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

Sesame

Beef

Alliums

Gail Simmons

Top Chef

Dana Cowin

Food & Wine

Gwyneth Parltrow

Goop

Chef Aaron

Culinista chef since 2019

Low Carb

Low Sugar

High Protein

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Low Fat

High Fat

Meatballs Marinara

Roasted Veggies

Healthy Chicken Tenders

Berry Bowl

RGC (Roasted Garlic Chicken)

Mustard Seed Salmon

Pumpkin Maple Muffins

Morning Glories

Lemony Pasta Fagioli

Sweet Potato & Fennel Soup

Power Green Salad

Sticky Salmon & Broccolini

Zucchini Nuggets

Green Rice

Yes! We do receive requests for chefs outside of our core service areas, whether for seasonal work, short term travel, or long term, salaried positions.

The Culinistas is committed to offering chefs a flexible work schedule that fits their needs; therefore compensation varies widely and is dependent on the chef’s availability. Some chefs on our platform earn $2,000 a week working for The Culinistas on the side, and others earn $20,000 a month during a busy summer season.

Compensation starts at $175 for meal prep services and $350 for gatherings. Seasonal market and specialty day rates start at $500 per day. Full time roles typically start at $120K per year. All compensation is dependent upon experience, tenure at the company, and household size and needs.


Yes, we encourage Culinista chefs to work in multiple markets. We especially invite chefs across all markets to join us for our busy summer season in the Hamptons.

All Culinista cooking services happen in the client’s home. Most chefs prefer to bring their knives–all other tools and appliances will usually be provided.

The Client Services team will present service opportunities to you based on your location and availability. You will always have the option to accept or decline a request based on your schedule and needs. Once matched with a meal prep client, you will automatically be scheduled with them on a weekly basis unless you need a substitute.

We created The Culinistas to make it easier for chefs to do what they love, no matter what stage they are at in their careers. Our HQ team handles the booking, menu planning, billing, and logistics with household clients, so Culinista® chefs can focus on cooking and hospitality. We offer flexibility for those who want it, and stability for those looking for a consistent schedule.

The first step to becoming a Culinista chef is filling out 

. Once we have received your application, we will…

Schedule a 30-minute phone interview to let you know more about the company and and to learn more about you.

For VIP consideration (i.e. summer Hamptons, winter in Aspen, long term placements), ask you to provide up to three references and create sample menus based on different household scenarios.

Complete a 90-minute in person cooking interview. We send you two Culinista recipes the day prior so that you can review and create your prep list. We grocery shop ahead of time, you show up with your knives and other tools you carry in your knife roll. You have 90 minutes to cook, clean and pack up the food (including labeling each dish), emulating a mini meal prep service.

Complete a background check and attend our virtual best practices session.

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. 

Yes, we have many seasonal opportunities available. Summer in the Hamptons is our busiest seasonal market.

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, 

The most successful chefs on our platform:

Are trained via culinary school and/or restaurant kitchens

Have a combination of fine dining and private chef experience

Have at least 3 years of professional kitchen experience

Are comfortable cooking in high net worth households

Are flexible, adaptable & highly organized

Culinista® chefs are naturally courteous, service-oriented, socially adaptable, organized, flexible and fun.

Our chef services are available in the NYC metro area, the Hamptons, LA, and the D.C. metro area, though we fill requests for chefs outside of these areas (from New Jersey to Nice).

Culinista® chefs are paid a $15 travel reimbursement for every service as a stipend for gas, car service, public transit, etc.

Yes, we are happy to help chefs find full time work when we receive such requests. If you’re interested in a salaried position on staff with one family, please let us know in your application.

Yes. Clients make selections from menus we design based on over 600 recipes, all of which were developed in house by our culinary team or in collaboration with international consultants. These recipes are designed to ensure that every service is a success.

The Culinistas is a culinary resource that gives everyone the freedom and confidence to connect around a meal.  Through our chef platform, we match vetted private chefs like you with households for in home weekly meal prep, gatherings, and seasonal or long term needs—like full time positions on staff, travel opportunities, and more. As a company built by and for chefs, we aim to take the logistics off Culinista® chefs’ plates so they can provide hospitality and expand their culinary acumen.

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

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 

, 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.

We offer you a Culinista credit card to use when grocery shopping for your clients. Culinista clients pay the full cost of groceries.

Your work schedule will depend on your preferences and location, and will likely vary by the season, but you can expect to work anywhere from 20 to 40 hours per week.

Weekly Meal Prep

Become a Chef

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

A French-ish spread featuring forkable and finger-friendly bites. Pairs perfectly with our Negroni Bar.

Classic Cocktail Hour

Cancel that reservation; the steak, and its beloved sides, are getting cooked up in-house.

Steakhouse Classics

Nestle into winter with the coziest of menus. Long-simmered braises and slow roasted veggies team up to deliver a hearty and warming spread. 

Winter Gluten Free 

New Years Eve

Quiet Luxury

Vegetarian Braise

Christmas

Lower temps can’t stop us from brunching. Tuck into a spicy, savory Shakshuka, shake off the chill with our Potato Kale Salad, and finish the night with fresh, vibrant So-Cal Citrus for that necessary dose of Vitamin C. 

Winter Lunch & Bubbles

NYE Caviar & Latkes

Quintessential Culinistas Winter 

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.

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. 

No matter the season, there’s a reason to host. We have hundreds of menus for intimate parties and gatherings. Explore a few of our favorites.

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

Homepage menus

Menus for Gathering

Curbed

Bloomberg

Forbes

Marquee

Let a Culinista chef handle the cooking this week. We’ll come to your home with groceries and leave your fridge stocked with vibrant meals—and your kitchen spotless.

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

Homepage Dish Group

Press

Companies logos

Fan Mail

Learn the Culinista keys to cooking and hosting @

Let’s cook together

Homepage

Pursue your culinary passion without sacrificing a stable and balanced life. We offer private chef opportunities that fit your schedule and needs, including weekly meal preps, in home gatherings, and full time and traveling positions. 

Work on your terms: meal prepping a few times a week, dinner parties every weekend, or two months of full time summer work. 

Stable Yet Flexible

 We hire chefs straight from culinary school as well as lauded culinary talents looking for their next challenge.

Career Growth

You love to cook, not do paperwork. We handle the booking, logistics, menu selection, and billing, so you can focus on what happens in the kitchen.

Easy Admin

We offer seasonal work and traveling positions for chefs who are interested in temporarily relocating. 

Travel Opportunities

We believe that cooking can and should be a comfortable career. That’s why we created a platform that lets chefs work when and where it’s convenient for them, while taking the burdens of logistics and billing off their task list. Built by and for chefs, we value the creativity and uniqueness that each Culinista chef brings. 

Sustainable Work with The Culinistas

A Chef Job That Fits Your Life

Culinista chefs are highly skilled but lifelong learners. They are passionate about hospitality, with a knack for creating memorable moments around food.

Many Culinista chefs:

What Makes a Culinista® Chef

Our cooking philosophy relies on eight keys, which are designed so you can flex your unique culinary talents while ensuring that every menu is a success. 

Our Approach to Cooking

Chef Content Creation

Private Chef | Hamptons

Private Chef | Los Angeles

Private Chef | Open Application

We hire chefs based in the New York metro area, Los Angeles, the D.C. metro area, and beyond. See our current openings. 

Weekly meals, made in your kitchen.

Tell Us the Details

Choose Your Menu

Let Us Cook For You

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

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