Padma Lakshmi might not be the one competing on cooking shows, but she certainly knows her way around the kitchen. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for FLC)(Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for FLC)
We all know Padma Lakshmi as the elegant yet down-to-earth host of Hulu's Taste the Nation and former host of Bravo's Top Chef (it was also recently announced that she'll be hosting another cooking competition show for CBS). And while it's a pleasure to watch her interact with chefs and taste their food, Lakshmi is a talented cook in her own right.
Just watch any of the cooking videos that the busy mom posts on Instagram, and you'll see the care with which she treats food. From grinding her own spices to mixing rice and yogurt with her hands, she's as passionate about preparing meals as she is eating them. That's why, when she expresses her love of certain cooking tools or uses a specific product in her kitchen, we take notice.
Among her favorites? A classic Le Creuset Dutch oven, for starters — an investment, sure, but this is a cooking vessel that's in it for the long haul. On the flip side (literally), we saw her reach for an offset spatula, a versatile and very inexpensive tool. Curious to know what else the star loves? Keep scrolling for more.
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