Be the catalyst for your unforgettable gatherings

and i want to invite you to be the catalyst for the life that you want to live the action that you want to have the fun you want to have you know these things aren't going to come from anywhere but you and yourself and your great ideas and your bold stances i mean yeah

Boy, then you'd be doing real big business. Oh, yeah. So I am now really excited about giving you a brand new level of things.

well first of all listen i'm kennedy cooper i want to really just talk to you about things that are happening in the world of dinner parties and hosting there's outdoor hosting beyond the garden party you know we're here at the time for summer entertaining

you know i was just blessed to be hosting some january 4th festivities uh you know spent a little time at nelson's here in albuquerque buying a big rack of meat and sharing it but it's important to remember that your your holiday celebrations

especially for july fourth but really for any holiday there's no rules they don't have to be anything at all and you can spend that time in a large group or you can spend it in a group with just one or two people you can spend a holiday all by yourself and it just doesn't matter but that being said definitely trends have changed

in the way that we entertain. I enjoy just seeing lots of ground beef, of course. But also, people are making healthier choices. Things like frozen coffee, cocktails, linens.

things like stations. People are really thinking small. Think about things that are very small and yet very chic and memorable. I think it's partially because we all think about things being TikTokable or Instagramable

and from a professional perspective, that is merely a matter of just your design proportions. I'm a big fan of Brian Raffinelli, a big inspiration to me. He wrote the book, A Great Party. He did party planning for the Clantons.

he did the Obama he did planning for the State Department or whatever but he was also a very good his background was in political fundraising so he was always able to make the case make the emotional argument for his thing anyway a thing that Brian Raffinelli shared with me that I thought was really incredible

was to really think about the experience when a person moves their head and does the immersion end at eye level or does it continue when they move up? But really, I think

when you've really achieved mastery of a subject it's when you can take somebody whose opinion that you respect and just do the opposite of what they're doing and it still turn out pretty good because you just have an understanding of why they made the decisions that they made you find that in cooking you find that in hosting you find that in writing you just find it everywhere in life um

One person I think who really blends the old and the new really well is Tyler Florence. And he really talked about home parties. We really are in the roaring twenties, aren't we? Home parties are back to being a thing. Tyler really thought about,

ways to add a communal experience to dining. So stuff like having Cherries Jubilee at the table. You know, we think of having a little fire on the house as something that just comes from big, fancy restaurants. But the touches that make somebody really delighted.

They're not just the domain of restaurants. They're not just the domain of businesses. Those touches of hospitality can really exist inside all of us. Carving meat, public meat carving. Can people see you carve meat? What about grating cheese? Can people see it? Think about some of these aspects of the food preparation.

and making them more of a communal experience that we can all see or touch or experience and really bring us back to the childlike joy that we had.

thinking about RSVP.

yeah thinking of ways to rsvp i've been using media i've used my own home cook you know rsvp tools um i think that that digital media is so bifurcated now

There was definitely a time when simply scheduling on Meta was the way to go, but now invitations are so personal. You know, people use tools like Notion. People use tools like, you know, we're really thinking about our personal experience with the web more so that using a tool like Partiful or Evite, there can be a little bit of fatigue. Now for me,

The politics of RSVP have not very much changed. Because ultimately, if I'm just telling you how to RSVP, you're gonna do it. I use Discord. If you're gonna RSVP with me, that's how you're gonna meet me. I'm not gonna give you a bunch of extra layers of bullshit.

However, however, am I not merciful? I think that a great host can find ways to reach people where they are. I think text is good. I think email is good.

if you use meetup keep meeting up you know if you use instagram keep instagramming whatever

Think about ways to be, you know, in martial arts movies, it's never about just fighting forward. There's always a give and take. There's always a balance. So even as you as a host, you're thinking about like rising prices. I really want you to think about, well, there are some things that you'd spend any amount of money on for people that you care about. I know this sounds a little bit fluffy and fruity, but it's just true.

and there are other things that you cut corners on. Just look at your own budget. You know, I look at my budget and I can see what I value. Just try to think of instead of making your hosting better or like this hack does that. Think of making your hosting more

authentic. Make it more true to yourself. Prices are rising in restaurants, of course. Just be yourself. Lighting. Think of the things that make your experiences forever.

And boy, for me, it's an aspirational list even for me. And I am a professional party host. I sat down when I decided to start doing this professionally. I made a list of things that I would want in order to have a party that lived up to my imagination. Wow. Okay. Every great director doesn't have $150 million to make a movie.

Don't overdo it. Sometimes you overpolish the presentation of your food, thinking that you're going to really rock everybody's world with suddenly you're a Michelin chef. Come on, you don't eat like that at home. I think overpolishing and overdoing the presentation of the food is a big no-no. And it kind of represents a detail that you can get too caught up in.

and I'm including intimacy cooks, all of you guys that want to get laid from cooking. Just cook something nice that fills her stomach. You don't have to blow away with the plating. Think about really the sensory experience. Think about what it's going to smell like. I really think that...

better way to think about cooking is is there a mess woman goes in there gets your cooking she looks over at the thing you don't clean that up all the time who's kidding who you really want to impress the woman clean up afterwards and remember dietary restrictions you'd really hate to spend a gazillion years right trying to do

a great perfect dining experience for somebody only to find out maybe they're not as interested as they thought because they can't eat it and it's not good for their stomach

get help get help get help with what you're making even if you're doing it to impress a girl ask one of your guy friends hey help me prep this if it's for one person you probably don't need all that much help come on use your brain

but a little bit can help. Okay, so ideas to try at your next gathering. Number one, table size finishing. Find a way to add some live entertainment to your table. A flambe dessert, carving meat, drizzling the dressing. Find a way for you to physically engage the guests of what you're eating.

um think of invitations that have personality uh add something personal to your digital platform and just use the one that you're most comfortable with and also think about this with the food and the planning in your stuff in your event embrace easy food items

have a grazing board, have pigs in blankets, enjoy your guests. You shouldn't have to go back and forth into the kitchen more than once or twice during the night. If you're going into the kitchen four times, you're really breaking your immersion with the guests, which is your number one goal. You've got to remember that your purpose is key. Practice outdoor hosting prep, lighting, bar stations.

decor. Think about just what the experience is outside of your kitchen. And the reason why I say that is you can build some flexibility. You can build some real flexibility into your hosting tools. And finally, review your checklist. You know, prep your schedule. Make sure you've asked about accommodations. Make sure that you have a plan to clean this stuff up when you're finished.

And if you can do all of that, then it's your turn. And I want to see and hear from you. I'm having conversations with anybody that wants to get closer to their friends, have better relationships, have a better sensory experience, and just hold a great party. So I'm Kennedy, and that's just what Kennedy's Dinner Party is all about. And hopefully this really kicked it all the way for you.

What have you ever run from that you need to face? God, there's always something to face in life. I've just been really lucky. Your limitations are definitely something that you have to face as you grow up.

you're not able to do everything that you planned, at least not in the way that you planned. I think growing up, you have to face the need for creativity. Things won't be as easy as you planned. I do have pets. Duende and Sueno are my, I guess,

for babies you know we really got them to make them celebrities and they do love the limelight and uh as i build more studio stuff i am able to share more of them with you and if you aren't following me on instagram you are probably seeing a lot less of cats and you really personally deserve i'd hate for you to feel a pet deprivement you know um

if I were a bartender. Is this a calling? Is this a calling? God, I don't really think of calling

calling that just sounds so egotistical I'd say I already did it this is more like

If somebody made extra of something and could just give it to you, except I think this is way more valuable. This is way more, this is, hey, a life skill. I over-invested in it, or maybe I invested in it just the right amount.

oh yeah okay so there's that and oh yeah i want to do some heart pitch heart pitch

memory is so powerful when somebody shares the memory with me i can start a story that says boy remember when and i think that one of the reasons why linkedin feels more generic instagram feels less satisfying is that we just have fewer conversations to remind us of the little tangible details of our lives

you know, the slow smoke brisket under string lights, the long line that I had to go through at Nelson's, getting the beef, the conversation that I had with the guy who did the butchery. What a great guy. Loved talking to him, hearing his stories. I love knowing just a little bit about what hits my plate when it hits my plate.

and when I talk to people about it, it's not because I wanted to become a corporate caterer. It's just because I was a lifestyle person. I was just a lifestyle enthusiast. I was a farmer long before Instagram or catering or any of that stuff. So learning

about what I put on the plate was just so important to me that teaching has become more of a second arm or a second limb. If you want in, you can book a class. If you want in, I can teach you how to host a party. If you want in, you can join the next smoke night.

if you want in i'll talk to you about what's in season that's my giveaway that cooking with kennedy gives kennedy's dinner party what's in season and you're gonna get to see some really cool shit

you come hungry and you leave with I think a good perspective on not just things to do for your stomach your stomach's not going away it's almost next having a good pair of shoes I see somebody that looks tired

but you've got those eight hours are important. They're not going anywhere. And it represents habits that go across your life. I really think I've been bailed out of so many problems because I have a good sleep schedule. Your schedule when you eat is important to your gut has got all kinds of bacteria. You have a whole kinds of, you have a whole inner universe that's not happening. And as humans, our eyes are so tied into with everything.

It's our number one sense, our eyes, but it's not everything. The eyes, they do not have it, let me tell you. Your body is happening around you, and when you are eating really good food that fits the, you know, you are not that separate from the natural world. You are a part of the natural world, let me tell you.

your body's going to do a thousand different things that you don't understand but are going to leave you feeling better than you are right now. Let's build something really beautiful. You want to see, you know, dinners, workshops, seasonal harvest nights. We can turn any season. Summer is a great season for just eating, loving, living, enjoying. Um,

Yeah, it's gonna be amazing.

We're deep into summer now. Long days.

Hot nights, the land's gonna give you everything at once. My partner Brandon is new in town and I've loved talking to him about what's in season. We've been making trips to some of the local farms and I love a great experience where you don't have to impress. When you're talking about something that's already there, and it's something that's current, yeah. And when it's something that encourages you,

to live in the now. I really love seeing that in people.

So if you're here and you're looking at what's in season, you're doing a great job because you're going to get my freshest memories. You're going to get my hottest ideas of what's, you know, it's going to be beautiful. What's in season right now is chiles. They're very sharp. They're very sweet. They're just starting to ripen. And remember that if you've got friends that are from out of state, you can let them know that Kennedy's Dinner Party, we make a what's in season quarterly.

The first roast for green chiles are going to start very soon. Peaches are coming up. These peaches are very fragrant. They're very messy. They are very good for char grilling or for spooning over smoked pork. Peaches just are great. They're great for dessert. I love the versatility of a peach. Sweet corn. They're in season right now.

and uh corn boy you know everywhere in america there are ideas for how to make corn because the subsidies are pretty generous but uh i would say think about creative sides to put with corn like for example butter uh try to try to put your corn with a little chile butter

really modify your regular corn experience and think about some fundamental ad that you can make. Tomatoes are in full swing. It's a great time for smoked salsa, you know, or a low temp confit. You let your creativity fly here. Zucchinis are in season right now. So is squash. You know, my mom used to pickle

She still does, but maybe less than she used to. Squash and zucchini are both great for pickling. If you're somebody that doesn't love the taste of squash or zucchini and you think, man, I wish that it was less intense and not more, really consider taking your squash or zucchini out to the grill.

and even if you are at a city park or something, find that grill, hose it down, put some of this zucchini on the grill, some of the squash from the grill and it's so fragrant.

and it's good for you and you're gonna taste the grill. Oh yeah, it's just delicious. And there's also herbs that are in season. There's basil, oregano, there's sage, there's epazote, there's just lots of the herbs of the season. It adds so much fragrance to what you're eating that if I, you have like a soup or a stew and you have something light and herbal that you can add that's fresh, oh yeah, you're doing great.

um and i'm making stuff with it you know i made some barbecue ribs peach glazed with uh some green chile coleslaw uh just delicious also made some fire roasted corn salad with lime and smoked garlic and cotija

uh also made a cold tomato confit and some chili salsa uh and this is something that we may very well serve at one of the upcoming events we've also got zucchini flatbread from scratch and we'll be teaching zucchini flatbread for sure um and

We're going to talk about how to cure pancetta. Roll with herbs. Now is the curing season. So if you're looking to have meat that tastes great in early August, now's the time to make your move. The stuff that I'm talking about.

You want to bring these flavors into your world in your kitchen for your friends or even for yourself. Hit apply or click here. RSVP. Book a class. Or ask about hosting private dinners. I am offering custom menu builds for almost any event that you want to bring to life. Let the season feed you. Hello. We're going to have a great, great time together.

uh looking forward to this we're gonna what could happen this this this uh quarter we might talk about bacon we might talk about jerky

We might talk about salt work. It really gets you in grounding and curing and smoking. I've done just some incredible curing and smoking. I'd love to share it with you. Garden table dinner party, seats filling fast. We're gonna walk you through how to make a six course meal, fire cooked. If you have a grill,

come grill with me because you're going to learn like not just how to make a hamburger let's go beyond that how do you a garden party your grill can really add class to the joint the next time somebody says bridgerton say i can cook i can host a garden party and fire this stuff you're going to love it what about a green chalet roasting feast we're going to do live we're going to show you some of the first roasts of the season that's going to be in august

and we're just really looking forward to it. We're going to just show you the beginning of the season for New Mexico's signature vegetable. So it's just going to be great. Good Lord. Cooking with Kennedy. Cooking with Kennedy. Kennedy's Dinner Party. Incorporated.

continuing on and on, et cetera.

hey yeah yeah look at that now how's this gonna go done whoa