Everything We Know So Far About Padma Lakshmi's New TV Show

Bridget Hallinan

Following an announcement in May that David Chang and Chrissy Teigen would be hosting a new cooking-focused talk show, Family Style, on Hulu, the streaming service has yet another food show on the horizon—this time, starring Top Chef host and judge Padma Lakshmi. On Friday, among news that The Handmaid’s Tale had been renewed for a fourth season and Mahershala Ali would be joining the second season of Ramy, Hulu also announced that Lakshmi would be getting her own series, described as “a living cookbook made up more from people and culture than recipes” that dives into culinary traditions from "the first Americans to the latest arrivals." The title has yet to be announced, but we do know the series will feature 10 half-hour episodes.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

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Creating this show with @hulu is my dream come true. I get to meet so many inspiring immigrants from around the country and explore their cultural/personal narratives through their food. 💪🏿💪🏾💪🏽💪🏼💪🏻⁣ ⁣ “It’s the first solo food vehicle for Lakshmi... Each episode starts with a single dish that represents and connects to a community’s history and traditions, and explores the evolution of that immigrant community through that cuisine. From family recipes and street food to high-end restaurants, each dish explored is a symbol of a unique journey and story that provides viewers a window into where communities came from and the tale of how they set roots in America.” - @hollywoodreporter #immigrantsmakeamericagreat #weareallimmigrants

A post shared by Padma Lakshmi (@padmalakshmi) on Jul 26, 2019 at 10:20am PDT

In an Instagram post, Lakshmi said the project was “her dream come true” and that she gets to meet inspiring immigrants from all over the country, exploring their stories through food. According to the announcement, each episode starts with a single dish, whether that be a family recipe passed down through generations, a popular street food, or a meal from a high-end restaurant—Lakshmi explores the way each dish is rooted in the community’s history and traditions, and in turn, the evolution of that immigrant community through that cuisine. There's no word on the premiere date yet, but stay tuned for more updates.

“Each 30-minute episode follows Padma as she learns, immerses and celebrates communities from around the world that have taken root in America, changed it and been changed by it,” Hulu said in the announcement.

Earlier this year, Lakshmi also partnered with the Stacy’s Rise project, an initiative that seeks to provide mentorship and support to women in the food industry. The project selects five finalists from an application pool of women entrepreneurs and gives them $20,000 of funding, along with access to a three-month mentorship program. Lakshmi was on the judging panel, and said she was really looking forward to meeting the contestants in a previous interview with Food & Wine. She told us some of the most rewarding time in her life has been spent mentoring young women and seeing them grow—to learn more about the initiative and Lakshmi's role in the project, you can check out our full story.