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A NEW WAY TO EN|OY Olive Oil & Omega 3. Ohhh. how mediterranean of us. ’‘i ii J l. i* Lwm I |fl H I : - r{k ' u ' I Can't Believe It's Not ButterV Mediterranean Blend Made with Olive Oil 60'vegetable a spread contains 8g fat. ?g saturated fat and 400 mg. Omega 3 ALA par serving. fo2oo 7 Unilever • 70% less saturated fat than butter • An excellent source of Omega 3 ALA • And the same great butter taste Food PARTY ON Padma Lakshmi shares secrets for hassle-free holiday hosting. BY KATHY ROWINGS THE HOLIDAYS are a great time to get your family together and enjoy some much-needed time off, but cook ing for the whole clan can be tricky. We asked Padma Lakshmi, host of Bravo’s Top Chef and author of the just-out cook book Timgy Tart Hot & Sweet, to share her tips on how to cook up the perfect holiday for your family and guests. ■ What's a surefire strategy for picking a good holiday menu? I tailor my menu to who’s coming over. If I know a particular relative is com ing, I’ll try to make his or her favorite food especially a dish from growing up in our family that we don’t get to eat that often. Thy to find a menu that’s easy to prepare a bit in advance. You don’t want every dish needing attention two minutes before you serve it, or you’ll spend your whole evening in the kitchen. Make things that can rest well, that may actually benefit from some waiting time, such as a rice pilaf or a roast. ■ Do you think a host should do a test run before the big day? When you’re having a lot of people over to the house, don’t try out a recipe for the first time. Try it out when you’re not stressed, when you don’t have to be somewhere or you’re not tired from a full day of work. See if you like it, or if you think the recipe needs tweaking. Then you’ll also know how much time it takes to make it so you’ll be able to plan the other dishes accordingly. ■ Is it tacky to ask people to pitch in? That’s easier to do in a family situation. Family members usually have similar tastes because they’ve all grown up with the same food. My family did lots of pot lucks, and it always turned out well. ■ What about those pesky picky eaters? I’ve had a few picky eaters at my table over the years. You just have to make 16 USA WEEKEND .Nov. 16-18,2007