New York City, New York, USA: Indian American author and television personality Padma Lakshmi is reshaping the idea of what truly defines American cuisine with her latest cookbook.
Titled “Padma’s All American: Tales, Travels, and Recipes from Taste the Nation and Beyond,” the book was released on November 4 and showcases the country’s culinary diversity through the lens of immigrant and Indigenous food traditions.
Published by Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, the 352-page collection includes over a hundred recipes—such as Jollof Rice, Plum Chaat, Saag and Grits, and Amazonian Tamales. Each dish is paired with personal stories that explore migration, cultural adaptation, and the deep connection between food and identity.
Drawing from more than seven years of travel while filming her Hulu series “Taste the Nation,” Lakshmi highlights the people and communities that have shaped America’s food landscape. She writes about families, refugees, and students who carried their culinary traditions to a new country, finding creative ways to preserve them with locally available ingredients.
Acclaimed chefs and writers have praised the book for its depth and authenticity. Celebrated chef Yotam Ottolenghi said Lakshmi “moves beyond the conventional idea of American cooking, revealing the immigrant stories that give the nation its flavor.” Author Anne Lamott described it as “a warm, courageous guide that feels like cooking side by side with Padma.”
Far more than a typical cookbook, Padma’s All American reads as a cultural chronicle of modern America—showing how the nation’s cuisine has evolved through generations of shared traditions, resilience, and creativity. It argues that American food isn’t defined by one culture but by the rich mosaic of people who continue to build it together.
