South Florida can take a little credit for Bravo TV Top Chef winner Kevin Sbraga: he learned his culinary skills at Miami’s Johnson & Wales, alongside a future Top Chef alum named Lindsay Autry.

No matter how far he travels, the Willingboro, N.J., native carries with him the essence of tropical Florida. “I love the acidity components of the cuisine, the fruits, the Latin foods,” says Sbraga, who will make several appearances during the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival.

It’s no wonder that the dish that helped Sbraga take the Top Chef title was a tropical dessert (the dreaded course that can cause even great chefs to stumble) – a coconut panna cotta topped with a frozen rendition of a Singapore Sling.

He won’t be required to make dessert when he comes to town – in fact, he’ll be making a burger at the festival’s Burgers by the Beach Saturday afternoon at the Four Seasons Resort.

How did winning Top Chef change your life?

It allowed me to open this restaurant (Sbraga, Philadelphia). It gave me the opportunity to travel and meet great chefs like Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Michael Schwartz, Michelle Bernstein, so many of them.

What was your big take-away from the Top Chef experience?

Not to second-guess myself. And to cook from the heart. Before that, I just overthought everything. At the end of the day, I’ve just got to do what I think is right. If people enjoy what you’re cooking, then you’ve succeeded.

What are you cooking these days?

Just great well-seasoned food, simple food, food that’s fresh. My influences are pretty global. They extend from Asia to the American Southwest, all the way to South America. My restaurant is a modern American restaurant, and the food is about great ingredients.

We make this one soup, foie gras soup, where we take garlic, shallots, Thai chile and Brandy and let it caramelize, add a touch of cream, foie gras and kaffir lime. It’s sweet, sour, salty all at once. We pair that with rose petal relish. There’s a lot happening in the dish, but it all works.

What trends are you picking up on from talking to your customers?

What’s interesting is that people are trying new things. I mean, people eating escargot and sweetbreads. It’s really gratifying as a chef to see this.

So what will you be cooking during the holidays?

Nothing. (Laughs). Nothing at all. I take that time to relax and let others cook.

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CHOCOLATE-AND-PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

This recipe by Kevin Sbraga was first published in Food & Wine magazine in December 2010.

Makes about 4 dozen biscotti

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1 tablespoon dark rum

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups raw pistachios, plus chopped pistachios for garnish

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Melted bittersweet chocolate, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla seeds and rum and beat until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and beat at low speed until incorporated. Beat in the whole pistachios.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 1 1/4-inch-thick log. Arrange 2 logs on each baking sheet about 3 inches apart and press to flatten slightly. Brush the logs with the egg white.

Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, until the tops are cracked and glossy and slightly firm to the touch. Let the logs cool slightly.

Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the logs into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheets; bake for about 20 minutes, until dry. Let cool completely. Partially dip the biscotti in the melted chocolate and sprinkle lightly with chopped pistachios. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

Make Ahead: The biscotti can be stored between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container for 1 week or frozen for 1 month.