Padma Lakshmi poses for Playboy

“Top Chef� host Padma Lakshmi is in the December issue of Playboy (on newsstands Nov. 20) wearing a lot of lace and not much else. In an interview, the 42-year-old single mom said she doesn’t watch the Bravo cooking reality show that she has starred in for six years, and that she gains and loses the same 10 to 15 pounds every season.

“I usually gain between 10 and 15 pounds over six weeks each season,� Lakshmi said. “Then I spend 12 weeks working it off. But it’s worth it. When the timer goes off and the food is ready, I’m really excited to eat.

“I’m lucky. I have a fast metabolism, I’m tall, and my digestive tract is ironclad and can really take a beating. Having been a model for 15 years, I also know a thing or two about how to dress if I’ve put on a few pounds.�

Lakshmi also dished on TV food personalities. They “aren’t interesting to me,� she said. “Bobby Flay, I’m sure, is a great guy, but I don’t watch ‘Iron Chef.’ I don’t even watch ‘Top Chef,’ to be honest.�

And the one dish every man should know how to make? “A beautiful roast chicken.� Take note, boys.

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