From YACLU, this is At Liberty, a podcast about the civil rights and civil liberties questions

of our time. I'm Molly Kaplan, your host for this episode.

Recently, we've seen a reckoning in the culinary world around the whitewashing and co-opting

of ethnic food. The industry has long been controlled by a certain few who have authored and then profited

from the foods we eat and the stories we share.

But the tide is turning, and today's guest is part of that movement.

You've likely seen her tasting and critiquing some of the best chefs in the U.S. on Top Chef,

sharing her favorite recipes across social media, and

advocating for immigrants' rights and women's rights. Yes, we're talking about Padma Lakshmi.

Padma has a long list of accomplishments. She sits on the James Beard leadership committee,

is an Emmy-nominated host and executive producer, a New York Times best-selling author,

founded the Endometriosis Foundation, and is an

ACLU artist ambassador for women's rights and immigrants rights. And if that wasn't enough,

she's joining us today to talk about her new Hulu show, Taste the Nation, where she breaks down

important questions about the influence of immigration on American food and culture. Padma,

thank you so much for joining us today.

Thank you for having me.

I'm really happy to be here, Molly.

First, I want to talk about your series.

It's a 10-part series on Hulu,

where you travel exploring the foods of America,

but not foods that are originally of America.

...