Chef du jour: Love the food you prepare a guide to this chef's success
Fresnillo in Mexico's north central state of Zacatecas sits an ocean and then some away from Rome, Italy, but that hasn't stopped Fresnillo-native Arturo Alvarado from becoming an expert on Italian cuisine.
Alvarado, 40, has spent two decades in Italian restaurant kitchens and over the last several months has reworked some of Italy's classic dishes for today's health conscious palettes. As executive chef for Maggiano's Little Italy in Vernon Hills, he introduced those items on the Lighter Take menu to suburban diners earlier this summer. The items will be available at the more than 40 Maggiano's restaurants across the country in the fall.
Alvarado lives in Oak Park with his wife, Peta and their four children: daughters Leslie, 21, and Lizahaira, 19, and sons Manuel, 10, and Gabriel, 5.
What route did you take to get to Maggiano's? I started as a line cook at Braxton Seafood Grill in Oak Park in 1992, then went to Maggiano's in 1994 as a line cook. I became a sous chef in 1999, executive sous chef in 2003 then named executive chef this year. I was at the Schaumburg Maggiano's for 15 years, then worked at the original Maggiano's downtown. The Vernon Hills Maggiano's at Westfield Hawthorn Mall is my first restaurant as executive chef.
Was there anyone who encouraged you to pursue being a chef? I worked one day in a factory, then got a call from my uncle, who was executive chef at Motorola in Schaumburg. He asked me to help him with a big event one day. I saw him that day, working with his hands. It inspired me to become a chef, too.
What has shaped the chef you are today? I had a teammate at Braxton. He told me, “If you love the food, I can teach you how to cook.” He showed me how to cook on the grill, which is my favorite station. I was especially excited to have the opportunity to learn how to cook for my family and friends. It kept me motivated and made them very happy.
What is your culinary philosophy? You have to love the food you prepare.
What were the challenges in lightening up Italian classics? You have to find out what part of the dish provides the most calories so that you can make it lighter. Some of the things we do to lighten up a dish is to use bread crumbs instead of flour, reduce the amount of butter and replace some of the cream with chicken stock. That way our Lighter Take dishes have at least one-third fewer calories, but still have great flavor.
What was the last meal you cooked at home? I made chicken teriyaki for my family; I marinated the chicken overnight then prepared it on the grill.
What is your guilty pleasure food? Italian Beef sandwiches at Portillo's. I go there two to three times a week.
What ingredients do you always have on hand? Garlic, olive oil and basil. There's nothing better than the smell of roasting garlic in the house, and the taste and smell of fresh basil.
What do you do in your free time? I love watching sports, especially soccer. And spending time with my family. I also like to visit other restaurants, to try new foods and find out about the latest food trends. I am always watching food shows on TV and experimenting with new dishes.
What wine should we enjoy with your lighter fettuccine Alfredo? It pairs well with Pinot Grigio.
Try it at home or at Maggiano's Little Italy, 307 Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills. (847) 918-0380.
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