Photo Field Trip and Ragu Bolognese

Recently Wife and I decided that we could benefit from a little dose of culture. I had been hearing about this exhibit at The Chicago Cultural Center which featured work from an accomplished street photographer named Vivian Maier, whose prints and negatives had just been found at a public auction. We were inspired by her work so we decided to try out a little street photography of our own.





While photography has been one of my hobbies for quite awhile, Wife has hardly any photo experience so it was a perfect opportunity for her to hone her photography skills. Check out her photo below.



As you can see it was a beautiful day out, but don't be fooled by the sunshine--it was actually quite cold!

With that in mind, we would like to present you with a recipe that will stick to your ribs and warm you up. Because let's face it, spring is just not here yet.

Ragu Bolognese
Adapted slightly from Mario Batali

5 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/4 pound bacon, diced
1/2 tube tomato paste
1 cup milk
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste



Heat olive oil and butter in a Dutch Oven over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables are soft and translucent. Add beef, pork, and bacon and cook until browned, stirring often.*  Stir in the tomato paste, milk, and wine and simmer on medium-low for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until sauce reaches your desired thickness.



When sauce is ready, toss with cooked pasta and coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Consider taking the veggies out of the pot before cooking the meat--this will give you the opportunity to drain the fat from the meat before putting the vegetables back in. If you don't mind a fatty sauce, keep on cooking!