Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi

I don't think that I've ever seen Padma Lakshmi before this show, but I had a general idea of who she was. Gotta say, this show has made me love her! She's super down to earth and very charming, and she has a good voice for narration. Also, gotta say, she's looking freaking awesome for a fifty year old. This is a woman who knows how to take very good care of herself and it shows.

I really appreciate that this isn't JUST a food show, but it also delves into the cultures and history of the people behind the food Padma gets to eat and learn about.

My only complaint is that I wish the show was an hour long instead of just half an hour so that Padma could spend more time with the people she talks to, and so that some of them don't take up a third or more of the running time of an episode.

I am a big fan of Padma and I never skipped a single episode of Top Chef. This series is very different in many ways as it truly captures the culture and history behind the food. I believe food is the highway to someone's soul and Padma does a remarkable job in capturing the culture and story of the chef as well as the food.

As someone who watched years of celebrity chef shows on Food Network, Padma Lakshmi has brought food back to where it all begins, namely people. The approach to the show is incredibly gentle, heartfelt, and less about recipes than what people feel about the food. It looks at culture expressed through cuisine, but doesn't shy away from occasional "political" viewpoints (I'd personally call them "ethical" questions, but then it's difficult to separate nowadays), but it's never heavy-handed or judgmental, in spite of the underlying message of "We're all Americans, even if we weren't all born here, and we all contribute to what makes America great." In short: great food, great show.

I have seen four memorable episodes of this extraordinary show. The cinematic quality of this show, makes it so far past everything I have seen. Apart from Padma Lakshmi's presence, nearly every frame is a paean to the location and the people she is with.

The other aspect of this show that is so wonderful is Executive Producer and Star, Padma Lakshmi. Her passion coupled with knowledge and obvious experience, along with her attention to detail, exposes the viewer to a truly unique experience. In the opening of the show she says you she is seeking to find what American food is. But, what she is doing, is introducing us to the fabric of our country, that on this anniversary of the birth of Emma Lazarus, during another dose of xenophobia, is not only instructional but soulfully, up-lifting.

I love watching her discover these flavors, and get right in there with the chefs to assist with the prep. The pleasure she expresses and her unabashed joy about what she is tasting and doing is absolutely infectious. I think she is headed for an Emmy, if I have anything to say about it.

I look forward to future episodes and hope she will come to Maui after this pandemic is over, where she will find places like Komoda's bakery (over 100 year old, opened in 1916), the food trucks, such as Geste Shrimp, Grandma's, Ulupalakua Ranch Store and so many others.

I am so grateful for this wonderful series. It is so much more than a food show.

First of all, deducting one star simply because Padma needs to get a tad more educated about immigration when it comes to generalizing politics. Republicans (myself a moderate one) are NOT against immigration, just ILLEGAL immigration. All of my great grandparents were immigrants in the late 1890's like millions of other people, and they faced so much prejudice and poverty once here (particularly the irish side). And many of my friends are immigrants, most of them Indian. I believe other people deserve the same chance my ancestors had, and we need to make immigration more reasonable, not some Mount Everest that few can conquer.

Maybe I'm a minority in this, but I envy people who have a defined culture. Being a white american of european descent, I feel like I have no real cultural connections or traditions, and throughout my life I've been very envious of people who have that kind of cultural experience.

Padma's reference to raising a first generation American child and how do you get them to embrace their ancestors' culture immediately brought my favorite book to mind: The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri (so-so movie, fantastic book). I've recommended it to countless people over the years, both Indian and American, and it has really opened hearts and minds in great ways, particularly in my field where people were fearful when the flood of L1/H1B visas were at their height. It will stay with you forever.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I started watching, because I didn't know the series would focus on a topic so near and dear to my heart.

Obviously I LOVED this show. I learned quite a few things and I think we need more shows like this which introduce us to the immigrant experience today (as well as the past, like the Milwaukee episode), and I think that using food as that common factor is the perfect vehicle.

I didn't find it preachy at all.

Padma comes across a bit too serious (to me) on Top Chef, so it was a ton of fun to see her in a more interpersonal setting and see her humor come out (that aspect was awesome, keep that up). I loved all of it, and I really hope it continues with future seasons. Kudos!