Over the last year I've been working on my own bolognese recipe. The recipe below is my best version so far, but I'm looking forward to making further improvements. I think adding cinnamon and some hot red pepper flakes would be a great addition for next time!

Ingredients:
2 carrots
1 green pepper
Half box of mushrooms
1 onion
1.3 - 1.5 lbs ground beef (the lower fat the better)
​2 sausages 
3/4 cup tomato juice
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bayleaf
1 can Hunt's tomato paste (6 ounces)
2 cans Hunt's tomoato sauce (15 ounces each)

Directions:

1. Finely chop carrots, pepper, mushrooms, and onion.
2. Sautee vegetables over medium low heat in olive oil for about ten mintues (or less depending on how quickly they are cooking and how finely they are chopped!).

     3. Increae heat to medium-high. Add in the ground beef and sausage (remove its casing), and cook through until all meat is browned. 
        4. Pour in the tomato juice and stir until it evaporates, about 5 minutes.
        5. Stir in freshly ground pepper, thyme, and bayleaf.
        6. Add tomato paste and tomato sauce.

       7. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce will reduce a lot, and it will be a thick and delicious when ready to put on pasta!

​As one who lives to eat, I’ve never understood those who eat to live.  My relationship with food is a joyous one, and my life is enhanced by experiences at restaurants and family made home-cooked meals that give you both permission and encouragement to take seconds, then thirds. 
 
Despite my love affair with food and my constant thought of ‘when will I eat next?,’ I never felt at home in the kitchen or comfortable doing the cooking myself.  It even made me slightly anxious, and often left me paralyzed with visions of smoking pots and fires in the oven, quickly followed by me grabbing my phone to order take out.  Suddenly, in the last few months I’ve come around to the idea of experimenting in the kitchen, and I’ve found I really enjoy it!  Often when I begin, I have no idea how a recipe will turn out and have many doubts regarding my culinary abilities mid-way through, but most of the time, it actually turns out very delicious.
 
I’ve been documenting some of my trials (and errors) and wanted to share my adventure in Brussels (spouts) that happened a few weeks ago.

I've since made this recipe again and they came out just as delicious.  Even Murat, who swore up and down he'd never eat brussel due to traumatizing childhood memories involving boiling the offensive vegetable,  took seconds.  High praise indeed!