There’s no one we’d rather take hosting advice from than an award-winning professional entertainer who’s also a mother of two little kids. If anyone can make pulling off a dinner party look easy, it’s Kelsey Barnard Clark, who cooked the meal of her life on Top Chef: Kentucky (with a 10-month-old at home). After the show, she opened her own catering company and James Beard award-nominated restaurant in her hometown of Dothan, Alabama, called KBC; and she has become a Food Network regular, competing on Guy’s Grocery Games, Tournament of Champions and more.
Clark has also penned two cookbooks, including Southern Grit: 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, she’s bringing her latest cookbook, Southern Get-Togethers: A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings, to Time Out Market Boston. Clark will showcase a signature recipe in the market’s demo kitchen—and share samples with the crowd—and also sit down for a chat with her friend, fellow Food Network star and Top Chef fan-favorite, Karen Akunowicz, chef-owner of Fox & the Knife and Bar Volpe in South Boston.
Ahead of Clark’s book tour, which also includes a meet-and-greet with Akunowicz at Bar Volpe, Time Out Boston chatted with the professional entertainer about her go-to hosting tips, recipes—and which Food Network stars always get an invite.
What’s the best party you’ve ever been to?
The best party is always the party where the host is having fun. That makes it fun.
Is the approach the same to every event?
No, definitely not. I actually put this in the book: If you're considering catering your own wedding or planning your own wedding, literally, stop. That's a terrible idea. Weddings are a beast. Backyard weddings are the hardest, because you're building everything from scratch. The approach is 1,000% different depending on what the event is and who is coming. All of those things definitely play into what you're going to do.
Is there a go-to tip for every event?
Essentially, just prepare your house enough so that it looks like you wanted people to come over. For me, I'm not ever going to have a gathering at my house without food, music and flowers. What kind of food, music and flowers doesn't matter. Just do something. Clip a branch and throw it in a vase. If the food is delivery pizza, awesome! Everyone loves delivery pizza. Those three things just need to happen.
I feel like in another world, you might have become a florist instead of a chef. How have flowers played a role in your career?
The first job I had was for a caterer who was also a wedding florist, so they'll never not be intertangled for me. My rule of thumb for everything is, how can you bring the outside in? It feels natural and light and refreshing when you have things like that in your house.
Let’s talk about food. Is there something you serve at most events that you host?
No. I would ask that question to a normal person [laughs]. But for someone who's not a professional entertainer, I always tell people to cook roast chicken. In the book, I share variations and different sides. But roast chicken is the biggest crowd pleaser on the planet. And while it might seem hard, it's literally a set-it-and-forget-it thing. Learn how to master that, and you will always make people happy.
I think I know someone else who would say that, too.
Ina Garten, I know, I know.
I was gonna say [Top Chef lead judge] Tom Colicchio.
Let me put it this way. Anyone smart has probably said that at some point. You will not meet someone who's like, “ugh, roast chicken is the worst.” If you do have someone who says that, take that person off your invite list. They are the problem, not you.
Who from the Guy Fieri extended universe would you most want at your party?
My group of girls; we call each other “work wives.” That would be Stephanie Izard, Karen, Crista Luedtke, Shirley Chung. There's a lot more, honestly. As someone who is a female business owner in a male-dominant world, I like to talk to women about their experiences.
I'm wondering, do the Tournament of Champions chefs all hang out when you're on set? Do you guys throw little get-togethers in your trailer?
Oh yeah. We call it “chef camp.” We're all incredibly different, sure, but we're all people who like the same things and who do the same thing. So of course, we hang out. We talk about food and business. But no, we don’t cook for each other there. We go out to eat. As much as we love to cook, we like to have other people cook for us, because that's how we learn.
Have you ever been to Boston before? Is there anything you're looking forward to doing here?
I have. I'm mostly excited to be with Karen and seeing her restaurant.
