If there was a PhD for entertaining, Jenn would be the program director

Issue #40: Come inside a party in Louisiana hosted by the Queen of Southern hospitality: recipes and hosting tips from the hostess with the mostest

What you don’t know about going to a party at Jenn’s house until you’ve been to a party at Jenn’s house is that there are people in the world who are able to create the kind of magical, glittery parties in magazines and on television in real life.

I mean, how many times have I looked at a glossy magazine spread, where everything is perfect and the tables are tablescaped and heavy with china and crystal, and there is a coherent theme with every single detail accounted for, and beautiful, smiling people holding fancy cocktails while mingling in front of tables laden with gorgeous food that has been flawlessly prepared and impeccably garnished, and thought… no one actually does this in real life.

Friends. I was wrong. Jenn does this in real life. And it’s spectacular.

A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to attend one of Jenn’s parties. And because I was not able to take you all with me (even though she would have welcomed every single one of you with open arms) this issue is devoted to sharing the recipes and details of that event plus so many tips and insights about hosting, and hospitality, and what it means to offer people the gift of a magical evening of food, music, conversation, and community.

Because that’s exactly what Jenn’s parties are - a gift.

Jenn creates an experience that becomes memories that we get to take with us and keep with us for the rest of our lives. Doing this requires a remarkable generosity of time and resources which she gives openly and willingly over and over again.

The party is more than a party. It’s a tangible expression of love and care for the people who are fortunate enough to find themselves in her circle.

This issue is not the same as being there. But it is packed with ideas and inspiration for how we might, if we so desire, do the same thing in our own way.

However, before we dive in, jump over to Jenn’s brand new newsletter and subscribe. If you are uncertain about this directive, just read her first post and that should close the (entirely free) sale.

Meet Jenn Sharp

Jenn is one of those inspiring people that reminds me of the unnecessary limits I often place on myself. It simply doesn’t occur to her that she can’t implement any idea that she wants to create. She feels that if she’s willing to put in the time and effort, anything is possible.

Hospitality and creativity are in her bones. Like most creative people, she is charged, from head to toe, with a driving force that compels her to spin her ideas into something real and tangible that she can share with others. Lavish on others, is perhaps a better way of describing it.

Jenn wants to make a positive impact on the world and she does it by opening her home and her heart to others.

I spent an afternoon talking to Jenn about her roots and she told me stories of extravagant themed birthday parties she gave for her children as they were growing up. Like many of us, Jenn and her husband are hard working middle class people who struggled to make ends meet while managing the demands of a young family.

But limited resources are not a problem for Jenn. In fact, I suspect they are fuel to the fire. She is an artist and that’s what artists do - they make something out of nothing.

Like all good artists, Jenn’s attention to detail is notable.

In this issue, you’ll see her plan for the party she threw in our honor which includes detailed lists about the theme, set-up, decorations, entertainment and staff, the food, and even cleaning lists and repairs she wants to complete to their home before the event.

She generates a vision, creates a detailed plan, and then works like hell to execute it. But she also told me this…

I work my butt off before and then do my best to enjoy the party. I also try to not have any expectations for how everything is going to go. Things happen and people can’t attend, or what have you, and often when the plan is thrown off track that’s when we’ve had the best time. Plan and prepare, but then just enjoy what is.

If there was a PhD for hosting and entertaining, Jenn would be the program director.

As we sat in my living room drinking champagne and eating slices of pistachio napoleon, she told me her secret for hosting a great party…

Treat every single guest as if you threw the party just for them, like they are the guest of honor.

This is what she does, and that is why I love her.

Here’s what you’ll find in the rest of this week’s issue:

Two of Jenn’s recipes from the party: Crab, Shrimp, and Crawfish Pasta and a towering Carrot Cake layered with cream cheese buttercream and decorated with a gorgeous mossy green fondant and an extravagance of fruit and nuts.

I brought some of my favorite desserts to the party - the Pistachio Napoleon from last week’s issue plus Coconut Cream Pie and Maple Pecan Pie. You’ll find those recipes below as well.

You’ll also find the planning list Jenn used to create the party I attended, plenty of other photos from the party, and Jenn’s thoughts on Southern Hospitality including her hosting tips and many of the Sharp family traditions.

Two of my favorite quotes from that piece:

I love this story of my grandmother: having realized she was having a stroke, she called 911. When the EMTs arrived and entered her bedroom one of them said, “Ms. Josie, what are you doing?”

Her response, “I am putting on my stockings, Darlin.’”

The idea of going out of the house bare-legged was unacceptable.

We may not be quite that way any longer, but there is a certain ingrained tradition

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To me, being Southern means Grace. We have a knack and a desire to step off the intrepid roller coaster of life and slow down so that we might appreciate the now. We have been taught to extend friendship and acceptance with a smile.

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I hope you find inspiration in the rest of this issue to bring a little Southern hospitably into your own life even if it’s just to make a pot of creamy pasta and a decadent carrot cake and invite the neighbors for dinner.