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Padma Lakshmi redefines American cuisine in new book
Her cookbook brings together over 100 recipes and stories from immigrant and Indigenous communities that shape the country’s real culinary identity.
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Anushka Pathak - Wed, 05, Nov 2025
- 11:57 EST
- 23
(L-R): Author Padma Lakshmi; Her latest cookbook, ‘Padma’s All American’ / Courtesy: Penguin Random House
Indian American food writer and television host Padma Lakshmi’s latest cookbook cuts through the myth of a single “American” cuisine.
Released Nov. 4, 'Padma’s All American: Tales, Travels, and Recipes from Taste the Nation and Beyond' shows how immigrant and Indigenous traditions form the backbone of what Americans eat today.
Published by Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, the 352-page book features dishes such as Jollof Rice, Plum Chaat, Saag and Grits, and Amazonian Tamales—each tied to stories of migration, adaptation, and identity.
The Emmy-nominated author and host of 'Taste the Nation' shares more than 100 recipes gathered over seven years of travel for her Hulu series.
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Throughout ‘Padma’s All American,’ Lakshmi keeps the focus on the people behind the food. She writes about war brides, refugees, and students who brought their recipes and ingredients with them, adapting them to what they could find in their new country. Each story shows how personal identity, survival, and creativity play out in kitchens across America.
The book has also earned praise from chefs and writers. “Padma pushes past the familiar borders of American cooking, telling the immigrant stories that season the nation’s table,” said chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Writer Anne Lamott said, “This book makes me feel as if she is gently and boldly cooking right beside me.”
More than a recipe collection, Padma’s All American reads like a record of how food tells the story of modern America. It argues that the nation’s cuisine isn’t defined by a single culture but by the mix of those who came to build new lives—and brought their flavors with them.
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