C Pam Zhang with Padma Lakshmi: Land of Milk and Honey

When a cloud of smog envelops the earth, killing most of the planet’s food crops, a chef escapes her dying career to take a job at an “elite research community” free of the world’s troubles. There the sky is clear again, and rare ingredients abound. But her enigmatic employer and his visionary daughter are secretly attempting to reimagine the world. When they try to draw her into their scheme, the chef must reckon with whether she can preserve her identity on the plate and beyond.

Zhang speaks with Padma Lakshmi about dining and deliverance at the end of the world.