Padma Lakshmi Says Trying New Things in the Kitchen Is Like Learning Music. Here’s How to Play.
As is fitting for someone who hosted Top Chef for 19 seasons, Lakshmi is interested in flavor-enhancers that also add a little something special to the look of a dish.
“One tool that will be really useful for adding those kinds of flourishes — that will take any dish from being something tasty to being delicious and aromatic and perfumed and flavorful — is a microplane,” she said.
She specifically likes the long, slender Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester, as its size allows it to fit easily in a drawer, and she uses it for showering dishes with freshly grated nutmeg, citrus zest, hard cheese, and dark chocolate.
“I love that thing, because it makes such a fine snow that’s so delightful to eat,” Lakshmi said, making me hungry again. “I am a savory cook, but just making a simple dessert and just putting a biscuit or a cookie in it and then taking dark chocolate and grating this fine dusting of dark chocolate, just all of a sudden dresses it up.”
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This handheld zester has sharp teeth and a narrow face, so you can reach every nook and cranny on a lemon or a block of cheese.
Lakshmi also suggests having a good finishing salt, such as Fleur de Sel or flaky Maldon — and she is a particular fan of smoked Maldon sea salt, which adds a savory note and can make simple ingredients sparkle with minimal effort. (She likes it on salad, fish, and fruit.)
Spices can also lend that final touch. For those feeding people in their family who aren’t so keen on heat (or if you’re one of those people), she recommends Kashmiri chili powder, a milder, fruitier spice than, say, cayenne.
“It’s not as spicy as cayenne, and the grind is a much finer mill,” she said, describing the texture as similar to talcum powder. The bright orange hue is striking “to sprinkle on top of things.” (She didn’t mention a specific source, but Burlap & Barrel, an importer whose spices we recommend in this article, sells a single-origin option in 2-ounce jars.)
This single-origin, sweet-noted spice is sourced from Kashmir by Burlap & Barrel and has a vibrant color.
She also whisks salt and Kashmiri chili into honey to make her own hot honey, another finishing touch that can brighten up a bite. It occurred to me, as she told me this, that when speaking with Lakshmi it’s easy to get caught up in the voraciousness of her appetite, and the way it leads her to punch up even the smallest snack.
Lakshmi encourages improvising and personalizing your dishes. “I want these recipes to be yours,” she said. “They’re in your hands now.”
Just make sure to taste and taste and taste again. For this, she recommends a long-handled tasting spoon, which keeps your hand safely out of steam’s way if you’re stirring “a big cauldron,” as Lakshmi put it to me.
She keeps her collection of wooden tasting spoons with long handles in an old Stilton jar by her stove for easy access. (If you’re looking for a dishwasher-friendly tasting option, we love the Kunz spoon.)
Ultimately, “it doesn’t matter what you serve, it just matters that you took the care to make it, and you have people gathering around your table,” she said. “So do yourself a favor and make it fun for yourself to cook.”
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Catherine Kast.
