Padma Lakshmi

HOST, TOP CHEF

Padma Lakshmi is known internationally as an actress, food expert, model and award-winning writer. 2007 will be a busy year for Lakshmi with a new cookbook and returning as host of Bravo's successful series "Top Chef."

Lakshmi established herself as a food expert early on in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing a best-selling cookbook. Lakshmi follows this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, for release by Miramax Books in October. A follow up to her successful book Easy Exotic, for which she won the International Versailles Event for best cookbook by a first time writer, it will be a larger endeavor filled with over 120 recipes from around the world and intriguing personal memoirs.

For The Food Network, Lakshmi hosted "Padma's Passport" where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. Lakshmi has also hosted "Planet Food," a documentary series broadcast on The Food Network and worldwide on the Discovery Channel. She journeyed to countries such as Spain and India.

On the big screen, Padma will be starring in Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta's ("Water") upcoming film, "Exclusion."

Lakshmi was last seen with Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott in Paul Mayeda Berges' newest film "Mistress of Spices." She received a positive response for her performance as Princess Bithia in ABC's much anticipated mini-series "The Ten Commandments" alongside Naveen Andrews ("Lost"), Omar Sharif and Dougray Scott. The program was the second-highest rated television film of 2006. She also recently starred in BBC America's "Sharpe's Challenge" opposite Sean Bean. This two-part mini-series directed by Tom Clegg is the continuation of the popular BBC series based on Richard Cornwall's novels aired in September 2006.

She has appeared in films in the US, Italy, and India. Other television credits include hosting Rai Television's "Dominica In," Italy's highest rated program.

Lakshmi is also an accomplished writer. In addition to her food writing, she has contributed to such magazines as American Vogue, Gourmet and British and American Harper's Bazaar. She is currently a monthly syndicated columnist for the New York Times Syndicate.

Originally known as the first internationally successful Indian supermodel, Lakshmi started modeling while an exchange student in Spain with Clark University where she received a B.A. with honors in Theater Arts.

Her website is located at www.padmalakshmi.com