The Memoir of Padma Lakshmi
I created the Memoir Project to highlight the lived experiences of women, immigrants, and other marginalized groups who have powerful and unique insights. Using our voices to share our stories fearlessly and authentically is an act of rebellion against the Patriarchy. Padma Lakshmi’s memoir, “Love, Loss, and What We Ate” exists firmly within these parameters of powerful experiences that are a pleasure to read, brimming with inspiration, and stay with you long after you have turned the last page. I now have a deep ambition to make pickled peppers at home.
If you don’t know who Padma is and aren’t following her on Instagram, then you definitely need to read this book and follow her social media page.
Padma is a model, activist, feminst, best-selling author, and the Emmy nominated host, as well as an Executive Producer of one of my favorite shows, Top Chef! She is also an ambassador for the ACLU for immigrants and women’s rights.
Her latest show, Taste The Nation, is streaming on Hulu. Taste The Nation follows Padma across the country exploring food and culture from immigrants and how it has shaped food and culture in the United States. I highly recommend this delicious series.
I picked this book for discussions because I wanted to highlight a woman of color who I not only admire but has built a multifaceted career and is a social justice advocate.
As I was reading her book, I found her writing style to be engaging and familiar. Padma shares her journey in a way that makes you feel as if you are connecting with a dear friend over a glass of wine and a comforting dinner on a Friday night.
Padma Parvati Lakshmi Vaidynathan was born in India on September 1st, 1970. She’s a Virgo! Her memoir weaves a childhood split between two continents, bridged by the learnings and memories of her grandparents mixed with being a multicultural American girl. Her book is candid and laced with tender vulnerability in sharing her experience as an immigrant, her unexpected modeling career, how her passion for food is interwoven into her dearest family memories, her multicultural experiences, how she carved a successful career for herself, and motherhood.
One of the most impactful portions of the book was where she shared her battle with Endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus (called “the endometrium”), is found outside the uterus, where it induces a chronic inflammatory reaction that may result in scar tissue. It can cause chronic pain, fatigue, and infertility. She shares how it affected her intimacy in her marriage to Salmun Rushdie and how it was a challenge in her journey to motherhood. So many women suffer from this condition and it is rarely discussed. Worldwide, about 176 million women. Padma is the cofounder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
Ultimately this book is a story filled with scrumptious recipes I urge you to try in your own kitchen, waves of hope, healing, romance, and unconditional love.
If you have read the book – let’s chat about it! Find me on social media @lilysagecreates.
You can easily enjoy this book by ordering on Amazon or downloading on Audible.
XOXO,
Lily Sage
Lily Sage Creates 