Aaron summed it up well. I prefer just regular wine dates, but if you do a dinner date , make sure to be at least half way done with cooking by the time she arrives.
In addition:

• as per about any allergies or preferences before she comes over ( just make sure to do it in a flirty way)
  -don't pick a heavy dish . you don't want her feeling bloated / sleepy after diner
• have some good music playing in the background
  ]In terms of exact escalation steps, don't overthinking it. You are a man and she is an attractive woman, your instincts should more or less show you what to do (if you can relax your conscious mind). You laugh, you tease, your flirt, you touch , and shit will go down.

I know Alex isn't a huge fan of these, but I've closed quite a few times on home cooked dinner dates. I've even had a few girls say in debrief they agreed to come to my place because they were so curious about my food.

The way I've done it is to have the food mostly ready when she gets there. That way, you don't lose momentum during the cooking process. Finish it up, and eat together, and use that time for "get to know each other" conversation.

After you're both done eating, that's where I start the escalation process.