Padma Lakshmi Does Standup: Extended Cut
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio
Milk Street Radio
4.2 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 10 March 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, we’re sharing an extended cut of our interview with Padma Lakshmi. We discuss everything from her early years in India to her love for standup comedy. She reminisces about her time on an Italian variety show, which laid the foundation for a long and successful career as a cooking competition host. Plus, she reveals the secret to being a great judge on Top Chef.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey listeners, Chris Kimball here. Sola Elwhaley is coming to Milk Street Radio to answer your cooking questions soon. |
| 0:06.9 | If you need new recipes or culinary inspiration, we're here to help, or you can try to stump me in Sola with your toughest culinary mystery, |
| 0:14.8 | like why your pie exploded or why your soup tastes just well off. |
| 0:19.1 | Email us at Questions at MilkstreetRadio.com. One more time, that's Questions at Milkstreetradio.com. |
| 0:22.2 | One more time, that's Questions at Milkstreetradio.com, and we'll be in touch. |
| 0:31.5 | I'm Christopher Kimball, and this is a special episode of Milk Street Radio. |
| 0:36.2 | Today, it's an extended cut of my latest interview with Padma Lakshmi. |
| 0:40.9 | Padma does it all. |
| 0:42.5 | She has a new book, Padma's All-American. |
| 0:44.8 | She's the creator of the new culinary competition series, America's Culinary Cup. |
| 0:50.0 | And every now and again, she does stand-up comedy. |
| 0:53.8 | Padma, welcome back to Milk Street. |
| 0:56.1 | Thank you. I'm glad to be here again. |
| 0:59.8 | I've read a lot since our last chat about what you're doing now. |
| 1:04.5 | And there seems to be, I think you've said this yourself, sort of a changing view of who you are. |
| 1:12.6 | Comedy, a new show. |
| 1:15.1 | So what is this new version of yourself? |
| 1:18.0 | Or is it a new version? |
| 1:19.1 | It's just another part of yourself you want to explore. |
| 1:22.7 | I don't think it's a new version of myself. |
| 1:26.2 | I think I'm who I've always been. Perhaps it's just |
| 1:29.5 | an evolution in the public-facing version of myself. You know, sometimes when we're young, and I, |
... |
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