When Vice President JD Vance recently opened up about the worst meal he’d ever cooked for his wife, Usha, he probably didn’t expect to receive a public culinary critique from one of television’s most respected food experts. But that’s exactly what happened when former Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi weighed in on his kitchen confession during a visit to The Daily Show.
Padma Lakshmi roasts JD Vance’s cooking for wife Usha
In February, when JD Vance sat down with Lara Trump on Fox News, he was asked about the best and worst dishes he’s prepared for the second lady. The vice president answered, “Usha is a vegetarian, and I am not. So, I’m thinking to myself, what does a vegetarian eat? Vegetables, dairy, and bread.”
Further explaining, “So, I went to the grocery store. I got those crescent rolls that you can get that are very good. I rolled them out into a pizza shape, and put vegetables and ranch on top, and stuck it in the oven for 30 minutes.” His self-assessment? “It was disgusting. Like, it was actually inedible.”
Padma Lakshmi, who spent nearly two decades as the host of Top Chef, didn’t hold back when asked about Vance’s culinary creation. “He’s married an Indian woman, so she comes from this very deep vast culinary tradition, you know, and he’s giving her, what was it, ranch dressing?” Lakshmi said.
“Who bakes ranch dressing?” she continued. “Also, he’s like, ‘She’s a vegetarian. She only eats bread, vegetables, and dairy.’ You’ve been married to this person for over a decade, right? And we eat lots of things, right? Rice, lentils, beans, squash, all this stuff.” Lakshmi ended with, “But, I mean, maybe he knows what she likes because she doesn’t really have good taste.”
During the same segment, host Desi Lydic asked Lakshmi about the worst thing a partner had ever made for her. The cookbook author responded with a story that had less to do with the food itself and more with the presentation.
