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Padma Lakshmi, best-selling author and host of Bravo's Top Chef and Hulu's Taste the Nation, presents a celebration of food and family.

“Some of my fondest memories from childhood are of cooking with the women in my family. It is the foundation for all I have spent my life working on.” (Padma Lakshmi)

Neela loves cooking with her amma and writing down the recipes in her notebook. It makes her feel closer to her paati who lives far away in India. On Saturdays, Neela and Amma go to the green market, and today they are buying tomatoes to make Paati's famous sauce. But first, Neela needs to learn about all the different kinds of tomatoes they can pick from. And as Neela and Amma cook together, they find a way for Paati to share in both the love and the flavors of the day.

Best-selling author and host of Bravo's Top Chef and Hulu's Taste the Nation Padma Lakshmi takes young listeners on an intergenerational journey full of delicious flavors and fun food facts that celebrates a family's treasured recipes. Tomatoes for Neela lovingly affirms how we can connect to other cultures, as well as to our own, through food.

Tomatoes for Neela: A Novel by Padma Lakshmi is a poignant and beautifully written story about an Indian-American woman's journey of self-discovery and healing. The novel follows the protagonist, Neela, as she returns to her family's ancestral home in Kerala, India, after the death of her beloved grandmother. There, she embarks on a quest to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish by finding a rare variety of tomatoes that were once grown on the family's farm.

As Neela delves into the history of her family and the traditions of her ancestors, she uncovers secrets and truths that have been buried for generations. She learns about the resilience of women in her family, the power of love and forgiveness, and the importance of letting go of the past in order to move forward.

Through her journey, Neela also discovers a newfound appreciation for her Indian heritage and the beauty of her homeland. She learns to cook traditional Indian dishes, explores the local markets and temples, and connects with the people of Kerala. As she embraces her roots, she finds a sense of belonging and a renewed sense of purpose.

Tomatoes for Neela is a captivating and heartwarming story that celebrates the strength of family, the importance of tradition, and the transformative power of love. Padma Lakshmi's writing is evocative and lyrical, bringing the sights, sounds, and smells of Kerala to life. This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story about family, love, and self-discovery.

Here are some additional details about the book:

• Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Family Saga
• Setting: Kerala, India
• Main Characters: Neela, Kamala (Neela's grandmother), Jay (Neela's husband), Ravi (Neela's father), Sita (Neela's mother)
• Themes: Family, Love, Loss, Forgiveness, Identity, Tradition, Healing
• Awards: Nominee for the 2023 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction