Julia Sherman knows how to throw a party. She’s hosted a 200-person book launch in the aisles of a corner supermarket, a New York crawfish boil to the accompaniment of a punk-rock marching band, and potluck dinners on museum rooftops. She’s thrown a party in an underground restaurant in Tokyo and a taco party in a third-generation ceramics factory in Guadalajara. But the events she loves most are the ones that happen in the comfort of her own home.

With this book, Sherman shows you how to open up your hearth to friends and be the architect of your own uniquely memorable bash. Uninterested in codified markers of good taste, this book will not instruct you on how to properly set a table or fold starched white linen. Instead, Sherman reveals that modern gatherings are less about getting it right and more about creating unpretentious and genuine experiences that build community. Featuring colorful food that is confident in its simplicity, Sherman shares easy-to-follow recipes that value imaginative flavor combinations over complexity: dishes like sliced melon and fried sage; cucumbers with tahini and sriracha; and radishes with miso-ghee. This book also invites readers into the idiosyncratic gatherings of internationally acclaimed artists, from Paris for an intimate dinner in an artist’s atelier, to a Jamaican feast in Harlem. Woven throughout are Sherman’s own home-grown events starring food that is relatable yet chic.

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