Texas chef acclimating to Midwest menus
Time will tell if native Texan Scott Halverson takes to our Midwest winters, but in a short time Midwesterners certainly have taken to his cuisine.
Halverson runs the kitchen at prasino, the acclaimed eco-friendly restaurants in St. Charles and LaGrange that opened earlier this year.
While working his way toward a degree in electrical systems at Texas State University Halverson found himself working in a restaurant.
“That's what I enjoyed and I excelled at so I decide to switch to a culinary school,” said Halverson, now 33.
He attended Le Cordon Bleu in Austin and cut his teeth at the historic Driskill Hotel under James Beard Award-winning chef David Bull.
He headed West for five years, cooking at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, Calif. and then Chive in San Diego before heading back to Texas where he eventually replaced Bull at the Driskill in 2008.
At prasino Halverson sources organic, sustainable and environmentally friendly products, turning out creative dishes that have snagged the attention of local and national critics and earned the restaurant a place in the Michelin Guide's new Chicago edition. He lives in Wheaton with his fiance Erin Alvis and their dog, Bailey.
Please recall and early food memory: Picking green beans with my grandmother and then cleaning and preparing them for dinner.
What was your first restaurant job? Washing dishes at a resort; it taught me that with determination and hard work you can move up this industry.
Any mentor's along the way? I have had many mentors but who stands out the most to me is chef David Bull. He taught me patience and to look at things with a different perspective and also the understanding of hard work.
What is your culinary philosophy? Try to keep thing simple. I start with quality ingredients and try not lose the soul of the dish by clouding it with excess.
Where do you find inspiration for new recipes? Some come by accident, like we will receive the wrong product on a delivery so I end up with something I hadn't planned on using. More often than not they end up spinning into a new dish.
Do you notice a difference between Texan diners/appetites and Midwest diners/appetites? We get to serve hearty dishes up here that might not go over well in Texas due to the heat, but because of the winter I can serve more braised items.
Prasino was one of the few suburban restaurants to get a mention in the new Chicago edition of the Michelin Guide. How does that make you feel? It's amazing. I can't believe it. Growing up, I looked up to the Michelin Guide-rated chefs. They're the biggest names in the industry. It is a huge honor as Michelin has the toughest critics.
What is your favorite ingredient and how do you like to use it? Bacon If I could I would put it on everything
What is your favorite guilty pleasure food? Sushi
When you eat out, where do you like to go? Any type of ethnic food such as Korean, Chinese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian ...
What was the last meal you cooked at home? Whole roasted chicken with butternut squash, garlic spinach and natural jus.
Any advice for home cooks during this holiday entertaining season? Plan ahead try to do as much prep in advance. Don't try to take on too much less is more. Focus on few quality dishes.
What do you do in your spare time? Well there is not much spare time these days but I love to come up with new innovative recipes.
Tell us about this recipe: Braised Short Ribs.
Marinate ribs overnight for greater tenderness and flavor and braise the ribs in a heavy, thick-sided roasting pan to provide good, even cooking. Cool the ribs in the braising liquid; that keeps them moist and flavorful. Any full-bodied red wine is a great complement. A few I'd recommend from prasino's cellar: 2004 Zinfandel, Alderbrook, Dry Creek Valley, Calif. (earthy zin with loads of spice and dark berry fruit) or 2008 Malbec, Finca La Linda, Mendoza, Argentina (elegant with notes of black cherry and spice and soft tannins).
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