Padma Lakshmi’s 5-Ingredient Holiday Salad

Picture this: You’re at Semma, the trending, Michelin-star South Indian restaurant located near the heart of New York City. It’s closed for a private event: famed television host and foodie Padma Lakshmi’s launch party for Padma’s All American, her new cookbook. Hosted by Pom Wonderful, the event is full of bite-size deliciousness fused from the book’s recipes and Semma’s menu and celebrity appearances. It also feels unreal, like a flavorful dream.

But it was definitely real, because I was definitely there last week, observing the occasion while shoveling dosas and taking second and third glances at Chris Rock. Most importantly, I watched Lakshmi float around the room in her element, mingling with guests, taking her heels off halfway through the night. 

Before this glamorous night, though, I got a taste of Lakshmi’s passion for food and storytelling through an exclusive interview. I chatted with the former Top Chef host to learn more about the book, her favorite holiday recipes and her love of pomegranates. Read on to find out what her advice for first-time hosts is this holiday season and the three spices she can’t live without.

What is a holiday dish that you love and are looking forward to this season?

We make another salad that is so beautiful. We get these tiny little mozzarella balls that are the size of gumballs, and instead of tomatoes, we do pomegranate. It’s basically just mozzarella, pomegranate, mint, olive oil and balsamic, and it’s a wonderful salad. You get this bright, beautiful red color with the white of the mozzarella. It’s very holiday, and it looks beautiful on the table.

With pomegranates being so versatile, do you have a favorite savory recipe featuring pomegranate, and a favorite sweet recipe featuring pomegranate?

I use pomegranates in all different ways. My favorite way to use pomegranate is in salads. There’s a Kale-Pomegranate Salad with green apples in Padma’s All American that’s really easy to make, and I love kale and pomegranate together. It’s just a beautiful bright pop, with the pom arils between the kale, and the dressing is really bright, which plays off all the tart notes in the pom arils. It gives it a wonderfully layered, sweet-tart taste to the very earthy kale. 

As far as sweet dishes, honestly my favorite sweet way to use pomegranate is my version of the PB&J. It’s a “pom toast,” which I’ve been making for years, and I always post about it at midnight. It’s literally just toasted bread with creamy peanut butter slathered all over, and instead of using jam or jelly, I use fresh pom arils in there.

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter & Pomegranate Toast

Dinner party season is here. Do you have any advice for first-time hosts?

Everything takes longer than you anticipate it will, and you want to keep your entertaining, especially during the holidays, as stress-free as possible. As a general rule when you’re cooking or when you’re hosting for friends and family, always do all of your prep work ahead of time. When you’re planning a menu, make sure at least three-quarters of your menu, you can do ahead of time. Get most of your cooking done, set the table and be done at least an hour before your guests arrive. Go take a hot bath or shower, enjoy that first glass of wine (if you drink) while you’re getting ready, put on some music. And then when your guests come, let them help you warm up dishes or dress the salad, give your guests something to do so that the activity of preparing the last bits of the dinner becomes a social activity as well. If the host is having a good time, then the guests will have a good time.

Your book highlights your go-to pantry staples and spices. If you had to choose, what are your top three spices?

Kashmiri chile powder, za’atar and sumac.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.