NPR's Leila Fadel and chef Padma Lakshmi make recipes from Lakshmi's book, "Padma's All American," which highlights foods made by immigrant communities that are also perfect for the holidays.

Growing up, I always envied the kids who built gingerbread houses at home. My family and I rarely baked together in Brooklyn: Like many Asian diaspora families, we stored pots and pans (and our rice ...