In her follow-up cookbook to Salad for President, cook, writer, and artist Julia Sherman shows us how to apply an artist’s touch to our own home gatherings.

Artists throw superior parties, and we can learn from their willingness to draw outside the lines, choose character over perfection, and find boundless joy in feeding family and friends. Cook, live, and host like an artist with inspired, easy recipes and playful hands-on experiments in the kitchen.

Sherman shows you how to be the architect of your own uniquely memorable bash, whether that means a special breakfast for two, or a “choose your own adventure” meal that’s flexible enough to feed a crowd. Forget the codified markers of good taste—Arty Parties instead reveals that modern gatherings are less about “getting it right” and more about getting your hands dirty, building community, and taking risks in the kitchen and beyond. Featuring colorful food that is confident in its simplicity, Sherman shares easy-to-follow, healthy recipes that value imaginative flavor combinations over complexity: dishes like an avocado-lemongrass panna cotta, saffron tomato soup, coconut rice cakes with smashed avocado and soy-marinated eggs, and roasted broccolini and blood oranges with a creamy pepita sauce.

This book also invites readers into the idiosyncratic gatherings of internationally acclaimed artists, from a chic office party in a Parisian art book publisher’s atelier to an underground earth oven pizza party on a secluded hillside in Los Angeles. Woven throughout are Sherman’s own homegrown events that are relatable yet wonderfully experimental in tone.

Utterly unique and beautifully designed, Arty Parties is a guide to creating meaningful experiences that nourish both the host and their guests in body, mind, and soul.

Amazon * B&N * Abrams * IndieBound

Review

One of the best parts of being a member of the Abrams Dinner Party is receiving the new books that are coming out; trying all sorts of fantastic recipes; and learning so much more about food, beverages, and entertaining. This book is no different and is filled with colorful photos, menus plans, dinner themes, and delectable recipes.

When I receive books such as this, I like to quickly flip through them just to get a feel for what is included inside. Then I will take it more slowly to digest what the author is trying to impart to the reader. At first glance, this book is colorful and will capture your attention – from brightly colored pages to photos of the dishes.

I loved the introduction because a lot of what she said is so true when it comes to hosting dinner parties. Don’t critique what you make, if it is edible that is all that matters!  Your friends and family are there for the interaction, the food is just a bonus. Live in a small space? That is ok because then everyone is closer together (maybe not ideal every time in this pandemic) and the interaction is more organic. Make extra because who doesn’t love leftovers?

Each chapter is more than just a meal suggestion and recipes, it is also a concept and how to engage those that attend. Stretch your mind and keep your next dinner party low-key and don’t stress over the small stuff. I know that I tend to worry about small things but reading this book reminds me that it is about the people and not how perfect everything looks.

I have made several recipes from this book and everything turned out delicious, even with some modifications. Don’t be afraid to tweak recipes if you don’t have something or can’t find it. The recipe will turn out just fine. For example, I made the Chicken and Jeweled Rice and swapped dried cherries for the golden raisins, black cardamon pods for green, and I didn’t have pomegranate molasses or cinnamon sticks so just left that out. Everything still turned out delicious even with the substitutions. Sometimes recipes call for items that are not easy to find or are expensive, just look at what you do have and play around with your dish.

I also made the Perennial Saffron Tomato Soup. Oh my, this is VERY easy and oh so good especially as we are going into colder weather and makes the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich at lunchtime. The saffron gives that little something extra. I didn’t have Aleppo peppers so left it out but can imagine the pop in flavor if I had them on hand. Oh and of course I added more than 1 clove of garlic, who adds just 1 when cooking? Not me that is for sure.

I have other recipes earmarked including a parmesan broth. I have always thrown away the rinds from my parmesan but not anymore! I have a bag in the freezer and as soon as I have enough I will be giving this one a whirl.

This book can be the starting point for any dinner party you want to throw and don’t be afraid to put your own twist on the event or the recipe.

About the Author

Julia Sherman is a Los Angeles based artist, writer, cook, and photographer who runs Salad for President, an evolving publishing project that draws a meaningful connection between food, art, and everyday obsessions. Each of Sherman’s blog entries contains a salad recipe made in collaboration with an artist, musician, writer, or creative professional, living their lives artfully.

This online platform serves as a springboard for events, collaborations, and public programming. In the summer of 2014, Salad For President created the first ever MoMA PS1 Salad Garden, reimagining the previously unused rooftop of the museum as a public space for heirloom vegetables, performances, and dinners. The second Salad Garden was installed at the Los Angeles Getty Museum in 2015. Sherman has been the Creative Director at Chopt Creative Salad Company since 2015. Sherman, and her writing, have been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, T Mag, Domino, Art in America, Modern Painter’s, Triple Canopy, Cherry Bombe, The Paris Review, Martha Stewart, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit, amongst others.

Sherman’s Salad for President: A Cookbook Inspired by Artists was published by Abrams Books in the Spring of 2017, and is available for sale. Her second cookbook will be published Fall 2021, and is a treatise on the messy art of entertaining.

Sherman is also the founder and creator of Jus Jus Verjus, a low ABV sparkling wine made in collaboration with natural winemaker Martha Stoumen.

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