Gregory León used to be a Californian – the West Coast is where he started his career as a chef. And it’s where we start this recipe story. Back in 1997, the self-taught chef was working as a line cook. One day, for family meal – that sacrosanct time during shift when the staff sit down over a meal – a fellow cook made Bolognese. This thick, creamy meat sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy, struck a chord with León and he had to know how to make it. His colleague obliged and this “super simple” dish became part of León’s personal recipe pantheon. And it could not be better suited to Wisconsin’s most recognizable climatic condition. “I love the flavors,” says Leon. “It’s super hearty – great for a cold winter night.” It’s also well-suited to freezing. Now the way León likes to eat it is with good, crusty bread, but poured over rigatoni is also a complete delight. Another little touch León likes to make to this is finishing it with a little cream: “That’s how they do it at a place called La Dolce Vita in Madrid.” Although he says these two recipes remind him of San Francisco, they have taken on special meaning since he moved to Milwaukee. “It's always the first thing I make in any new home, kind of a way of baptizing the kitchen, so it was the first meal I made after moving into my first home here in MKE,” he says.