Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir

This book is wild, and mostly wildly disorganized, for which it lost a star. But it was nonetheless enjoyable. I’ve loved Padma Lakshmi for almost no particular reason for almost as long as I can remember, and this book made me realize why. I was a little too young when she was part of the cultural zeitgeist, so I didn’t know many of the details of her personal life that were revealed in this story, which read like an amazing soap opera that I would totally watch, especially if she starred in it. To me, she is a beautiful enigma, and this book is the cipher to figuring out why she’s always been at the periphery of my interest for 10 years—and we he reasons evidently go much deeper than just who she’s been in relationships with show more it what TV shows she’s been in. This was also the 4th food-related memoir that I’ve read in a row, and the first three all being by professional men chefs, this one blew me out of the water because it broke so completely with the patterns of theirs, and I had no idea what would come next from chapter to chapter. Of her first cookbook, she says that she got the deal mostly because people were interested in what models eat, and there’s some of that sentiment propping up a lot of this book, too, which was a little disappointing. I’m much less interested in how she lost her baby weight, say, than I am in her relationship with her body, and both things are included in this story. She was also so relatively young when she wrote it, so I can’t wait for her next memoir! And I just hope that she decides to write the next one chronologically. show less

Imagine sitting with a new dear friend, sharing a meal and childhood stories, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, asking "then what", and leaving mesmerized and amazed at the resilience a soul can possess. That is this memoir. I've watched Top Chef and have always been impressed with Padma's grace and poise, even while eating something less than appetizing (hunk of fat, anyone?). Beyond being beautiful, Padma guides the chefs and the show through each season with humor and a gentle touch. I decided to read "Love, Loss, and What We Ate" partly because of the title, and partly because of the revelation that she'd been molested as a child. As a survivor, I was dying to know how she came out on the other side. I got so much more. There is show more an immediacy and intimacy to this book, that feels like she is just sitting at my table, having a cup of tea, which I think is really remarkable for anyone sharing their story. show less

Book on CD narrated by the author.

I don’t read a lot of celebrity memoirs, but when a friend recommended this one I had to see what the fuss was about. I’ve never seen Top Chef but I know of its existence. And I’d heard of Lakshmi, though I was completely unaware of her personal drama. (Don’t follow celebrity news outlets either.)

I liked the portions of the book that took us back to her childhood in India, to the cultures, foods, sights, sounds and smells that helped form her. I was much less interested in her marriage, divorce, new relationship(s), and pregnancy. From what she relates of her early adulthood (into her 40s), I got the impression that she identified herself by the man she was attached to. This irritated me and I show more didn’t really like her all that much as a result.

However, I still found her story compelling, and I kept listening and came to appreciate the woman she is today more than I did at the beginning.

Lakshmi narrates the audiobook version herself. I cannot imaging anyone doing a better job of it. The CD has a bonus PDF file with all the recipes that are included in the book. show less

I had no idea who Padma Lakshmi was until I opened this book. And the picture on the cover would not have enticed me to read it, but I have read a positive book review in a paper which got me interested. ​I would say it took guts to write this memoir - not because of some horrific disclosure, but simply due to the fact that she started her career as a model. People would judge, no matter what, no matter how difficult her path was or was not. And I am sure she knew it in her in heart. She starts the book with her short marriage to Salman Rushdie (which was an eye-opener for me in more than one way - just read p. 39-40 about him), and only then revisits her childhood and her life since then. I was struck by the fact how unconventional show more (by Indian standards) her mother's character was when Padma was growing up. At times her narrative is self-effacing to a degree and also honest (especially her first immigrant experiences), and at times I had the feeling she is prevaricating about certain events. But of course there is no such "rule" that you disclose EVERYTHING in a memoir... show less

nonfiction/memoir - cookbook author and food network show host talks about growing up as an immigrant, becoming or trying to become a fashion model, falling in and out of love with Salman Rushdie, struggling with endometriosis (one of those diseases where she assumed her chronic pain was normal but it turned out to be a serious problem), having a baby (and the custody battle that followed), and finding love again before losing him to brain cancer. She also talks a little about her family's Brahman Hindi traditions, and includes a few of her more traditional recipes.

A few years ago when I was still in high school I took a Culinary Arts elective class where I figured I’d learn how to do some pretty plating. There were only about three girls that took the class seriously and I was not one of them. At least I learned how to decorate a cupcake with marshmallow flower petals. Anyway, one of the things the teacher did to fill the time was make us watch Top Chef and see how real chefs would choose spices and whatnot then how they would present the meal to the judges’ table. That was the first time I ever watched the show and saw Padma Lakshmi. I don’t think I’d ever heard of her before then.

When I first picked up this book I didn’t even remember that was her. It was almost a pleasant surprise to show more find a book about a woman that paved her own way and some recipes to try out. Only recently have I learned of the scandals she got herself into, i.e. entering relationships with much older men, custody battles, etc. but that I still didn’t have an opinion about her until after I read the book.

Lakshmi tells her life story connecting everything back to her love of food. She was a model yet that wasn’t what garnered her lots of attention it was her cookbook. Being a model helped sell the book but that was what got her into writing. Her biggest gig had to do with food and in a way it still is. She’s honest with her experiences and doesn’t shy away from sharing details that, in my opinion, make her look bad. I don’t think we would make good friends but she seems like the kind of person that would make going to a fancy lunch kind of fun. show less

As a fan of Top Chef, I admired the way Ms. Lakshmi hosted the show. I knew nothing about the rest of her life, but felt intrigued enough by her performance on that show to try her memoir. I did not expect that her life could have been so fascinating! She has had her share of ups and downs, from her modeling career to her hosting duties on food shows, as well as her involvement in other business ventures. Her personal life is also filled with highs and lows, from her marriage to Salman Rushdie, to her relationships with business tycoon Teddy Forstmann at the same time she was also involved with Adam Dell, whom she had a child with, despite the odds against her ever becoming pregnant due to her medical history. She has had an amazing show more life with yet more to come! show less