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Meet Mille's

Watch and learn as Mille’s Turn of the Century Café’s head chef Marc Giacin prepares sweet potato bisque, Asian steak and watercress salad, tenderloin beef medallions and chocolate soufflé at this month’s 417 Cooking Class.

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Marc Giacin’s little white lie turned into something much bigger: a career.

“I wanted to make pasta with my friends in St. Louis, so I lied on my first job application,” he says. Giacin told Gianni’s Italian Restaurant that he was 16 years old (he was only 15), and the chef hired him to make pizza and salads. From then on, Giacin has been hooked on the restaurant industry, working as a line cook at Cheddar’s and Hemingway’s Blue Water Café. Giacin’s on-the-job training has steered him toward preparing easy meals. “I want to keep it simple enough that someone with little experience doesn’t feel so overwhelmed.”

Course One

Sweet Potato Bisque with drizzled sour cream garnish
Serves eight. Paired with Kiona riesling.

For bisque:
2 apples, diced
3 cups yellow onion, diced
6 cups sweet potatoes, peeled
and diced
2 ounces butter
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups milk
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 tablespoon sour cream,
divided, for garnish

To prepare bisque:
Sauté apples, onion and potatoes over medium heat in butter until tender, about eight to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and purée in food processor or blender until smooth.

In a large stock pot, combine puréed potato, apple and onion mixture with the remaining ingredients, and simmer to a desired consistency over medium heat, about 15 minutes. When done, serve with a dollop of sour cream for garnish.