Our booking policy is flexible, so don't worry if these details change. Our chef services are available in 

, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. For services outside of these areas, 

The Culinistas’ Ultimate Guide to Hosting

7 Postpartum-Friendly Dishes For Your Fourth Trimester

How to Make Pizza in the Oven

How to Sear Steak Like a Chef

Having an Italian Dinner Party? Here's What to Serve.

How to Pick the Perfect Dinner Party Dessert

This Steakhouse Menu Brings the Sizzle Home 

How to Make Paella at Home

How Tos & Inspiration

10 Totally Unique Dinner Party Menus

Set your Alarm for these 8 Brunch Menus 

10 Menus for Traveling the Globe Without Leaving Your Kitchen

10 Gluten Free Menus That Everyone at the Table Will Love

Menu Ideas

You bring the jazzy playlist. We’ll handle the rest.

Everything you need to know to cook and host with ease.

Please enjoy $100 off gatherings of 12 people or more. Discount automatically applied. 

Gatherings

Meal Prep

A Season or Long Term

Cooking Classes

Chef Services Overview

The Culinistas is a resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal.

Our optional drinks service includes up to 2 drinks plus waitstaff who will arrive 1 hour before guests and provide 4 hours of service. Additional time will be billed at $60/hour. The Culinistas will provide ice and non-alcoholic ingredients. The host is responsible for providing alcohol.

Dairy

Eggs

Fish

Peanuts

Shellfish

Nuts

Gluten

Pork

Sesame

Beef

Alliums

Consider these five factors, and you’ll never stress about the last course. 

Missing a night on the town? No FOMO here.

Every year, the autumn harvest commands our attention with its abundance of apples, squash varieties, and cruciferous veg. Make the most of the bounty and (it’s that time!) break out the Dutch oven again—or 

 do the honors. Whether you’re clinging to the last gasp of summer or commencing braising season, there’s a menu here for you.


10 Fall Dinner Party Menus For Cozy Nights In

Stop refreshing your reservation app and kickstart your day from the comfort of home with these cozy menus. We’re playing the hits with fluffy ricotta pancakes, veggie-laden frittatas, granola butter for your toast, and a Calabrian egg salad. Round up your sleepy-eyed friends or make it a family affair: we think these spreads will please any crowd. What’s better? Only waking up to a 

. Two hour wait time—we don’t do that anymore.

Yes, you should be having fun at your own party.

No place at the table for gluten? These menus are up for the challenge.

We are tired of gluten-free meals that fall flat. These menus reset the bar, relying on aromatics, spice combos, and creative substitutions so they don’t need gluten to stand on their own. Creamy dips and colorful crudités steal the show; herb-laden dressings take grain bowls to new heights, and desserts use alt flours to enhance textures. Try your hand or 

, but either way, you’re in the clear to invite your pickiest eaters and pasta-loving friends.

Pick your next trip or reminisce about your most recent one with these menus. An expanded palate is a way to expand the mind so we collaborated with chefs whose regional expertise guided each dish. Unique ingredients, flavor combinations, and methods make themselves at home when cooked from your own kitchen, either by you or 

This is placeholder DEK copy for a menu listicle hero card.

Don’t be intimidated: this Spanish classic can be conquered at home, even without a paella pan.

, but you don’t know what to cook. Our menus go beyond the classics (though there’s nothing wrong with a roast chicken, and we’ve got a menu for that). Our goal is to make a gathering memorable by making the intangible element of delicious food completely tangible. We choose food by season, region, or culture to create a cohesive menu. We know how to balance flavors as well as the pacing of the night through the dishes we select and the dining format that we suggest. Get adventurous yourself, or 

 one of these lineups. Either way, these spreads are destined to impress and leave you and your guests dreaming of one more bite.

We all want to be that person—you know the one—who makes pizza at home. With the right equipment, ingredients, and cooking methods (that you can modify to fit your oven), you'll be slinging pies like a pizzaiolo.

To learn the keys to homemade pizza directly from a Culinista chef, 

Equipment

This is not a “winging it” endeavor. You need the right equipment. Some of it is specifically for pizza; some things you probably already have at home. You can absolutely make your own dough, but there’s no shame in using store-bought or pizzeria-bought dough.

Kitchen Scale

Stand Mixer

For the Dough (optional)

Pizza Stone

Baking Sheet

Cook Surface Options

Pizza Peel

Pizza Cutter

Suggested Tools

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

Sauce

Must-have Ingredients:

Cheese

Cornmeal

Toppings

Optional Ingredients:

Step By Step

Preheat the oven

Roll out the dough

Add the sauce, cheese, and toppings

Cook the pizza

Rest the pizza

Step by Step

The beauty of homemade pizza is you can make multiple small pies, learning as you go. It’s also a wonderfully interactive experience: every guest can make a pie with their toppings of choice. And if you’re craving a more in-depth lesson on how to make pizza at home, 

You’ll be slinging pies like a pizzaiolo in no time.

There are plenty of ways to cook a steak, but there’s only one way we swear by for most cuts, and that’s pan-searing. Grill-heads, we hear you, but think of all the drippings lost through fiery grates. Cooking steak in a pan ensures all that jus stays where it needs to be: with the steak. Drippings secured, pan-searing allows the steak’s entire surface to touch direct heat, leading to a fully caramelized (read: delicious) crust on all sides.

To learn the keys directly from a Culinista chef, 

The Equation for Success

Below, you’ll learn all the keys to searing success: which cuts of meat work best, other ingredients needed, internal cooking temperatures, equipment, and step-by-step cooking instructions.

Cuts of Meat

Just about any cut of beef branded “steak” can be pan-seared (stay away from other cuts like chuck roast, beef shanks, or brisket, whose tougher meat requires a long, low braise). That said, if you’re using a steak thicker than two inches, it’ll need a short time in the oven after searing. Cuts thinner than two inches will cook through just fine on the stovetop. Here are some of our favorite steaks:

Ribeye

New York Strip

Filet Mignon

Sirloin

Chef Tip

Internal Temperatures

Steak will continue to cook after it is off the heat, so it's best to remove it from the pan when it’s a few degrees under the desired temperature. We highly recommend using a 

 when cooking steak because it’s the only way to accurately gauge the level of doneness.

Steak

Salt

Essential Ingredients:

Butter

Garlic

Hard Stem Herbs

Type of Pan

Flavor Boosting Ingredients:

Season the steak

Temper the steak

Heat the oil

Sear the steak

Add the butter & herbs

Transfer to the oven

Rest the steak

Chef's Tip

Caramelized, juicy, and perfectly tender every time

This Italian dinner party menu will conjure rolling hills lined with cypress trees, terracotta roofs parallel to cobblestone streets, overflowing carafes of table wine (but better, because it’s from your reserve), pizza, pasta and more pasta. 

, it’s brimming with dishes found in local bars, traditional trattorias, and includes some Classics Redone because it’s YOUR dinner after all.

Roman Pizzette

Meet pizzette, the fast-casual snack of Rome that is the ideal kickoff dish at your Italian dinner party because it is flavorful, three ingredients, easy to prep in advance, light enough not to ruin one’s appetite for the meal, but will absorb a G&T. Our pizzettes are 2-3 bites each of tomato-sauced, marinated artichokes on a mini dough round. We use a Single Ingredient Multiple Ways by mixing the seasoned artichoke brine into tomato paste for a quick, perfectly seasoned sauce, and we use the tart hearts as a topping. With flaky dough, it is a Flavor Trifecta. We love sliced mozzarella bocconcini, anchovies, and cubed pancetta as extra toppers if you want to prepare a variety.

Arugula & Pickled Shallots

Our insalata mista is a billowing bowl of crisp greens adorned with jewel-toned shallots that, in between bites of hearty pasta and piccata, cleanses the palate by offering an acidic punch. The shallots are Quick Pickled in red wine vinegar and sweetened with honey and the mista? Peppery arugula and sharp radicchio offset with sweetness. A meal like this needs a salad, so keep it simple with this one.


Veal Piccata

Often found on restaurant menus in Italy as Scaloppine di Vitello, Veal Piccata consists of thinly sliced, pounded, and lightly breaded pieces of veal. These cutlets get gently sautéed in olive oil, rendering a golden-brown finished product with locked-in juices—an unbeatable combination that guarantees a tender cutlet every time. White wine, lemon juice, and capers get added post-sauté, then reduced until thickened and spooned on top of the veal.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Bucatini all'Amatriciana is a full-of-flavor Italian classic, both simple and fun to eat. The sauce is tomato-based and made with guanciale, a cured pork cheek, that adds a smoky flavor. Just like the base of many prized Italian dishes, onion and roasted garlic start the dish with an Aromatic Foundation. And while Bucatini all’Amatriciana is finished with freshly grated parmesan, the rind of the cheese is first cut away and simmered in the sauce to impart its super savory flavor profile throughout. No rules on how much cheese to add on top; the limit does not exist!

Cacio e Pepe Broccolini

Cacio e Pepe is a classic dish from the Lazio region of Italy (the same as Bucatini all'Amatriciana); this preparation riffs on the classic. We roast crowns of broccolini until tender and slightly crisped, then toss them with citrus, pecorino, toasted pine nuts, cracked pink peppercorns, and freshly ground black pepper. We make our cacio e pepe sauce green by using broc stems puréed with lemon juice, olive oil, and pecorino.

Coffee Hazelnut Trifle

The finale dish for this ultimate Italian dinner party is a combination of two beloved Italian sweets: Tiramisu and Maritozzi. For this Classics Redone, thick slices of brioche are toasted until golden then combined with an espresso syrup made from sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso. The espresso-soaked brioche is then layered with mocha mascarpone (a combination of mascarpone cheese, sugar, cocoa powder, and more espresso) and a simple whipped cream. The three components are layered in a trifle dish, dusted with cocoa powder, and garnished with deeply toasted hazelnuts.

Ready to throw a dreamy Italian dinner party? Read our 

 for all the tips, tricks, and strategies you'll need. 


When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, mangiamo!

Gail Simmons

Top Chef

Dana Cowin

Food & Wine

Gwyneth Parltrow

Goop

Tiana Tenet & Jill Donenfeld

Founders

Serving Platters & Bowls, corresponding to number of dishes and accompaniments.

Remember small dishes for sauces, dips, and spreads.

Serving Utensils, corresponding to number of dishes.

Remember small utensils for sauces, dips, and spreads.

Tablewares (Tablecloth, Placemats, Napkins)

Dishware (Salad Plates, Dinner Plates, Dessert Plates), corresponding to number of guests and courses.

Flatware, corresponding to number of guests and courses.

Grain-based salads are best if eaten at room temperature, but are also wonderful hot or cold

Meat dishes are prepared medium-rare, poultry dishes are fully cooked through, with sauce on the side

Oven: Transfer meat/poultry/fish and sauce in a covered oven-safe containers or wrapped in aluminum foil @ 375°F for 5-15 minutes depending on desired temperature and doneness

Stove: Reheat sauce over low heat, stirring every 30 seconds until heated to your desired temperature; pour over room temperature meat/poultry/fish

Pasta dishes are prepared al dente and soften in their sauces over time

Pasta dishes are best at room temperature or cold

Stove: Heat in pan over medium heat, adding water as needed so the sauce doesn’t reduce

Microwave: Partially cover the vessel and stir every 30 seconds

Cleaned base greens and salad accoutrements will be packaged separately; toss together in a medium to large bowl and add dressing to taste

Allow sauces, dressings, and vinaigrettes to come to room temperature so they can loosen

Cookies, brownies, bars & scones best eaten at room temperature

Muffins & load breads are best eaten at room temperature or reheated slightly

Slice, spread with butter or coconut oil, and toast butter side down on skillet over medium heat until golden brown

Fruit salads best eaten cold or at room temperature

Glassware (Wine, Cocktail, Rocks, Flutes, etc.)

Hearty vegetable salads are best if eaten at room temperature, but are also wonderful hot or cold

Oven: Transfer into a heatproof vessel @ 350°F until warmed through (5-10 minutes)

Our favorite full set of baking sheets & pans: 

All-Clad Pro-Release Nonstick Bakeware Set

 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Plastic Cutting Board Set

OXO Good Grips 15-Piece Everyday Kitchen Utensil Set

Make sure the size you order fits in your oven!

All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware Set

Stove Top: Reheat over low heat, stirring every 30 seconds until heated to your desired temperature (4-8 minutes)

Reheating Guide

Before your service, please read these helpful tips:

Empty the dishwasher and clear out the sink before the chef arrives.

Make sure you have olive oil, salt, pepper, tin foil & parchment paper for cooking. Plus, soaps, dish rags, trash bags, and a broom for clean up.

Double check our equipment list below, and make sure your kitchen is stocked.

Confirm that stove burners, oven, broiler, and dishwasher work; if something doesn't work, please let us know in advance.

Make sure someone is home to let in the chef at their scheduled time of arrival or that kitchen is accessible without guidance.

Familiarize your chef with the home (shoe policy, smoke alarms, pets, trash, recycling, wash rooms, etc.)

Leave fridge space for groceries, dishes and/or leftovers.

Communicate with your chef about children and furry friends' kitchen rules.

If your service was exceptional and you'd like to tip above the included 20% gratuity, please do so in cash.

Friendly Reminder for Weekly Meal Prep: Your chef(s) are there to cook for you, not set the table or serve you. 