Padma Lakshmi Opens Up About Her Post-Thanksgiving Blues

Padma Lakshmi enjoyed lots of quality time with family and food during the Thanksgiving holiday — but, like many Americans, the host of Bravo's Top Chef is experiencing a bit of post-holiday letdown.

Sharing a black-and-white portrait of herself on her Instagram, Padma wrote, "This was taken over a dozen years ago. I remember feeling blue that day. I had been fumbling with what to write next. My last book had already been out 5 years and I just didn’t feel much like doing an 'entertaining & lifestyle' book as my then publisher kept asking. I wound up writing a book about how I like to eat, with stories of people I like to eat with, of memories made and life lived."

Reflecting on the end of another annual tradition — and the complex feelings that go with it — Padma added, "I've just had a nice restful break with family, but I must admit now that I am home reality has hit and I feel exactly as the younger me in this photo: insecure and unsure. Even though I’ve written three books since this was taken. I’m thankful for what I have, but starting a new writing project is always a bit like sculpting the mist. It comes first in drips and drabs and sometimes not at all."

Padma specified the precise source of her anxiety: "Cookbooks are a walk in the park compared to prose. Every book feels like the first." And no matter what exact post-feast blues you may be experiencing, Padma ended her post with a concept that will feel relatable to so many: "Hoping the spirit comes soon so I can stop fumbling.