Part of my job as a food writer is to describe food. So my work on Top Chef, I feel, is an extension of that. When we give a criticism to the contestant, we want to make sure we tell them why its not working and why it would work if they did it a different way. – Padma Lakshmi

From the simple stringing together of lemon garlands for the goddess Durga, to dividing the prasadam or blessed foods for the children first, I came to associate food not only with feminity, but also with purity and divinity. – Padma Lakshmi

Wine, like food, is so emotional. If you think about it, so much of the courting ritual is surrounded by wine and food. Theres a built-in romance to wine. – Padma Lakshmi