HOME COOKING: Aleksander Dubras, 16, will come to your home and cook a gourmet meal.

A Milton teen is bringing the fine-dining experience right to local residents' homes.

Aleksander Dubras, a 16-year-old E.C. Drury High School student, recently started his own business -- In Home Fine Dine -- through the Ontario government's Summer Company program.

The catering service offers gourmet meals prepared by Dubras in his customers' kitchens. "All food is made in your home, so you see exactly what goes into the meal," said Dubras.

The Summer Company program provides business training, mentoring and financial grants to help people aged 15 to 29 start up their own summer businesses. Those accepted receive a $1,500 grant to start the company and, upon completion, will be awarded an additional $1,500.

Dubras' love of cooking started about 10 years ago when he was just a youngster helping his grandmother out in the kitchen. He went on to take food courses throughout high school and work at a number of high-end restaurants in Milton.

Now, Dubras is taking that restaurant experience and using it to make local residents' home dining experience a gourmet one.

His menus include everything from wild mushroom risotto finished with a thyme and herb butter sauce to grilled salmon with roasted pepper sauce, asparagus and a parsnip puree.

"I love being able to create beautiful things with food," he said. "The reaction I receive from my meals is very rewarding, and because of this I wanted to offer an in-home alternative to a restaurant."

Dubras said he likes to use locally-grown produce for his meals, taking advantage of the fact the Milton Farmers' Market is located just outside his doorstep downtown.

"To me, you really taste the quality and personality local produce has, and that's one of my main ideals when it comes to cooking," he said.

The enterprising youth also brings all of his own cooking equipment and cleans up after the meal to make the evening that much more enjoyable for customers.

Dubras said he's been working hard to get his name out this summer and hopes to be busy during the holiday season.

The local teen plans to pursue his love of cooking this coming school year through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program at Robert Bateman High School in Burlington. The program will focus on cooking and restaurant management.

After that, Dubras said he'd like to take some post-secondary education courses in the field and then head to Europe for further training. "I'm very enthusiastic about food and determined to follow my passion into the future."

For more information on In Home Fine Dine or to reach Dubras visit www.inhomefinedine.ca.

The Summer Company program is co-ordinated locally through the Halton Region Business Development Centre.

Melanie Hennessey can be reached at mhennessey@miltoncanadianchampion.com.