the show to talk about her new show on Hulu, ‘Taste the Nation,’ and her experiences while judging ‘Top Chef’ for 16 seasons (12:06). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Padma Lakshmi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

47 min
05/14/2023

Mother’s Day with ‘Top Chef’ Padma Lakshmi

Today, we sit with writer and television host Padma Lakshmi! At the top, we discuss the return of her Hulu docuseries Taste the Nation (6:40), a formative episode in El Paso, Texas (10:14), and how the show connects to Padma’s personal history (13:59). Then, she reflects on her childhood in New York City (16:07), a heartbreaking event at seven (19:05*), and her unexpected entry to the modeling industry (27:14). On the back-half, we walk through the early years of her trailblazing career (35:52), the patriarchal systems she fought back against (40:58), and her painful essay in The Times in response to the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh (43:16*). To close, Padma talks about her powerful work through EndoFound (48:30), the activist underpinnings of Taste the Nation (51:21), and the stories she hopes to tell in years to come (54:44). *At this time-code, there is a discussion about sexual assault. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

57 min
06/20/2023

Live At Symphony Space

Last month, for the very first time, Dinner SOS left the studio and took to the live stage! With the help of a few culinary geniuses, Padma Lakshmi, Marcus Samuelsson, and Ruth Reichl, we answered your cooking questions and some from the crowd! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

41 min
06/26/2020

Padma Lakshmi in Search of America

Padma Lakshmi shares stories about her childhood in India, her time in Spain and her new show, “Taste the Nation.” Plus, we get a crash course on Parisian cocktail culture from David Lebovitz; we present a new take on the cheeseburger; and Bianca Bosker teaches us about the history and evolution of wine reviews. Get this week's recipe, Garlic-Rosemary Burgers with Taleggio Sauce: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/garlic-rosemary-burgers-taleggio-cheese-sauce-dinner-barbeque Our online cooking school is free to anyone who wants to join the food revolution. You can choose from over a dozen classes from Kitchen Improv to The Spice Kitchen to Milk Street Instant Pot. Start a free class today at https://www.177milkstreet.com/school Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

51 min
11/19/2021

Padma Lakshmi: Taste The Nation, From Your Couch

Padma Lakshmi talks about her series Taste The Nation. Jenny Hagel, Amber Ruffin, Margo Price, and Jeremy Ivey play games about long things and events in history set to the tune of Billy Joel songs. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

50 min
04/16/2021

Padma Lakshmi in Search of America

Padma Lakshmi shares stories about her childhood in India, her time in Spain and her new show, “Taste the Nation.” Plus, we get a crash course on Parisian cocktail culture from David Lebovitz; we present a new take on the cheeseburger; and Bianca Bosker teaches us about the history and evolution of wine reviews. (Originally aired June 26, 2020.) Get this week's recipe, Garlic-Rosemary Burgers with Taleggio Sauce: https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/garlic-rosemary-burgers-taleggio-cheese-sauce-dinner-barbeque This week's sponsors: Get unlimited access to every MasterClass, and as a Milk Street listener, you get 15% off an annual membership! Go to masterclass.com/MILK. Visit Sitka Salmon Shares dot com slash MILK for $25 off the first month of a Premium Sitka Seafood Share. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

51 min
05/10/2023

Any Advice For a Single Mom / Teacher Who Works Her A** Off Everyday? feat. Padma Lakshmi

Michelle and Jordan (and foggy A.F. glasses) warmly welcome friend, TV host, author, and advocate, Padma Lakshmi, back to the Bell House stage. Michelle revisits an old Adulting question, only to realize "edibles" means something very different in 2023, Jordan walks the audience through the trials and tribulations of raising a future POTUS, aka his 10-year-old daughter, and Padma gets into why she dropped "I love you" first, just that one time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

55 min
07/17/2020

Padma Lakshmi: Taste The Nation, From Your Couch

Pack your knives and go turn on this episode! Top Chef and Taste the Nation's Padma Lakshmi talks to us about doing improv with her daughter and eating liver ganache. Then she helps Ophira and Jonathan create delicious dishes from random ingredients in their pantries. Plus, from Late Night with Seth Meyers, Jenny Hagel and Amber Ruffin try to decipher the sounds of sheep from the sounds of human babies, and country singer-songwriter Margo Price and her guitarist husband Jeremy Ivey swear they didn't start the fire in a game combining historical events and Billy Joel songs. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

50 min
06/22/2020

Padma Lakshmi

On behalf of the Unqualified community we are donating proceeds from this and upcoming episodes to the following: Justice for Breonna Taylor Justice for David McAtee The Okra Project If you would like to show your support you can follow the links above. MACY’S Visit macys.com/unqualified where you can not only find all your summer fashion needs, but also access handpicked items by Anna which have been put on a special discount for unqualified listeners only! LACROIX Lacroix has new flavors Limoncello. A hint of Limon plus a smooth finish and Pastèque which is French for Watermelon and “deliciously yummy”. For more information and a full list of retailers, visit LaCroixWater.com. You can also join the LaCroix community on Social at @LaCroixWater EACH & EVERY Visit eachandevery.com/anna and use promo code ANNA for 30% off your first purchase. That’s not eligible to combine with other discounts or subscription. BEST FIENDS Best Fiends has thousands of levels already, with new levels, events, and characters added every month. It’s hours of fun right at your fingertips—and you can even play offline! With over 100 million downloads and tons of five-star reviews, Best Fiends is a must-play! Download Best Fiends FREE on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Please subscribe to Anna Faris is Unqualified on Apple Podcasts and follow us on social media: Instagram @Unqualified Twitter @Unqualified Facebook @Anna Faris is Unqualified Music by: Mondo Cozmo @mondocozmo Producer: Michael Barrett Co-producer: Michael Sherman Co-producer: Cassie Daniels @mscassiedaniels Production Services: Rabbit Grin Productions rabbitgrinproductions.com Distributed by: Simplecast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 7m
07/16/2021

715: Tasting the Nation with Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef & Hulu’s Taste the Nation, talks about meeting cooks across our land, raising bicultural kids, and growing up in Queens.

50 min
10/29/2021

Padma Lakshmi & Jason Blum

Padma Lakshmi & Jason Blum join host Andy Cohen. Listen to lively debates on everything from the latest drama surrounding your favorite Bravolebrities to what celebrity is making headlines that week live from the WWHL clubhouse. Aired on 10/28/21 Binge all your favorite Bravo shows with the Bravo app: bravotv.com/getbravo See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 min
11/27/2020

Padma Lakshmi: Taste The Nation, From Your Couch

Pack your knives and go turn on this episode! Top Chef and Taste the Nation's Padma Lakshmi talks to us about doing improv with her daughter and eating liver ganache. Then she helps Ophira and Jonathan create delicious dishes from random ingredients in their pantries. Plus, from Late Night with Seth Meyers, Jenny Hagel and Amber Ruffin try to decipher the sounds of sheep from the sounds of human babies, and country singer-songwriter Margo Price and her guitarist husband Jeremy Ivey swear they didn't start the fire in a game combining historical events and Billy Joel songs. This episode originally aired July 17, 2020. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

50 min
08/03/2020

Bonus Episode: Padma Lakshmi on 'Asian Enough'

A special bonus feed drop from The Los Angeles Times podcast Asian Enough: A conversation with Top Chef host, model and writer Padma Lakshmi about growing up Indian American in the San Gabriel Valley, cultural appropriation vs. appreciation in food, and her new Hulu show Taste the Nation. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

49 min
03/16/2020

Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons

Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons join host Andy Cohen. Listen to lively debates on everything from the latest drama surrounding your favorite Bravolebrities to what celebrity is making headlines that week live from the WWHL clubhouse. Watch What Happens Live will return with new episodes soon. Stay safe, listeners! Aired on 03/15/20 Binge all your favorite Bravo shows with the Bravo app: bravotv.com/getbravo BravoTV’s got a new app! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

23 min
08/06/2020

Padma Lakshmi: American Food Is Immigrant Food

Dave addresses the rapid closures of many independent restaurants across the United States (1:07) before bringing in ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Taste the Nation’ host Padma Lakshmi to discuss the inseparable relationship between American cuisine as we know it and immigrant culture (14:19). Make your voice heard to the United States Senate at (202) 224-3121. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 17m
05/24/2023

Padma Lakshmi (Re-release)

In this special flashback episode, Anna talks with author, activist, actress, producer, model, and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 7m
06/23/2020

Mask 4 Mask (with Padma Lakshmi)

Flavortown, a secret housemate, and diving deep into wearing masks. After that, we have Padma Lakshmi on the pod to talk about her new Hulu show "Taste the Nation," cuddling, and the birds that torment her in quar. Bari's and Matt have both been watching and loving Taste The Nation (and we're not getting paid to say that). For this week's Do Better White People segment, we're focusing on voting. Because if you can find out everything about your ex's new fling in a matter of seconds, you can research who's on your ballot before you vote. Check out vote.org and ballotpedia.org to find out who is on your ballot. You can find Bari @finkelbaripie, Matt @MattBellassai, and Unhappy Hour @UnhappyHourPod To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 2m

Padma Lakshmi on Apple