Restaurant staff meals are a lot like family meals. In fact, most staffs call it exactly that--the family meal. And the challenges are the same: how to please the palates of people who know precisely what they like, and how to do it in a time- and cost-effective way. In this hefty volume (433 pages of recipes!), David Waltuck, chef and owner of Chanterelle
Every family should have a mac-and-cheese recipe. At Chanterelle the staff and I like ours ultra-cheesy, ultra-creamy, and as rich as possible. Some cooks make theirs in a deep casserole, but I prefer to fix macaroni and cheese in a wider, shallower baking dish so there's plenty of the delightfully crusty top layer to go around. Serve this with a simple tomato salad on the side, or arrange some sliced tomatoes on top during the last 20 minutes of the baking time (the staff calls this the "fancy" version).
Bring a large stockpot of water and G cup of the salt to a boil over high heat.
When the water is boiling, add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until flexible but very al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain, then let the macaroni stand in the colander under cold running water until chilled. Drain again, then transfer to a medium-size baking dish or shallow casserole and set aside.
Bring the cream to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the grated Cheddar, onion, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, pepper, and salt to taste. Stir over low heat just until the cheese is completely melted, then remove the pan from the heat and taste and adjust the seasoning; the flavor should be strong.
Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni in the baking dish and stir thoroughly to coat. Sprinkle first the grated Parmesan, then the bread crumbs, over the mixture and bake until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden brown and crusty, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand a minute or two before serving.
