Padma Lakshmi's Seafood Rule Has The Internet Divided
Padma Lakshmi may not have gone to culinary school, but she definitely knows her way around a kitchen. The former model released her first cookbook in 1999 and has gone on to author two more, in addition to hosting 18 seasons of Bravo's Emmy award-winning cooking competition "Top Chef" as well as the Hulu docuseries "Taste the Nation."
Needless to say, Lakshmi has certainly proven that she knows the ins and outs of the culinary world. However, that's not to say that her opinions are always widely revered. Case in point: This week, the foodie's thoughts on the combination of seafood and dairy caused a bit of a divide amongst her Twitter followers.
The subject came up earlier today after former NBA player Rex Chapman re-tweeted a TikTok video by Josh Scherer in which "Mythical Kitchen" host demonstrated how to make a Spokane-style pizza using canned salmon and mozzarella cheese, amongst other ingredients (Scherer's 'za also called for sliced strawberries, but that's a debate for another day). "Somebody call the cops..." Chapman wrote, prompting Lakshmi to share her own views on the ingredient combo.
"Seafood + dairy? Absolutely not," she tweeted.
Even tuna melts are a no-no for Padma Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi's opinion on seafood and dairy might be even more controversial than the actual ingredient combo itself. After revealing her distaste for the pairing in a tweet earlier today, the "Top Chef" host was inundated with responses from followers trying to get her to refute the claim.
"I think cheese and seafood is fantastic if you choose the right cheese that complements the delicate flavors and doesn't smother it," one person tweeted while others asked Lakshmi if she would make an exception for certain dishes, like chowder or lobster macaroni and cheese. "What about a good tuna melt," one user asked, though Lakshmi appears to have no interest in the popular sandwich. "No tuna melts in this household," she replied.
While an overwhelming number of people disagreed with Lakshmi, a few followers came to her defense. "I'm with you @PadmaLakshmi very few occasions will I entertain the idea," wrote user @dportuguese, while another called the food combo "a sin."
A third user claimed that eating seafood and dairy together is actually bad for the digestive system, though Nestle has debunked this myth. Still, if you ever find yourself cooking for Lakshmi, it may be best to keep dishes that combine seafood and dairy off the menu. However, all rules have exceptions: Lakshmi clarified in a follow-up post that putting butter and seafood in a dish together was okay. "I'm not a huge fan of seafood with lots of cheese, cream sauce, etc." she explained.