Recipe: Homemade Bolognese Pasta Sauce

We made our first batch of homemade pasta sauce using fresh San Marzano and Roma tomatoes from our garden. We fell in love with this simple recipe from Marcella Hazan and tweaked it with our own little flourishes. It was delicious — enjoy!

Recipe: Homemade Bolognese Sauce

3 pounds of fresh tomatoes (we used a mix of San Marzano and Roma tomatoes)

5 tablespoons of butter (we used Plugra European butter)

1 medium yellow onion, sliced in quarters

1 pound of ground beef

1 tablespoon of chili flakes

1 sprig of basil

1. Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or less. Drain and place in cold ice water bath, skin and cut into coarse pieces.

2. Place tomatoes, butter, onion and chili flakes in a sauce pan and cook uncovered at a slow, steady simmer for 1 hour, or until thickened to your liking.

3. While the sauce is simmering, cook ground beef in a skillet under med-high heat. Drain and set aside.

5. After tomato sauce is thickened to your liking, stir in the ground beef and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

6. Serve with al dente pasta and top with fresh basil. 

Craft Cocktails With a Twist — And One Amazing Tip That Will Change the Way You Garnish Forever

With alfresco entertaining in full swing, it's time to up the ante with a few delicious signature cocktails. We came across two refreshing recipes during an amazing experience at Domaine Chandon in Napa Valley. 

Ian Winget (mixologist, sommelier, and Domaine Chandon alum), personally taught us how to whip up two cocktails that literally took two minutes to make. The first drink was called a Summer Sweet and Savory — Summer savory is actually an herb that resembles rosemary. Made with sweet fruit and and Ian's famous strawberry rhubarb bitters, this crisp concoction is perfect for brunch outdoors or early evening cocktails.

If you really want to show off your hipster cocktail cred, the Blackberry Crush was made for you. Devised of muddled mint, blackberry, and served in a cool mini mason jar, this drink is sure to impress your friends. The secret to getting all of that great flavor and smell from cocktail herbs? SLAP IT. Yes, it sounded a little strange when Ian told us to slap our herbs (in this case, mint), but once we "slapped" it, the herbal essence was much stronger and flavorful. Here are the recipes below. Thank you Ian and Domaine Chandon for the wonderful evening!

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Summer Sweet and Savory Recipe:
Makes one cocktail

3 oz strawberry lemonade
3 dashes of strawberry rhubarb bitters
2 to 3 oz Chandon Blanc de Noirs
Spring of fresh Summer Savory
2 large strawberries, quartered

Pour strawberry lemonade into a shaker. Add the bitters and ice. Shake. Strain into a coupe or other decorative glass. Add the Summer Savory and strawberries. Top with Blanc de Noirs and serve.

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Blackberry Crush Recipe:
Makes one cocktail

7 ripe blackberries
5 mint leaves
1/2 oz agave syrup (or simple syrup)
2-3 oz Chandon Brut Classic
1 lemon slice

Put the blackberries, mint, and agave syrup in the bottom of a rocks glass. Muddle until crushed (be careful not to overdo it!) Add the Brut Classic and then stir. Garnish with lemon slice and serve.