Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim

Episode: Padma Lakshmi
Date: November 25, 2025
Guest: Padma Lakshmi
Host: Ego Nwodim

Overview

In this heartfelt and sharply funny episode, Ego Nwodim welcomes Padma Lakshmi — acclaimed food expert, author, and television host — to dive into family, culture, motherhood, career pivots, and what it means to thrive as a first-generation American. The conversation winds through vivid personal stories, relatable struggles with parenting and cultural expectations, the joys and quirks of food, and candid advice for living fully and authentically. At its core, Ego and Padma’s dialogue explores how upbringing and family (especially their mothers and grandparents) shaped their identities — and how those roots endure as they parent the next generation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Handshakes, Hugs, and Human Connection

• [03:15] Ego opens with a trademark comedic riff on post-pandemic etiquette, declaring:

  "I would like to abolish handshakes. I think we need to abolish them expeditiously.
  ...Why do I have to touch your hand to my hand for us to feel connected? Mind you, I'm a big hugger. Love a hug."

• The banter sets the tone for an open, honest chat about authentic connection and boundaries.

2. Food, Upbringing, and Cultural Identity

• [06:47] - [13:21] Ego and Padma swap stories about how their homelife shaped their relationships to food, with comic observations about sweet tooths, cooking habits, and Nigerian vs. Indian culinary traditions.

• Padma explains her lack of a sweet tooth is rooted in growing up in an Indian household where dessert wasn’t a constant fixture.

  [07:43] "I just grew up in an Indian home, and we don't serve something sweet after every meal. So I don't have the practice of it. And so it saved me." — Padma Lakshmi

• They bond over the challenges (and joys) of cooking for one, favorite comfort meals (Ego’s jollof rice vs. Padma’s Indian stews), and the cross-cultural drama of party jollof rice.

  [09:32] Ego: "There is some beef between the Ghanaians and the Nigerians as to who has the best jollof rice, and it is the Nigerians. Sorry…"

• Padma nerds out on ingredient twists in her new cookbook’s jollof rice recipe.

  [10:12] "And they put things like sun dried tomatoes and a little bit of dashi. And I was like, that doesn't sound very Nigerian...But it's delicious. I make it all the time." — Padma

3. Who Do You Want to Say Thanks To?

"Thanks Dad" Signature Segment

• [15:19] Padma chooses her grandparents for this honor.

  [15:24] "My mom divorced my biological dad, who I never knew, and she came to America when I was 2...My grandparents were huge influences. My grandfather loved books. My grandmother loved cooking...She wasn't a cuddly grandma. She was very practical. But she taught me how to cook and about life through cooking. It's no surprise now, looking back." — Padma Lakshmi

• She credits her grandparents with instilling both literary and culinary passions, directly pointing to her later success.

4. Career Beginnings & Identity

• [16:28] - [19:43]
  • Padma candidly shares how writing, acting, modeling, and food all interwove in her early career. She describes “hustling” multiple jobs before food writing/hosting took off:

    [18:57] "So I had to do all, I was hustling, and I didn’t know which one would take off."

• Notably, food was not her dream:

  [18:09] "What did you want to be initially?" "An actor...I only started food writing to pay my student loans. I never understood there was a career as a food writer."

• Both discuss academic backgrounds that didn’t directly align with career trajectories, and how immigrant family expectations (doctor/lawyer/etc.) shape choices.

5. Motherhood, Multicultural Parenting, and Privilege

• [28:26 - 38:33]
  • Padma reflects on raising her daughter Krishna as a single, Indian-American mother — and the cultural and racial complexities that brings:

    [28:54] "It's also interesting to raise a child that doesn't have the same skin color as you. I basically gave birth to a white girl...But she's brown on the inside — you can tell she's Indian when she dances." — Padma

  • She describes struggles — balancing privilege, instilling values, contending with technology (Uber, Uber Eats), and wanting Krishna to have freedom but also accountability.

    [31:13] "I have her location at all times on my phone...I wanted to take the subway, but she takes Uber...she needs to learn. But it’s a struggle."

  • They also connect over how food/peer culture changes kids’ habits (e.g., “I cook soondubu and she orders Taco Bell.”).

6. Maintaining Culture and Respect

• [44:00] - [49:56]
  • Padma emphasizes how she actively transmits Indian-American values: respect for books and elders, family ties, prayers before big events, not wearing shoes in the house, calling elders "Auntie" or "Uncle."

  [44:39] "Krishna will never step on a book...That’s very Indian, because we think of books and literature as something sacred." — Padma

  • She notes the difficulty of maintaining tight-knit extended family relationships in U.S. culture, but insists it’s non-negotiable:

    [49:04] "Sometimes she's like, I'm bored, I don't want to go. And I'm like, sorry, it’s not negotiable. These are your family, you’re stuck with us...It’s not a choice."

  • Padma laughs about how she’s more lax about other things (e.g., bedtime) than the “typical” American parent.

7. On Fame, Boundaries, and Raising Kids in the Public Eye

• [38:38] - [43:33]
  • Padma recounts how Krishna realized her mother was “famous” — paparazzi waiting outside her school, people at the market asking for photos.

  [39:27] "It got bad enough that I had a key to a side entrance for the school...Now she’s more comfortable. She understands it’s part of the gig, since she wants to be a performer, but for a while, she was really irritated by it."

8. Advice Segment: Writing a Book & On Dating in Your 'Upper 30s'

Writing a Book

• [64:22] - [69:49]
  • Ego asks if everyone should write a book; Padma offers wisdom that applies far beyond cookbook-writing:

    [65:12] "You need to have a fully formed opinion about said thing. And you also need to have a unique perspective...if there’s something you care about enough, whether you’re an expert or not, that will carry you through.” "Books last a long time. You want to be proud of it in 20 years."

Listener Advice: Dating After a Breakup

• [70:04] - [78:10]
  • A listener, Matt, asks (in his "upper 30s") how to get back out there after a breakup.
  • Padma:

    [71:36] “If I knew, I wouldn’t be single! But seriously — anything you can do in real life is important. Join a class, club, community…live your real life, not just on the apps.”

  • Both suggest: focus on living fully, pursuing interests, and let connection happen organically — and, let friends/colleagues know you’re interested in meeting someone.
  • Padma’s humorous stories of pen-pal relationships and awkward dates add realness ("I'm not a one-night stander… I need to feel comfortable").

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Respect for Culture & Books:
  [44:39] Padma: "Krishna will never step on a book. She stops, touches the book, touches her eyes. That’s very Indian — we think of books and literature as sacred.”

• On Parenting & Privilege:
  [33:25] “She wants to make her own way…she really has big plans for herself. Is she gonna clean up her room? Not until I say it the 18th time, but that’s normal for American teens.” — Padma

• On Food & Family:
  [09:00] “Try to cook one dish that you love, like Nigerian stew, and then eat off that…it actually gets better the next day.” — Padma

• On Being a Multi-Hyphenate:
  [18:57] “I was hustling and I didn’t know which [career] would take off.” — Padma

• On Dating Apps vs. Real Life:
  [71:36] “Now you have to make a date before you even know if this guy smells.” — Padma

• Sibling Rivalry — Daughter vs. Dog:
  [54:39] "I love my daughter way more than my dog, but sometimes I like my dog better." — Padma

Timestamps – Key Segments

• Handshakes & Germs Rant: 03:15
• Jollof Rice and Food Upbringing: 09:14
• Padma’s Thanks Segment: 15:19
• Modeling, Writing, Career Pivots: 18:09
• Parenting, Cultural Values, and Privilege: 28:26, 44:00
• Public Life & Motherhood: 38:38
• Listener Advice: Writing a Book: 64:22
• Listener Advice: Dating: 70:04

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is conversational, intimate, and funny — a blend of memoir, wisdom, and sharp social observation. Ego and Padma’s cultural backgrounds add a vibrant, relatable richness. Padma brings candid vulnerability, sharing lessons from raising a biracial daughter in New York and the nuances of generational (and immigrant) family ties. Ego’s warmth and wry asides keep the energy lively and deeply human.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This is a must-listen if you want to hear two whip-smart, culturally grounded women talk frankly about family, work, food, self-discovery, and parenting, all with humor and insight. Padma Lakshmi’s stories — about her trajectory from modeling to writing to Emmy-nominated host, the legacy of her grandparents, and her realistic take on raising a modern teen — are both inspiring and delightfully accessible. The practical advice on creativity and dating, combined with vivid moments about food, family, and the ongoing challenge of maintaining one’s roots, make this conversation both nourishing and fun.

Padma's new cookbook, 'Padma’s All American', is out now.