Evening beverages are seldom boring, but this lady has found a way to make them even for fun. Jess Ritz stumbled across a treasure trove of souvenirs that most travelers would pay big bucks to lay their hands on — vintage glassware from luxury hotels around the world. All this without going anywhere but her neighbor’s house.

The Collection

Traveler Jess Ritz has a unique treasure trove of original vintage souvenir beverage glassware bearing the official crests and logos of iconic international hotels and resorts. She has in her possession a set of glasses with the image of Hotel George V crown, from the pre-Four Seasons-rebrand era, a set with the iconic outline of the Trinita dei Monti’s twin church bell towers from Hotel Hassler Roma, and one from La Mamounia in Marrakech, The Peninsula in Hong Kong, The Pierre in Manhattan, The Dorchester in London, Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, and many more.

The Source

No, Ritz has not flown all around the world and stayed in these upscale venues to add to her souvenir collection! According to her, when her next-door house opened for an estate sale, Ritz couldn’t suppress the urge of a quick peek inside. Her unknown neighbor was a Hollywood studio publicist, who was ready to auction off all possessions, mostly from the time around the mid-1980s. There Ritz found stacks of a few unremarkable and long-neglected tableware placed on Formica countertops. With a keen eye, she found out the unique and ultimate score of the souvenir set. It was a collection of eight rock glasses embossed with original logos of historic international hotels from exotic locations around the world. According to Ritz, these evocative pieces were her best impulse buy to date, as they are unique and authentic, and she hasn’t seen anything like this ever again in any other auction, antic market, or online sale.

Do you want to have a taste of international travel without leaving the comfort of your home? If that’s the case, here’s a recipe from a different world cuisine that’ll send your taste buds on a journey across the continent without actually ever having to set foot outside your kitchen door.

Get Wild in the Kitchen

Ask any local from Bologna, from where the dish known as “spaghetti Bolognese” is said to have originated, and they will tell you that the world has got it wrong. The Ragu Alla Bolognese is best served with flat pasta, instead of straw-like spaghetti. Whip up a bowl of traditional tagliatelle al ragu, and see which variation of the famous dish you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 tbs of butter
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 140g (5oz) pancetta, cut into small cubes
• ½ peeled and finely chopped small onion
• 1 small peeled and finely chopped carrot
• 300g (10 ½ oz) ground beef
• 5 tsp tomato paste
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup whole milk
• Fresh egg tagliatelle
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Shaved parmesan cheese, to serve

How to Cook It

First, you have to melt the butter in a pan. Then, add the pasta. After this, cook gently until the fat has rendered. Leave it for about 10 minutes. Then, add the celery, onion, carrot, and cook, stirring frequently until light and browned, for about 15 minutes. Then, add the ground beef and cook while stirring, until lightly browned and starting to sizzle. Add wine and cook until it evaporates, for about 5 minutes. Mix the tomato paste with a little water and then add it to the pan. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, adding the milk little by little, adjusting the seasoning, and stirring occasionally. Bring some salted water to a boil in a big pan and cook the tagliatelle until al dente. Toss the ragu and pasta and serve the dish with parmesan cheese.