Inspired by Martha Stewart, Clark provides a new, down-to-earth guide to entertaining
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Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark made a name for herself as a winner of Top Chef, but she’s far more than a competitive chef—she’s also an expert on entertaining thanks to her career as a caterer and restaurant chef in Dothan, Alabama. Her second book, Southern Get-Togethers, is an entertaining book for the modern age, meaning it builds on what pros like Martha Stewart started, and delivers useful tools that are relevant today. We love her cheat sheets and charts for determining how much food or drink you need for hosting a party at home, and how she takes time to bust a few long-standing myths about old-school entertaining rules. (You don’t need to hand-press the powder room towels—but you do need candles and music.) We asked Clark about her writing process and which entertaining books inspired her along the way.
The Local Palate: What’s one big takeaway you want readers to pick up from your cookbook?
Kelsey Barnard Clark: Southern Get-Togethers is filled to the brim with practical, never precious entertaining. It is purposefully lacking refinement, constantly bringing us down to reality. My hope is that readers look to this book as their ultimate guide in enjoying the art of hosting.
The Local Palate: Tell us about one or two of your favorite recipes and why you love them.
Kelsey Barnard Clark: The recipes in the oysters and chili dog section are so quintessential to the highbrow, lowbrow style of this book and certainly bring me joy.
The Local Palate: What have you learned from working on your previous book that made working on this book a little smoother or more enjoyable?
Kelsey Barnard Clark: I always feel you learn the most from mistakes and that certainly was the case here. I made notes on what I felt could have been done differently the first time around. I also listened more to what readers had to say. What they did and didn’t love.
The Local Palate: Aside from your own recipes, what was your go-to snack or meal after a day of recipe testing for the book?
Kelsey Barnard Clark: It’s always cereal. Any kind, as long as the milk is ice cold.
The Local Palate: What cookbooks inspired you when researching or starting out on this cookbook?
Kelsey Barnard Clark: There were a lot that I flipped through throughout, for varying reasons. My repeats were: Martha’s Entertaining, by Martha Stewart; A Loving Table, by Kimberly Schlegel Whitman; and A Table Full of Love, by Skye McAlpine. I mostly was drawn to the layout or style of the books and studied what made me want to keep flipping.
The Local Palate: What is the most beloved cookbook on your shelf and why?
Kelsey Barnard Clark: Joy of Cooking and Mastering The Art of French Cooking. These women are mentors to me and certainly paved the way for women to have a space in this industry.
The Local Palate: Favorite cook-friendly bookstore in the Southeast and why?
Kelsey Barnard Clark: Downtown Books in Dothan, Alabama. They’re right across the street from my restaurant, neighboring a coffee shop. It’s exactly what you want a bookstore to be.
Kelsey’s cookbook tour includes Dothan, Birmingham, Orlando, LA, NYC, Boston, Nashville, Decatur/Atlanta, Austin, Houston, and Dallas. Stay tuned for dates and more info on Kelsey’s website and follow her on social @kelseybarnardclark.
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Erin Byers Murray
Erin Byers Murray has been digging into stories about food and wine for more than twenty years. Based in Nashville, she is the editor-in-chief of The Local Palate and has authored or co-authored half a dozen books, including deep dives into oysters and grits, as well as several cookbooks. Her work has been published in multiple publications, including Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the Boston Globe, and three editions of Best Food Writing.
