The video features three chefs, ADA, Anthony, and Michael, demonstrating how to prepare a macaroni and cheese dish. ADA, a level 1 chef, starts by boiling pasta in olive oil and seasoning it with salt. Anthony, a level 2 chef, uses cavatappi pasta and adds a topping of panko breadcrumbs for a crispy texture. Michael, a level 3 chef with 27 years of experience, uses Gemelli pasta and adds a more elaborate topping: crumbled graham crackers, black pepper, and smoked bacon. All chefs use a blend of cheeses in their sauce, with Anthony adding parmigiano-reggiano and mascarpone, Michael adding Philadelphia Cream Cheese and mozzarella, and ADA using cheddar and American cheese. The dishes are baked in different containers: ADA uses a glass dish, Anthony uses a ceramic gratin dish, and Michael uses a cast-iron pan. The chefs then taste the dishes and discuss the differences in texture, flavor, and presentation.
1. The chef, named ADA, is a level 1 chef with 27 years of cooking experience. She has been making mac and cheese recipes, approximately once every two weeks, for her kids. The recipe was inspired by her grandmother and was prepared at Red Rooster, where she was the executive chef .
2. The recipe involves cooking pasta in olive oil to prevent it from sticking. The pasta used is Gemelli, which is easy to cook and has a lot of surface area for the cheese sauce to stick to .
3. The chef likes to bring the water to a rapid boil at 212 degrees. She adds salt for every two gallons, preferably half a cup. She also seasons the pasta with pepper and salt before adding butter before baking .
4. The sauce for the mac and cheese is made with about 1/4 stick of butter, a cup of milk, and a combination of white sugar and brown sugar. It also includes black pepper, a bit of vanilla, and melted butter .
5. The cheese used in the sauce includes cheddar cheese, American cheese, and Monster cheese. The cheese sauce is melted with residual heat before adding different cheeses in no particular order .
6. The cheese sauce is then added to the pasta, which is folded in to ensure every piece is covered. The cheese sauce is allowed to melt and fill in all the crevices of the pasta when baked .
7. The finished mac and cheese is baked in a cast-iron pan at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, then baked for 30 minutes at 325 degrees .
8. The chef, named Anthony, uses cavatappi pasta for his mac and cheese. He toasts panko on top of the mac and cheese for a crispy texture and visual appeal .
9. The chef, named Michael, adds crumbled up graham crackers, black pepper, and smoked bacon to his mac and cheese for a robust flavor profile .
10. The cheese used in the mac and cheese can significantly affect the texture and flavor of the dish. Cheeses with high moisture content melt at a lower temperature and flow nicely, while hard cheeses with a lower moisture content form clumps .
11. The pasta used in the mac and cheese can also affect its texture. Elbow macaroni doesn't have much texture but catches the sauce well. Cavatappi has a lot of surface area, allowing the sauce to coat it very well. Gemelli pasta has a lot of surface area and some texture, soaking up the cheese sauce well .
12. The dish is baked in a glass dish, a ceramic gratin dish, or a cast-iron pan. Each dish type has its own advantages in terms of heat retention and texture .