A chaotic kitchen
Lakshmi originally took the hosting job to promote her then in-progress book "Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet" -- she replaced the first season's Katie Lee Joel, wife of Billy -- and is pleasantly surprised how the series has caught on with viewers and within the culinary world. Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain and Daniel Boulud are just a few among an impressive lineup of the show's guest judges.
In the meantime, she's developing a cooking and entertaining show with Chris Albrecht, IMG's president of global media (and former chairman and chief executive of HBO), to help get her back in the kitchen. Here's how it's loosely described: A group of fun, eclectic people come over to her house for a dinner party; we watch her prep, get ready and cook; guests arrive and eat; maybe someone plays music.
In other words, it should feel like her own kitchen.
"I am really the anti-Martha Stewart," she said. "In my kitchen, things are chaotic, people talk over each other, neighbors drop in when they're not invited and friends stay way later than they should. I would call myself the imperfect hostess."
"I don't think people have tasted the full flavor of Padma's personality on 'Top Chef,' " Albrecht says. "There's definitely a much more fun-loving person than the bits you see."
Lakshmi knows her approach is a little more bohemian than her contemporaries, but she doesn't care.
"It can be on at 1 a.m., but I would like to do the show I want to do." And she's determined to try, if only to serve audiences who aren't simply interested in slamming out quick and easy meals.
"People want individuality and something that's authentic and soulful," she said. "I'd like to do a show where I'm cooking a stew for friends and while it's bubbling I go, 'Hey, let's listen to this amazing boot- leg concert of Led Zeppelin from 1968.' Or I would read you poetry while the souffle is cooking."
