Francis Lam serves as one of the judges on season 4 of The Great American Recipe, a competition where home cooks from diverse cultural backgrounds compete to showcase their perspectives and regional influences. Aside from being a panelist, Francis is also the host and regular contributor of The Splendid Table, produced by American Public Media. A former Eat columnist for The New York Times Magazine, Francis is the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Clarkson Potter, a Penguin Random House division considered the frontrunner of cookbook publishing. He is not only known for his career as a journalist but is also popular among fans of Bravo's Top Chef as he served as a judge on Top Chef Masters for two seasons.The Great American Recipe judge has multiple James Beard Foundation Awards in his name. He secured his first victory in 2014, winning the James Beard Award for Journalism/Profile for A Day on Long Island with Alex Lee in Lucky Peach. In 2016, he earned one more, followed by 2017, when he took home three James Beard Awards.Details on The Great American Recipe panelist Francis Lam's childhood, education, marriage, and moreFrancis Lam at the 2025 James Beard Media Awards (Image via Getty)Francis was born to Chinese immigrant parents living in New Jersey and working in Manhattan's Chinatown. They operated a small garment factory. His mother wished for him to attend business, dental, or medical school, so that he could live a satisfactory life in their absence.However, Francis had other plans. He attended the University of Michigan, where he majored in creative writing and Asian Studies, graduating in 2017. After college, Francis left Michigan and returned to New York to work as a grant writer for non-profit organizations. In 2003, he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), standing first in his class.At the CIA, The Great American Recipe star wrote emails to friends describing his experiences. As stated on his biography on PBS, the emails were circulated among peers, leading an editor at the Financial Times to reach out to Francis to write for the publication.Ruth Reichl at the 2024 James Beard Media Awards (Image via Getty)In 2004, Francis met Ruth Reichl, then the editor of Gourmet, and began freelancing for the magazine. Thus began his journey as a food journalist, as he went on to write for Food & Wine, Salon, and Bon Appétit. He also maintained a regular column, Eat, for The New York Times Magazine, where he discussed immigrant cooking.In 2013, The Great American Recipe alum became the Editor-in-Chief at Clarkson Potter. One of his first acquisitions was Victuals: An Appalachian Journey by Ronni Lundy. His other acquisitions included Eat a Little Better by Sam Kass, Food of Northern Thailand by Austin Bush, The Jemima Code by Toni Tipton-Martin, and more.He was a guest host for The Splendid Table radio show from 2010 until he was named as the replacement for retiring host Lynne Rossetto Kasper in 2017. The Great American Recipe star is also a board member for the Southern Foodways Alliance. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostOn the personal front, Francis married Christine Gaspar on July 6, 2013, in New York City. He hosted a celebratory dinner with dishes prepared by celebrity cooks, including Dave Beran, Eric Rivera, Zach Dunham, and many more.The feast reflected Francis's Chinese heritage as well as his wife's Portuguese background. Moreover, the food was served in Chinese take-out style. Some of the dishes were oyster salad, braised seaweed with tofu and pumpkin, and grilled octopus with cauliflower. As for dessert, the guests were served salted chocolate buckwheat cookies and an egg custard tart.As of 2025, Francis lives with his wife and daughter in New York City.The Great American Recipe episodes can be streamed on the PBS app.