Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is an Indian American cookbook author, actress, model and television host. Lakshmi's career began at age 16, when she was discovered by a modeling agent in India while sitting in a café. She has modeled for top designers such as Emanuel Ungaro, Ralph Lauren, and Alberta Ferretti and appeared in ad campaigns for Roberto Cavalli and Versus. She was a favorite model of the photographer Helmut Newton, whose photographs of her often highlighted the large scar on her right arm.

Her first cookbook Easy Exotic was awarded Best First Book at the 1999 World Cookbook Awards at Versailles. She was host of the Food Network series, Padma's Passport, which was part of the larger series Melting Pot, in 2001. She also hosted two one-hour specials on India and Spain for the British culinary tourism show Planet Food, which have been broadcast on the Food Network in the US and internationally on the Discovery Channels. Her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet, was released October 2, 2007.

Combining her culinary and fashion style tastes, Lakshmi launched her first line of jewelery in 2009. Entitled "Padma", the first collection consisted of forty pieces. Hide