Padma Lakshmi Opens Up in Avenue Magazine

                   (Photo: Tiffany Walling McGarity and John McGarity for Avenue)

Padma Lakshmi fans will be able to get their weekly fix of the fiery-hot foodie starting tomorrow with the triumphant return of Top Chef. There's plenty of crazy Quickfires to go around, but Padma has a life outside of Chef, and she talks all about it in the cover story of the November issue of Avenue Magazine.

In the candid interview, Padma goes into her personal life in a way she rarely has in the past, discussing her relationship with Teddy Forstmann, who passed away in November from cancer. She says Ted was more of a man than anyone she's ever met, and also opines on her dating life as well as what it's like being a mom. Check out some choice quotes below and look for Avenue Magazine on newsstands:

On Teddy: "I don’t really feel like I’m single right now. I feel like the person I’m with is dead. I miss him every day, ... He’s certainly the best thing that ever happened to me. The most valuable part of Teddy was his enormous heart. The more people gossiped publicly about me, the tighter he held my hand ... Not only privately, but publicly. He understood me in all my flaws and subtleties. His presence in my life was resolute, consistent, unwavering and loving. And that’s what a real man is. I have no problem saying, with great humility, that Teddy was the man in my life who possessed the greatest emotional wisdom. He had more manhood in his pinky fingernail than most men."

On Her Dating Philosophy: "I'm a serial monogamist ... I've really only had two serious adult relationships in my life, and both were with formidable men. I was with Salman for eight years, and then there was Teddy. And everything else was just ..."

On Spending Time With Daughter Krishna: "It’s a pleasure being with her rather than out doing all the things I was doing before, not because I should or because it’s my duty but because Krishna’s the funnest game in town."

Watch Padma and the rest of the gang when Top Chef premieres Wednesday at 10/9c

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