Padma Lakshmi: "The Biggest Gift You Can Give Your Child Is the Joy of Cooking"

Last week, Padma Lakshmi celebrated her 45th birthday with a lavishly party. But prior to fête, she actually shared a “decadent but private” home picnic with her adorable five-year-old daughter. And although Padma’s given advice to parents of picky eaters in the past, the Top Chef host doesn’t have that problem at home. In fact, not only does her baby girl enjoy eclectic flavors, she's right there alongside her mom in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

“She cooks with me all the time. She even has her own recipes,” Padma told People. “She makes a savory fruit salad. We chop everything up for her and then she adds in seasonings with lemon juice or yuzu, a drop of olive oil, and she’ll put different spices in it.”

Sharing a love of cooking with her daughter clearly means a lot to Padma as a mother. “The biggest gift you can give your child is the joy of cooking,” she continued. “A child who has her hand in making her own food is likely to eat better for the rest of the life. And that’s what she does. Whether it’s just breaking ends of beans or shelling peas or washing the basil. She loves it.”

In celebration of her recent birthday, take a look at Padma through the years.