Five years after moving to her Berkeley neighborhood, Johanna Sedman faced a typical modern conundrum: She still didn't know most of her neighbors. She certainly wanted to be more sociable — maybe even make a few friends—but was busy running a business and raising her son, and the opportunity never — seemed to present itself. So she came up with a simple solution: soup night.
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| David Prince |
| Soup night is an all-ages club. |
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At PS Paper, her stationery store in nearby San Anselmo, Sedman printed up invitations for a recurring party on the second Wednesday of the month, September to April. She then went door-to-door, introducing herself and handing out invitations. The offer was simple: "We'll provide the soup," the invitations read. "You bring a baguette or drinks, or nothing at all. No RSVP is ever required."The "no RSVP" part is key. "It means 'no obligation, no stress,' " Sedman says. No stress for the guests, perhaps, but what if you're the one feeding 25 to 40 people?
It's easy to feed a crowd with soups, Sedman says, and most taste better when made ahead. In fact, she tries to make at least one soup the night before, then makes the other on the afternoon of the party, after coming home from work. "My biggest prob-lem is fitting it all into my fridge," she says.
For Sedman, soup night is a return to her Midwestern roots, a chance for everyone to slow down and reconnect. Easier than a formal dinner party, it allows her to mingle and actually enjoy her guests. "It's just so low pressure," she says.
Low pressure perhaps, and yet high commitment. You need regularity, even when life gets busy, to make it a tradition, she says. And her efforts have paid off. For neighbors like Sheri Krams, an immunology professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, soup night is more than just a party. It's the heart of their neighborhood. Asked why she stays in Berkeley instead of moving nearer to where she works, Krams replies only half-jokingly, "Because of soup night."Tips on hosting an easy soup party
With soup night now in its second year, Sedman relies on these simple strategies to make hosting a breeze.
• Decide on your dates and stick to them. Choose a recurring time, such as 6 to 8 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month, to keep it simple.• Hand out invitations. People appreciate seeing the dates, time, and address in writing. Be sure to specify that no RSVP is required.
• Invite everyone, but plan for one-third to one-half of them to show up. No matter how many are invited, that's how much Sedman's parties seem to draw — for her, that's between 25 and 40 people. "I get a core group of regulars plus some random guests each time," she says.
• Keep the location consistent. If you can't host for some reason, have someone else host it at your house. If people have to second-guess the location, they tend to stop coming.
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| David Prince |
| Tortilla soup is all about customized toppings — guests at Johanna Sedman’s monthly soup night choose from tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado, fresh herbs, green onions, and cheese. |
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• Don't require people to bring anything, but give them the option. Even though Sedman provides nothing but soup, guests always seem to bring just the right amount of bread, wine, and dessert.• Plan ahead. Aim to make both soups the night before the party, or several nights ahead, if you have the refrigerator space. If space is tight, make the second soup on the day of the party.
• Prepare garnishes ahead of time. You can shred cheese, chop green onions, or fry tortilla strips a day ahead. Delicate herbs can be chopped and set out just before serving.
• Let guests serve themselves. Leave the soups on the stove over a low flame to keep warm. Set out ladles, bowls, spoons, napkins, and garnishes nearby.
• Make placards to identify the soups and garnishes so you won't have to repeat yourself to every guest who asks.
