Kelsey Barnard Clark knows a thing or two about entertaining. As a longtime caterer, lauded restaurateur and practiced home host, the Alabama native is an expert at throwing gatherings both casual and formal, large and small.

She started catering at age 15, and over the next two decades worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City before opening her own business, KBC, in Dothan. Clark was a semifinalist in 2023 for a prestigious regional best chef award from the James Beard Foundation. A television personality, she was the first Southerner and fifth woman to win the cooking competition “Top Chef” in 2019.

The Dothan resident — Alabama’s answer to Martha Stewart — distilled all that experience into her latest book, “Southern Get-Togethers: A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings.”

Published in September, it’s both a cookbook and guide to throwing parties, including the kinds of events Clark loves to host at home — happy-hour gatherings, daytime bashes, potlucks, supper-club dinners and fancier feasts.

“Essentially I’ve been writing this book my entire life,” she says. “This book is like your best friend writing you a manual for how to be a hostess. It’s like, ‘this has happened, and this is how it happened, and these are the bad ways I’ve handled it, and these are the great ways I’ve handled these events.’”

“Top Chef” winner and James Beard semifinalist Kelsey Barnard Clark loves to welcome people into her home, whether for happy-hour gatherings, daytime bashes, potlucks, supper-club dinners or fancier feasts. (Courtesy of Kelsey Barnard Clark)

“Southern Get-Togethers” features about 100 recipes with appropriately simple and crowd-pleasing dishes and drinks. They are divided by occasions like brunch and happy hour, or dinner parties built around tempura, DIY tacos and grilled meats.

Clark’s practical advice details how to plan parties, build guest lists, set the table and even arrange fresh-cut flowers.

A well-stocked dinner party pantry should have at least a dozen each of plates, chargers, utensil sets, steak knives and different types of glassware, Clark writes. “The average dinner party is never four,” she explains. “You’re not going to invite just one [couple]. The average dinner party is going to be at least 10 to 12 people.”

A well-set table is Clark’s signature, so she guides readers through her methods, including matching napkins and rings (keep two dozen napkins in stock; rings should coordinate with the cutlery and chargers), plus using cloth table covers, fun place holders, candles and floral centerpieces.

The book features handy checklists for stocking a bar, dividing duties for co-hosts and those basic items all hosts should keep handy. Wonder how much food, beverage and booze to buy for your party? There’s a chart for that, with quantities from 10 to 150 guests.

This is Clark’s second book, following “Southern Grit” in 2021. A third book about outdoor cooking and entertaining is slated for early 2026.

A well-set table is Kelsey Barnard Clark’s signature. (Courtesy of Kelsey Barnard Clark)

“Southern Get-Togethers” includes author Kelsey Barnard Clark’s advice for arranging fresh-cut flowers. (Courtesy of Kelsey Barnard Clark)

“Southern Get-Togethers” was inspired by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it sparked an overwhelming desire for communal celebrations.

“You saw so many people saying, ‘I’ve never wanted to have a dinner party in my life, and now I would do anything in the world to throw one,’” Clark says. “This is your guide to getting the party started.”

Her overall theme: Don’t sweat the details, keep it simple but festive and make sure everything is done before the guests arrive so you can relax and enjoy your company.

“Think through making yourself happy during the party,” she says. “That’s what I tell people — what do we have to do to make sure you enjoy this party? That’s where we have to start.”

Dinner parties are her personal favorite to host. “It could be up to 20 people,” she says. “I like a sit-down formal style of dinner that’s also completely casual — show up however you are, whatever you are, and I’m going to make a really nice meal, maybe. Maybe the meal won’t be nice, but the table will be nice.”

Don’t be fooled. Clark has mastered every detail.

When the party is built around a birthday or multiple during that month, Clark’s tradition is to create a menu based on the celebrants’ favorite food. Then everyone at the party takes turns saying what they love about the guest of honor, and why they’re glad that person was born.

It consistently produces what Clark calls “the most amazing, sweetest” evenings.

“I love entertaining,” she says. “That’s my happy place.”

Entertaining is Kelsey Barnard Clark’s happy place. (Courtesy of Kelsey Barnard Clark)

Upcoming book tour appearances

Friday, Nov. 1, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.

Cocktail hour event and discussion with Betsy Cribb Watson of Southern Living. To be held at Helen Restaurant at 2013 Second Ave. North in Birmingham.

Saturday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.

Cooking demo at Pepper Place Market followed by a book signing at Little Professor Bookstore’s pop-up location at 2807 Second Ave. South in Birmingham.

Sunday, Nov. 3, noon

Cooking demo and meet and greet at Williams Sonoma in the Summit shopping center in Birmingham.

This story originally was published on the SoulGrown website.