no prep “Dinner-Party-in-a-Bag”

During the Covid19 crisis, we have made a temporary change in the way we cook for you. As an option, we are delivering DINNERS-IN-A-BAG, prepared under strict FDA Best Practices for Food Pick-Up/Delivery Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Share my Dinner-in-s-Bag with friends by hosting a Virtual Dinner Party. Here’s how!

If you’d like to book a full service dinner party, we are now offering plated (restaurant style) dinners for parties where guests are seated outdoors at small, socially-distanced tables by household are are happy to arrange rentals of these tables if you like. For a full list of our Covid-19 precautionary procedures for indoor dining, click here. We adhere strictly to ALL local COVID-19 mandates by country.

Reviews for my Dinners-in-a-Bag are coming in!

“Chef Andrea was excellent to work with. She catered a pandemic dinner for me that encompassed 20 people across 5 locations spanning from San Jose to San Francisco. Chef Andrea devised a menu that worked with everyone's dietary restrictions and still had offerings to please all palates, including a dish with salmon and sea scallops that were still VERY tender even after being reheated! Her versatility--from a mini empanada appetizer to beef bourguignon--was on full display. Chef Andrea was incredibly responsive and accommodating and I would not hesitate to work with her again. Everything was indeed beyond spectacular! I never imagined you'd be able to make re-heated scallops remain tender, but they were fabulous! My 9-year-old son ate three of the ratatouille skewers and I lost count of how many empanadas, which goes to show that the meal started off with a bang and just kept going from there. Thanks so much for a memorable meal!” Dan S. December 12, 2020

“Thanks so much — it was fantastic and Meg was very happy!” Paul L. May 14, 2020

“Thank you so much, the dinner was exactly what we needed. We were totally stuffed! And the St. Honore cake was divine!” Holden L. May 25, 2020

“Delicious! Thank you! I loved the pork the best, don't think I've ever had pork belly prepared that way.” Stephanie L. May 30, 2020

“Everything was amazing!!  We especially liked the soup [Vichysoisse] (slightly warmed) and the Beef Braciole.” Matthew F. June 6, 2020

Food Safety First

DINNER-IN-A-BAG MENUS can be paired with wines, FREE DELIVERY**. $ 850 minimum/weeknights $1000/weekends

Serve your family the same gourmet meals I serve at my dinner parties! Each course is vacuum-sealed, then sous vide by being brought to food-safe temperature over time; just reheat and serve! I have developed several menus that lend themselves well to this process without comprising flavor or quality and the vacuum-sealed bags assure maximum hygiene.

minimal contact/maximum hygiene…

is achieved when we vacuum-seal each course, followed by sous vide cooking.

what is sous vide cooking…

“Sous vide” means “under vacuum” in French this process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method and has the added advantage of allowing you to serve food that is untouched by human hands after reaching temperature.

3 EASY WAYS TO RE-HEAT: 1) Simply reheat the vacuum-sealed portions by submerging them in a pot of hot water or 2) by using your own sous wand 3) you can open the bag, transfer contents to a Dutch oven or sauté pan and re-heat in the oven or on your stovetop.

sample italian dinner-in-a-bag menu

MY CULINARY JOURNEY BEGAN IN NEW YORK’S LITTLE ITALY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE LIFE REVOLVED AROUND COOKING AND EATING.

It was there that I fell in love with cooking, as I helped my best friend’s nona shop, prep and, serve lunch, and cleanup and then begin the process all over again; almost as soon as we were finished with lunch, we got started on dinner.

BEFORE DINNER

Antipasto

House-Roasted Sweet Peppers/Anchovies/Herb-roasted Artichoke Hearts/Salumeri Assortment Breadsticks and Crostini

Summer Panzanella

Heirloom Tomatoes/Cucumber/Yellow & Red Peppers/Black Olives/Red Onion/Capers

CHOSE ONE:

Chicken Cacciatore

Seafood Cioppino

Beef Braciole

ALL SERVED WITH

Blue Corn Polenta

Roasted Stuffed Zucchini/Ricotta/Pecorino/Mint

DESSERT

Coffee or Vanilla Panna Cotta