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.

Gail Simmons

Top Chef

Dana Cowin

Food & Wine

Gwyneth Parltrow

Goop

International

Summer Preview

In Season

Favorites

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Sea Bass with Charred Cucumber ($)

Charred Eggplant Dip & Cucumbers

Arugula & Pea Salad

Couscous & Clover

Squash with Herbs

Green Vegetable Soup

Mustard Seed Salmon

Spinach Salad with Grilled Apricots

Vignarola

Clambake Potato Salad ($)

Spring Garden Frittata

Honeydew & Kiwi

Prior to cooking, toasting grains helps to intensify its flavor

Boost Your Grains

All cooked in one vessel, efficient with minimal clean up

One Pot Wonder

Nut + herb + citrus + olive oil, all you need for a perfect pesto

Pesto Equation

All great dishes start with an aromatic base to develop flavor

Build A Foundation

A dish that alchemizes three bold and distinct flavors to hit sweet, sour, savory, salty, and bitter notes

Trifecta

Creating delicious flavor combinations using both cooked and fresh ingredients

Pizza Topping Equation

Herbs that thread flavor throughout a recipe and garnish

Infusing Oil

Browning your protein (crisping the exterior while softening the interior) will help to intensify its flavor

Char Goes Far

Using a sharp ingredient to cut the richness from heavier ingredients

Balancing Act

Large format & straightforward recipes that are ideal for crowds

Party Meal

Layering different types of the same fruit or vegetable to your dish for an extra level of complexity

Tomayto Tomahto

Using natural sweeteners in place of processed and refined sugar

Sweetness Substitute

The unexpected pairing of something sweet to a protein complements the dish

Sweet Ingredient + Savory Protein

Marinate for Flavor

Classics Redone

Creative use of soaked nuts, puréed veggies or dried fruit as your thickener to develop the right consistency

Alternative Thickeners

Use leftover herbs or vegetable scraps to strengthen the flavor in a dish and reduce food waste

Infused Broth

Using onion powder to enhance the onion flavor helps to save cooking time

Onion Powder Power

Using a multitude of soft stem herbs helps to brighten your dressings & marinades

All the Herbs

You’re here to cook, not do math. But knowing a few simple equations—like the 1:1:1 meatball ratio and the fruit salad formula—is the secret to kitchen freedom, and there’s no final exam.


Formula

Flavor keys include techniques from across the culinary spectrum (think: infusing, searing, marinating, pickling) but they all share the same goal: to maximize every ingredient’s flavor, every time you cook. 

Flavor

We’ll help you be efficient in the kitchen by strategizing prep, cook, and rest times, as well as cleaning along the way. 

Timing

A good meal is a feast for all the senses. Consider how you pair colors, textures, shapes, and sizes, and your guests will be impressed even before they take a bite.

Style

Our goal is that healthy cooking and consistent gathering around the table is a sustainable part of your life. That means supporting sustainable food systems and creating recipes that eliminate waste in your kitchen.

Sustainability

A generous attitude is the secret ingredient in any gathering. These keys ensure the mood is right, everyone feels comfortable, and the gathering is seamless. 

Hosting

Health starts with pure, unprocessed ingredients: fresh vegetables, whole grains, wild and grass-fed proteins.  We incorporate clean ingredients where you'd expect and also where you wouldn't expect, like using oats or nuts to create flours and blending veggies into sauces.

Health

Cleaning won’t feel like a chore if your recipes are structured efficiently (ours are), you clean as you cook, and you send your guests home with leftovers.

Less Mess

Amalfi Al Fresco

Opa! Taverna

Backyard BBQ

Paella Night

‘dines & Greens

Sunday Night Pizza Party

Taqueria en Casa

Brunch & Bubbles

Country Club

As seen in The Wall Street Journal and Vogue, our chef platform matches vetted private chefs with households for weekly meal preps, gatherings, cooking classes, and a range of seasonal and long term needs.

Private Chefs

Our forthcoming content platform shares our complete library of recipes, menus, and culinary strategies for home cooks and hosts at every level. Consider these resources your support system, offering education, inspiration, and culinary services. 

Culinista Kitchen®

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

So what’s stopping us from connecting more often? Is it lack of time or skill? Stress or intimidation? All of the above?

The Culinistas® started in 2006 when Jill Donenfeld set out to facilitate those joyful connections. A private chef herself, Jill spent a decade honing the concept of an in home chef services company, identifying  top culinary talent and connecting them with households across New York and Los Angeles. In 2017, Tiana Tenet and Jill co-founded what The Culinistas has become today. Bringing Tiana's fundraising experience, business background, tenacity, and initiative (as well as culinary passion) to The Culinistas, the women reimagined what was possible for the brand, expanding to new markets and building a technology platform that facilitates eating well in the home, from weekly meal prep to gatherings, through a high tech, high touch approach.

Together we believe that, with the right elements in place, everyone can feel at ease cooking, hosting, and gathering around food. Our goal is to free you from intimidation so you can genuinely experience the joys of being together, feel triumphant in your accomplishments, and be appreciated for all that you bring to the table.

Our History

With vast experience as a private chef, caterer, cookbook author, and restaurant veteran, Jill Donenfeld is a hospitality expert with global perspective. In 2012, Jill was named to Forbes Magazine’s list of “30 Under 30” with Danny Meyer saying, “In whatever incarnation tomorrow’s generation has its Martha Stewart-like role, Jill Donenfeld is likely to play it.”  She has written four cookbooks, including “Better on Toast” (Harper Collins, 2015) and “Party Like a Culinista” (Lake Isle Press, 2011), as well as international cookbook titles in Madagascar and India. She has also written articles for Food & Wine, Men’s Journal, The Huffington Post, TimeOut, and National Geographic. 

Jill used to make Italian-style cured fish roe for restaurants in New York, and ran the kitchen at Villa Lena in Tuscany as well as worked in café kitchens in Japan and Sweden. As culinary and creative lead for The Culinistas, Jill works to inspire busy, urban households to value delicious, balanced, routinely home cooked dishes and the bonds that sharing a meal creates. Jill graduated from The Seven Hills School in Cincinnati, Ohio and Barnard College in New York City.

Jill Donenfeld

Blend soft herbs with oil to create a vibrant, flavorful drizzle or garnish.

By combining her business acumen, love of food, and entrepreneurial spirit, Tiana Tenet has brought structure and scalability to The Culinistas. Prior to The Culinistas, Tiana spent five years as a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan, watching firsthand as busy mothers struggled to get healthy, delicious meals on the table for their families. Tiana saw how to leverage and grow Jill’s private chef company into what The Culinistas is today, a digital gathering platform for services & content. Her business philosophy is centered on delivering the best high touch customer service and bringing her advisory experience to The Culinistas customer service model. She considers how tech can support a highly personal service, not diminish it. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Tiana spent a summer cooking in a Tuscan kitchen, assisted on the set of Giada at Home, and contributed to Food Network Magazine. Tiana is a mother of two and graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University and was named one of INC.’s 2019 30 Under 30 Rising Stars.

Tiana Tenet

A meal designed for times when sitting at the table may not be an option but you still want to gather.

Forkability

 Who We Are

Design Director

We're a team of food and hospitality obsessives who bring an earnest passion to everything we do. We promote a culture that values lifelong learning, making people feel special, gathering together, and having fun. We offer great benefits, too. Browse our open roles to learn more. 

Careers

Bloomberg

Curbed

Forbes

Marquee

About

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. That’s this service!

1 Blender/ Food Processor (4-cup or larger)

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Stock Pot

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set

All Clad 12” Fry Pan, Professional Grade

All Clad 8” Fry Pan, Professional Grade

Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan w/Cover

Dalstrong Professional Kitchen Fish Spatula

Small to Medium Gatherings (12 guests or fewer, 1 chef)

Best Practices & Equipment

Never stress about dinner again.

The Culinistas is a resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal. Our vetted private chefs are available for in-home:

Brunch, cocktail hour, dinner party, or barbecue? We’re here to help. 

Give us your kitchen for a couple hours, and we’ll leave you with meals for the week.

Weekly Meal Prep

Need a chef for the summer, a short trip, or a forever position? We’ll get you staffed.

Seasonal & Long Term Services

The Culinistas is a resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal. We connect you with vetted private chefs for in-home meal prep, gatherings, and seasonal and long term needs. Explore our services. 

Explore our library of seasonal, international, and year-round favorites. 

Homepage menus

Menus for Gathering

See what’s new for this week's meal prep.

Homepage Dish Group

Press

Featured In:

Fan Mail

Learn the Culinista keys to cooking and hosting @

Let’s cook together

Homepage

We handle the cooking so you can come back to the table and find joy in mealtime.

Welcome to The Culinistas®

Weekly Meal Prep in Los Angeles

Share your family size, dietary preferences, and schedule, and we’ll match you with your ideal chef. 

Create a Profile

Each week, you’ll select dishes from our rotating menus, including seasonal, international, and kid-friendly offerings. Grain-free, vegan, kosher, or eating super clean? Our recipes make your diet delicious.

Choose Your Menu

Your Culinista chef will arrive with groceries on your selected day, cook your meals, stock them in your fridge, and leave your kitchen spotless.

 Let Us Cook For You

How It Works

Choose your menu for next week.

Dishes Group

Meal Prep Dishes

All Culinista chefs come highly referred and must pass a background check and a cooking interview.

Thoroughly Vetted

Culinista chefs have graduated from top culinary schools and worked in the best restaurants.

Professionally Trained

We handpick the best chefs for you based on their skills and your needs.

Perfectly Paired

Culinista® Chefs

Meal Prep in Los Angeles

"[Our chef] did an awesome job and was so incredibly efficient. I was totally impressed with his speed, skill and knowledge, and of course he was super friendly and easygoing. Plus, the food is all AMAZING! My daughter gobbled up the zucchini nuggets and turkey bolognese for dinner, we had salmon and broccoli salad, with a little of the lentil and quinoa salad too, and it was delicious. Such a luxury to have all this fresh, beautiful food in the fridge for the week and none of the stress of having had to shop for and cook it on a busy Monday.”

"I believe magic happens when we eat together. Which is why I fell in love with The Culinistas. You can imagine after having been spoiled by decades of eating out for work, I definitely want a break in the cooking schedule from time to time. The recipes are clean, uncomplicated and still interesting."

“I rely on The Culinistas to streamline an integral part of my family’s lives. We’ve had many an engaging conversation, lively discourse and spirited dialogue over Turkey Bolognese, at the dinner table, and I’m convinced we’re better humans because of it.”

Our chef services are available in the NYC metro area, the Hamptons, LA, and the D.C. metro area, though many Culinista® chefs are happy to travel. For services outside of these areas, 

Booking Service

Seasonal & Long Term

For gatherings of 12 or fewer, your Culinista® chef will arrive 3-4 hours before service. For gatherings over 12, your chef will arrive 4-6 hours before service.

Your chef will serve your meal and clean up.
Please review our 

All services are billed with 20% gratuity included, 100% of which will go to your Culinista® chef. While there is no expectation to do so, you are welcome to provide an additional cash tip for extraordinary service.

Your credit card will be authorized upon checkout and you will be charged within 2-3 business days of your service date.

You are able to cancel your service at any time prior to 48 hours before your service time free of charge. If you cancel for any reason between 48 hours and 24 hours before your service time, you will be charged 50% of the service fee to partially compensate your chef. If you cancel within 24 hours of your service, you will be charged the full service fee plus any charges incurred by the chef, inclusive of groceries and travel at the company’s discretion.

We’ve sent you an email with the details below. We’re working on matching you with a chef and will respond in 24-48 hours to confirm your service. In the meantime, see what we’re cooking 

We thoroughly review all preferences and thoughtfully match you with a primary chef to meet those needs. If you are unhappy with the match for any reason, let us know and we will thoughtfully match you with an alternative.

Your service is automatically set to once per week. Once you create an account, you can update this frequency through your dashboard.

We recommend having at least 6 storage containers for a small service, 12 for a medium service, and 18 for a large service to ensure that your food is properly stored to stay fresh throughout the week. Please see our 

The standard weekly meal prep service does not include table service. If you'd like a custom service that combines meal prep with table service, please submit a request.

All services will be billed with 20% gratuity included, 100% of which will go to your Culinista chef. While there is no expectation to do so, you are welcome to provide an additional cash tip for extraordinary service.

You are able to skip, pause, or deactivate your weekly service at any time using your client dashboard prior to 48 hours before your next service. At 48 hours prior to your next service, your service is confirmed and your service fee is nonrefundable. If you cancel within 48 hours of service, you will be charged the full service fee plus any charges incurred by the chef, including groceries and travel at the company’s discretion. Please review our full cancellation policy here.

Welcome to The Culinistas. We’ve sent you an email with the details below. We’re working on matching you with a chef and will send you a confirmation email with details about your service at least 24 hours before your service date. In the meantime, you can access 

Cooking classes take place in your home kitchen using your equipment.