Padma's All American: Tales, Travels, and Recipes from Taste the Nation and Beyond: A Cookbook

by Padma Lakshmi

Overview

Based on the award-winning Hulu series Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi.

“I never had to leave the country to taste the world’s flavors. Wherever you live, come along with me.”

This book is a love letter to the people who create and evolve American cuisine every day. It is also a road map to the foods that give America its vibrant palate.

When Padma Lakshmi arrived in New York City in the 1970s, she witnessed firsthand the cuisines of the immigrant communities around her: uniquely their own and yet quintessentially American. Here, in this very personal book—the result of seven years of traveling and tasting, listening and observing for her show Taste the Nation—Lakshmi compiles dozens of recipes from the immigrant and Indigenous communities she visits, as well as many from her own family, showing us what really comprises American cuisine.

For Lakshmi, food is a lens. Through it, we can explore the influence of an eclectic array of cultures—and come to see, clearly, who we are and how we eat as a nation. Padma’s All American gives us a kaleidoscopic view of the vast range of incredible dishes she delighted in tasting on her travels, from coast to coast, and everywhere in-between.

From Indian coconut rice and Peruvian tamales with chicken to Afghani dumplings with leeks and scallions—from Oaxacan mushroom tacos to a strawberry, cardamom and cream cake that will be your new favorite celebration treat—Padma’s All American is filled with mouth-watering recipes, adapted here for the home cook—along with profiles and stories from the people who inspired the dishes. Padma’s All American is a joyful book—a reflection of who we truly are as a nation, from one of our most essential culinarians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593535332
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/04/2025
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352

About the Author

PADMA LAKSHMI is an Emmy-nominated food expert, television producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She is the creator of the critically-acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, and served as host and executive producer of Bravo’s Top Chef for nineteen seasons. She is co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and an ACLU Artist Ambassador for immigrants’ rights and women’s rights. She is the author of Easy Exotic, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs, her New York Times best-selling memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate, and the best-selling children’s book Tomatoes for Neela.

Editorial Reviews

I love this book so much—the wisdom, the welcome, the quality of Padma’s writing, the depth of her shared experiences, and, oh my God, the recipes. This book makes me feel as if she is gently and boldly cooking right beside me.”
—Anne Lamott

“No cookbook has ever made me cry. Until now. This book is filled with heartwarming stories of joy and resilience that made my eyes fill with tears. Then I ran into the kitchen to cook Padma’s startlingly original recipes: they instantly became part of my permanent repertoire.”
—Ruth Reichl

“Padma pushes past the familiar borders of American cooking, telling the immigrant stories that season the nation’s table. It’s American food in its truest form. . . . borderless, fearless, and extraordinarily delicious.”
—Yotam Ottolenghi

“Padma’s All American celebrates what makes the food in this country so special—the people who’ve come from all across the globe and brought their culture with them. These stories, filtered through Padma’s unique perspective, bring to life the vibrant recipes that make up the tapestry of American cuisine. Her reassuring warmth and clear instructions give me the confidence to dive into dishes I’ve never attempted or tasted before, like Amazonian tamales (made with grated yuca!) and aash, a hearty Afghan noodle soup.”
—Sohla El-Waylly

“An honest and mouthwatering ode to the many cuisines and cultures that define what it is to be American, as tasted and tested by the one, the only—Padma. As I flip through the pages of this cookbook, I've never wanted to dive into my own kitchen and 'cook like an American' more.”
—Molly Baz

From the Publisher