And it’s brought with it a bounty of delicious seasonal ingredients from artichokes, to fiddleheads, to asparagus, to peas, to strawberries, to fava beans, to rhubarb, to ramps. . .
and the list goes on and on!

Put yourself in Chef Dawn’s capable hands as she takes inspiration from all the luscious spring produce that the farmers’ markets have to offer to design a unique, seasonal, fresh, and delicious meal for you and your guests.

* Menu is spontaneously created with the freshest seasonal ingredients from the farmers’ market and will not be determined before the event.  Please inform us of any food allergies or special dietary restrictions at the time of booking; every attempt will be made to accommodate your guests’ needs. Host may choose to select a protein for the main course or leave that up to Chef Dawn as well.  15% discount taken off the base menu price which is exclusive of staff charges, optional upgrades, and gratuity.

Last Summer, Chef Dawn lived and worked in Italy in the small town of Colle Val d'Elsa in the region of Tuscany. She spent several months working at the rustic Slowfood restaurant, Officina della Cucina Popolare, learning the secrets of Tuscan cuisine. Following her stage at Officina, she traveled and tasted her way around Italy with stops in many regions including Umbria, Veneto, Piedmont, and Lazio. She is eager to share all that she learned about authentic Italian cooking with you by introducing three new Italian dinner party menus:

Rustic Tuscany

Antipasto della casa
assorted cured meats, cheeses, crostini, and fantasia della chef

Pici cacio e pepe
Tuscany’s most loved dish!
Hand-rolled thick spaghetti pasta with a simple sauce of pecorino and black pepper

Polpette
Hand-rolled meatballs of beef, pork, and veal (ground in-house) with pecorino, garlic, and parsley, simmered in pomodoro sauce.

Contorni
Three seasonal side dishes

Cantuccini con vin santo
Crunchy twice-baked almond-orange cookies with “holy wine” (a fortified dessert wine)

Refined Tuscany

Sformatino di pecorino
pecorino cheese custard with sliced pears, lavender honey, and fennel pollen

Gnocchi di patate con zafferano e pecorino
Potato-semolina dumplings with a creamy saffron-pecorino sauce

Tagliata con rucola e parmigiano
Aged strip steak with arugula and shaved parmigiano.

Contorni
Three seasonal side dishes

Crema bruciata al caffé
Espresso-infused baked custard with a crisp burnt sugar crust and dark chocolate-coated coffee beans.

Regional Italian

Ribollita (Tuscany)
Hearty peasant-style vegetable, bean, and bread stew

Risotto con funghi e tartufo bianco (Piedmont)
creamy Arborio risotto with seasonal mushrooms and white truffle

Ossobuco (Lombardy)
Veal shanks braised with tomato, wine, and aromatics until fork tender, lemon-herb gremolata

Tiramisu (Veneto)
Espresso-dipped savoiardi, zabaglione custard, cocoa

"Last night was just fabulous! Thank you so much - you and your sister - for helping make such a wonderful birthday celebration for Amie. She thought it was just so great and so did I. The food was beautiful in presentation and just yummy - meaning delicious. And you two were so easy in the home, so careful and clean and fun to be around. We hope you enjoyed the experience. You know we did. So thanks again, so much."
   - Jeffrey (Evanston, IL; in-home dinner for two)

A NEW DAWN personal chef service offers monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly meal service, dinner parties and special celebrations, and private cooking classes and hands-on cooking parties, all in the comfort of your own home.

A NEW DAWN
Cooking School and Personal Chef Service
773-317-8971
anewdawnchef@gmail.com

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