First published 2016
Padma Lakshmi opens her memoir in her grandmother's kitchen in South India, where she first tasted the simple rice that would remain her favorite food through years of global displacement. She chronicles her journey from that foundational space, governed by fierce women, to her eventual role as a judge on Top Chef. Lakshmi shuttles between continents as a child, developing patterns of dislocation that follow her into adulthood. Her headstrong mother defies Indian convention to build a new life in New York. Her Brahmin grandfather, a brilliant engineer with an insatiable love of sweets, shapes her understanding of food and family. She discovers unexpected alliance with a man who seems entirely wrong for her. Through marriages, career changes, and constant movement, Lakshmi explores how eating connects to loving, comforting, and creating home. Her story weaves together the families we inherit and the ones we choose, showing how both leave lasting marks on our lives.
Genres: family, autobiography, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir, cooking, food, food-writing
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: India, New York
Period: Childhood, Adulthood
324 pages · Hardcover · Ecco