Southern Get-Togethers is the second book for Kelsey Barnard Clark, Top Chef Season 16 winner. This is more than just a cookbook. It is a primer full of practical tips for entertaining including building a party-ready pantry to knowing the right amount of food and drinks for your gathering. The chapters work through daytime meals, informal pot lucks, sports gatherings, formal dinner parties and everything in between them. Each menu contains flexibility for purchased or made from scratch options to suit all levels of skill and available time. With the focus on Southern cuisine with a French flair, the recipes are familiar with a fresh, unique twist. Great gift for a newlywed or a house warming.

Southern Get-Togethers is a combination of so many things I believe in, with the author's belief that there is celebration to be had in the every day and always room for more at the table (bonus points for her reference to "Crowded Table" by The Highwomen!). This cookbook is full of absolutely *gorgeous* photography and layouts with stunning use of color. There are a lot of solid "common-sense" tips for hosts AND for guests that are seemingly not always common-sense these days (I was raised by 80's church ladies in the Midwest so some things us Yankees and Southern entertainers can definitely come together on here! :)). This makes for a fantastic primer for people just starting to entertain (or wanting to level up), helping take the guesswork--and some of the stress!--out of experiences and avoiding some of the more awkward or "AITA" situations that could pop up. Not "just" a home chef and host, Clark offers a lot of advice and tables from her personal catering experience as well.

Many recipes are not personally my taste, or won't do for allergies in our family/framily, but are *beautifully* presented and accessible. I really appreciate the variety in skill level and from-scratch recipes or recipes with shortcuts, and the recipes definitely don't skimp on flavor at all. I'll be keeping this one in mind for housewarming or wedding gifts in the future.

My thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest review!

Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess, and make lots of wishes
--"How You Live" by Point of Grace

I loved this book! From backyard barbecues to weddings, Southern Get=Togethers has your back!
The pictures are amazing and beautiful! Plenty of recipes, how to's and tips will have you party planning in no time!

Setting the scene...

This book focuses on setting the entire scene, from table, food, flowers, decorations and the whole overall vibe.
It breaks down many occasions with ideas, tips and food with great photography to accompany and provide visual detail.
Recommend.

Let me begin by saying this is a beautiful book. There is a great deal of information in here that is very specific and provides a guide for those wishing to celebrate with friends and/or family in a certain fashion. In some ways these proposed parties are not necessarily accessible to many individuals. It was fun to read, however.
Many of the recipes were delectable and mouthwatering, but this book was not one that I would add to my permanent collection. Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It is a beautiful cookbook with recipes I want to try from top chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark.

I enjoyed reading the reviews of this as much as the book itself, LOL!

Yeah--it's definitely written for a higher-end clientele on many levels. Ingredients, lifestyle, alcohol consumption, etc.

I was a little bummed at two (by my count) unnecessary instances of swearing, and the emphasis on alcohol. Clark referenced mocktails at one point near the beginning of the book, but every beverage recipe in the book was alcoholic; disappointing for me as I quit drinking 5 years ago and would have really enjoyed seeing some mocktail versions or curated zero-proof drinks.

But the pictures were great, and the menu ideas look fab. Like Clark, I really appreciate checklists, and this book provides that--along with (albeit bougie) inspiration in spades. Having recently moved to the South, I enjoyed learning more about the topic from her perspective.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This cookbook was intriguing to me because of the title. Unfortunately, this book just was not for me. The majority of the book felt out-of-touch with the reality of southern get-togethers for most southerners. This is definitely marketed more for the people who can afford lavish get-togethers versus the more down-home ones I remember from my childhood. I was disappointed to find very little that was useful in this book. I’m sure others may like it more, but it was not for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I like the premise of this book but the recipes all have multiple steps and there are no suggestions to make recipes allergen friendly or other such modifications. I loved imagining being at one of her gatherings but felt the book did not have much practical application for my life.

This book is organized into specific party themes, and then those are in chapters called Daytime Delights, All-Day Bashes, Potlucks & Supper Clubs, and Formal Affairs & Slow Food Socials. The intro section has lots of good general party hosting info, including things to do and not and guidelines for serving sizes.
The book felt inconsistent - some of the get togethers had a whole list of recipes for a total meal, including a drink. Then the Game Day one literally was a single recipe for Brisket. Some had lots of photos of a gathering with place settings and centerpieces (but no info on either of these), and others just had pics of the recipes. For a book set up like this, there should be more than one recipe for each gathering, or at least ideas of other things to serve. There wasn't any mix and match or flexibility in here.
If you like Southern gatherings, this book may be of interest. I don't think I'm the right audience.

This is hands down one of the best cookbooks that I've read in a long time. This isn't just a bunch of recipes thrown in, KBC tells you how you should be going about planning for a gathering. You learn what staples you should always have on hand, what plates to use, and how much to drink you should have on hand. This is easily one of the best step by step hosting books I've seen and this would have been extremely beneficial in my 20s when I was struggling through figuring it out by trial and error.

I am obsessed with this book! The cover, the content, everything is better than the next. I cannot wait to host and use the techniques and recipes! This would be such a beautiful housewarming or wedding gift!!

The pictures and layout were so appealing to the eye and the recipes look delicious! I am not a southern girl so some of the etiquette just sounded a little ridiculous to me but I am excited to try these recipes soon!

I liked this cookbook very interesting the way they help you build your “party ready” pantry, bar, and closet, including lists of must haves. This is helpful when planning a party and not knowing where to start. Additionally, I like how it has one basic recipe and then multiple ways you can make it different. The pictured and visuals of this book were stunning. The colors of all the flowers and the charcuterie boards looked so beautiful and the dishes all made me want to make the recipes. Personally I like simpler cookbooks but that’s just my personal preference I still thought this book was lovely especially if you’re looking for hosting ideas !

This is a stunning and amazing cookbook! I’m a big fan of Kelsey and this book is just so her! Incredible recipes, stories & photos! I can’t wait to have a hard copy for my shelves.

What a beautiful cookbook. Photograph is phenomenal and compliments the flow of the book, I love the pop of blue in each picture.

Kelsey has structured this book so it’s easy to prep, prepare, and then relax at any gathering you choose to create.

I found her charts regarding how much food and beverage to serve for different size crowds very useful.

From casual get together to formal meals, this cookbook has so many themed meals to choose.

Loved it.

One of my most anticipated cookbooks of 2024 and it did not disappoint. I've been a big Kelsey Clark fan since her days on Top Chef. I got an arc of her first cookbook and still use it often. I love that we are getting back to books about cooking for friends and loved ones in groups. Dinner parties are back and better than ever thanks to books like Southern Get Togethers that make it easy and fun. The recipe for Foolproof Caterer's Hollandaise is worth the price of the book alone. I loved that the BYO Protein section focused on the sides and sauces that help make a protein special. The bacon onion jam is stellar. Everyone needs a good tiramisu recipe and Kelsey's turned out just as expected- perfect. Add this cookbook to your shelf.

I take any opportunity to enjoy a great meal with friends and family, and this cookbook makes it even more enticing. Its stunning pictures inspire me to try every recipe and even replicate the beautiful place settings. I can already envision making several of these dishes regularly.

I just couldn't get into this book. The recipes came were average. I didn't see anything I haven't seen in other cookbooks. The entertaining tips were the same. Most of them were common sense rules. The only thing I did like was how Kelsey Barnard Clark's southern sass shone through on the pages. It was like consulting with her in person. That being said, I'm not sure I'd take entertaining advice from someone who tossed Happy Meals out to guests at a wedding. That's a little too casual for my taste.

Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark shares her party-planning expertise in "Southern Get-Togethers," There are over 100 recipes and practical advice for both new and seasoned hosts. This self-help book simplifies hosting various events, from casual gatherings to formal dinners, with crowd-pleasing dishes. The cookbook includes helpful tips on menu planning and more, this cookbook is a go-to guide for mastering Southern hospitality and creating memorable celebrations.