Padma Lakshmi had vowed to never host a cooking competition again. However, after enjoying a few days of relaxation by the seaside, she was off to film America’s Culinary Cup, the fresh cooking competition show scheduled to debut on CBS next year.
Lakshmi, who dedicated nearly 17 years to hosting and executive-producing Top Chef before departing in 2023, understandably felt worn out by the format. “I didn’t really want to return to this genre,” she states. “I felt like I was part of the legacy of a show that’s incredibly cherished and successful, really perceived as the gold standard.” But CBS presented her with an offer that was impossible to turn down: the opportunity to conceptualize and develop the cooking competition show of her aspirations.
While she will take on the role of onscreen host, Lakshmi is particularly thrilled about her behind-the-scenes position as the show’s creator. “I devoted a significant amount of time discussing the cinematography and visual elements of the show,” she elaborates. Her extensive experience has influenced the format of the project—although she remains tight-lipped about specifics, it will exclude the elements that annoy her most about cooking competitions. “The plan is to eliminate all the unnecessary gimmicks, focusing the competition on the essence of cooking.”
Lakshmi is keen to forge a new legacy competition show, one that emphasizes mastery and guidance rather than gameplay. “I aim to establish a new institution that mirrors American cooking and contrasts with the French-inspired customs we’ve accepted and internalized in this nation — especially regarding fine dining,” she shares. “France boasts the Bocuse d’Or, and in Germany, there’s the IKA Olympics, and I aspired to establish an American title that chefs would aim to achieve, akin to how every actor aspires for an Oscar or a singer for a Grammy.” The generous cash prize of one million dollars will significantly bolster the show’s significance. “A million dollars is four times what any [other show] gives away,” she remarks, her enthusiasm growing as she speaks.
Since her departure from Top Chef, Lakshmi has stayed remarkably occupied—perhaps even busier. Once America’s Culinary Cup concludes filming, she will start promoting her upcoming cookbook, Padma’s All American. Available this November, it represents a book seven years in the making—her production partner examined her initial book concept and proposed it as the basis for her successful food-and-travel series Taste the Nation.
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Padma’s All American: Tales, Travels, and Recipes from “Taste the Nation” and Beyond
Incorporating recipes, imagery, and narratives from the show, Lakshmi emphasizes that there is much more to it. “Some of it’s personal, some of it’s from Top Chef, but all the photos featured in the book—aside from the stunning recipe displays—were captured during travels,” she states. Alongside meticulously selected recipes, she emphasizes storytelling as well, with essays and profiles of individuals she encounters throughout her journey. “It represents the last five years of my life on the go.”
