Rating: 
Summary: Keeping up the morale
Review: I think this is a very pleasant, accessible collection of recipes (with lots of chef-to-cook asides). David Waltuck focuses on his Chanterelle family -- his cooks, cleanup crew, and wait-staff -- for whom he makes meals that give new meaning to "employee benefits."It struck me that his happy gang working behind the scenes at a stellar restaurant is at odds with that story that runs from Orwell's scullions in "Down and Out in Paris and London" to the desperados in "Kitchen Confidential." But, hey, Waltuck's proof is in his pudding - life must be fine if a night on the job includes "Roast Chicken Stuffed with Basil" or "Spaghetti with Mussels, Tomatoes, and Cream," and maybe a blackberry cobbler. The recipes are eclectic like food markets in New York City - kind of French, kind of Hispanic, kind of Asian, kind of Middle European, kind of North African, kind of small-town American. Things the recipes have in common are keen, punchy flavors - the sautéed/baked Cornish hens call for garlic, tomatoes, wine, olives, thyme, and red pepper flakes - and quantities that feed 8 to 10 people (or can be upped for a crowd). The hidden gems: roughly 30 pages of salad dressings that look like they can have many real-life uses and a run of breakfast and brunch items that might go over well enough to be worth the price of the book (I'm thinking of "Buttermilk Corn Muffins with Orange").
Rating: 
Summary: Best cookbook I own
Review: If you're interested in this book, you're probably a foodie like me. And, like me, you probably have a collection of cookbooks. STAFF MEALS is my favorite. From this book I have cooked many a family meal (two kids, 8 and 11 and a spouse) to many a rave - haven't hit a false note yet.
Rating:
Summary: I'll Make 75%
Review: If you're interested in this book, you're probably a foodie like me. And, like me, you probably have a collection of cookbooks. STAFF MEALS is my favorite. From this book I have cooked many a family meal (two kids, 8 and 11 and a spouse) to many a rave - haven't hit a false note yet.
Rating:
Summary: Best cookbook I own
Review: My lasting admiration to whomever came up with the idea behind this book. Unlike the other 4-star celebrity chef cookbooks being peddled on the Food Network, all of which seem to detail extravagant and daring 12-course meals featuring five different reductions and three unpronounceable ingredients, David Waltuck's submission considers comfort food. A steaming crock of French Onion Soup, made-from-scratch fudge Brownies, creamy Mac-n-Cheese, and even Mint Juleps are given the same treatment that made Chanterelle one of the best restaurants in New York. Imagine that! Food that you'd want to cook at home! In a cookbook! Foie Gras and scallion lobster bisque topped with sun-dried tomatoes and carmelized pears is nice, but sometimes I just want some Mac-n-Cheese, dammit.
Rating:
Summary: Staff Meals
Review: We can't stop eating our way through this book, easy and unbelieveably fabulous tastes. It is the best addition to our cookbook collection in years (Union Square is a second). You do need to stock up on certain Chinese seasonings for many of the recipies, but once you have the oyster sauce, fish sauce and the black vinegar, etc., in your pantry, you're all set for serious tastes with minimal effort. Genius.
Rating:
Summary: Staff Meals
Review: We can't stop eating our way through this book, easy and unbelieveably fabulous tastes. It is the best addition to our cookbook collection in years (Union Square is a second). You do need to stock up on certain Chinese seasonings for many of the recipies, but once you have the oyster sauce, fish sauce and the black vinegar, etc., in your pantry, you're all set for serious tastes with minimal effort. Genius.
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