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

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 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

Nuts

Gluten

Pork

Sesame

Beef

Alliums

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

This Steakhouse Menu Brings the Sizzle Home 

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

How to Pick the Perfect Dinner Party Dessert

7 Postpartum-Friendly Dishes For Your Fourth Trimester

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.

Set your Alarm for these 8 Brunch Menus 

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

The Culinistas’ Ultimate Guide to Hosting

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.

10 Gluten Free Menus That Everyone at the Table Will Love

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.

10 Menus for Traveling the Globe Without Leaving Your Kitchen

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

How to Make Paella at Home

, 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.

10 Totally Unique Dinner Party Menus

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

How to Make Pizza in the Oven

Caramelized, juicy, and perfectly tender every time

How to Sear Steak Like a Chef

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

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

Menu Ideas

How Tos & Inspiration

Gail Simmons

Top Chef

Dana Cowin

Food & Wine

Gwyneth Parltrow

Goop

Paella Party

Pizza Party

Steak Night

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Meatballs Marinara

Pears with Currants

Flourless Chocolate Cake ($)

Smoked Salmon Carpaccio

Couscous & Apples

Roasted Veggies

Horseradish Baked Salmon (Special Occasion) ($)

Pomegranate Salmon

Brisket & Mushrooms  in Red Wine ($)

Savory Carrot Kugel

Cinnamon Apple Kugel ($)

Rosewater Apples & Apricots

Beet Hummus & Crudités

Sautéed Greens

Currant & Hazelnut Brussels Sprouts

Date Crumble Bar

Healthy Chicken Tenders

Honey Apple Cake with Spiced Whip ($)

Delicata Squash & Farro

Braised Lamb with Carrots

Berry Bowl

RGC (Roasted Garlic Chicken)

Salmon Rillettes

Big Brood

Hivemind

Apple Toddy

Sea Bass with Leeks & Spinach ($)

Mustard Seed Salmon

Pumpkin Maple Health Muffins

Pistachio Roasted Carrots

Whole Roast Chicken

Latkes & Applesauce

Matzo Ball Soup

Green Matzo Ball Soup

Morning Glories

Caviar Chip ($)

Roe on Fingerling Potato

Chicken Liver Mousse & Jam

Esalen Kale

Lemony Pasta Fagioli

Dill Yogurt Dressed Greens

Arugula & Pickled Shallots

Sweet Potato & Fennel Soup

Scarlet Sangria

Mediterranean Whitefish Spread

Power Green Salad

Sticky Salmon & Broccolini

Zucchini Nuggets

Green Rice

Roasted Broccoli & Dates

Bubbles Bar

Gatherings start at $500 (based on guest count) plus groceries, sales tax and a $15 travel reimbursement. We automatically add 20% chef gratuity to all gatherings (i.e. $100 for $500 base rate).

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, 

Yes! Your Culinista chef will plate and serve your meal. If your gathering requires additional waitstaff, we’ll staff a reliable server from our trusted network.

Our cooking classes can accommodate up to 12 people.

Culinista Kitchen® cooking classes start at  $500 (based on guest count) plus groceries, sales tax and a $15 travel reimbursement. We automatically add 20% chef gratuity to all cooking classes.

Weekly service starts at $250. Additional costs include groceries (dependent on size & dish selection), $50 tip, a $15 travel reimbursement for your chef, and tax. Select markets may be priced higher.

Households larger than six people may require more time from a chef, so we price those services on a case by case basis. 

Our three cooking class menus—Paella Party, Steak Night, and Pizza Party—are carefully designed to teach you our Culinista Keys. Whichever menu you choose, you may customize it during the booking process. 

, telling us the details of your gathering and your preferred menu, and we’ll match you with the ideal Culinista chef. Your Culinista chef will arrive with groceries and handle the prep, cooking, serving, and clean up while you enjoy time with your guests.

Certain ingredients in these dishes may make them more costly—and increase your total grocery bill—so we wanted to let you know. 

If your gathering requires an extra set of hands, we’ll staff a reliable server or bartender from our Culinista network. We do not coordinate rentals or decor but can connect you with vetted vendors if you need additional support.

Our cooking classes are available in the NYC metro area, the Hamptons, LA, and the D.C. metro area.

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 

Our cooking classes are for all ages, including kids, teens, and adults. They’re designed to help anyone become a better and more confident home cook. We will always adjust our course material based on the participants in class, getting more hands on with a small, adventurous group, or teaching by demonstration if the group is large. We won’t let kids do anything risky, but we will find fun ways to help them participate. Cooking classes are limited to 12 people or fewer. 

, we’ll assign a Culinista chef for your household. we’ll assign a Culinista chef for your household. Each week, you will select the dishes that you’d like to eat from our website. Your Culinista chef will shop for groceries, prep, and cook the dishes in your home, stock your fridge, and leave your kitchen spotless.

We know that everyone eats differently. Our sizes are based on household size, but you should adjust your selection based on household appetites and how many meals per week you desire.

That said, our sizing recommendations are:

If your family is larger than six people, please fill out a 

 and we will provide you with a custom quote.


You can always adjust the size of your service from week to week.

Our cooking classes are designed to help anyone become a better and more confident home cook by focusing on skills that can be applied to many dishes. A Culinista chef will demo the preparation of one full dish, teaching core concepts that we call 

, and cook three additional dishes to enjoy as part of your meal. 

Cooking classes are limited to 12 people or fewer. We will always adjust our course material based on the participants in class, either getting more hands on with a small, adventurous group, or teaching by demonstration if the group is large. We won’t let kids do anything risky, but we will find fun ways to help them participate.

Weekly Meal Prep

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.

Hosting made easy with a Culinista chef.

Choose your Menu

Share the Details

Sit Back and Relax

Culinista chefs hail from top restaurants around the country. They help celebrate our culinary methods and approach to hospitality.

Party Like a Culinista

Our services also include chefs for weekly meal prep, cooking classes, and seasonal & long term needs.