It’s officially summer, and that means we’re looking ahead to outdoor eating and easy-to-serve drinks that please a crowd. Start with these saucy meatball sliders, which can be made ahead of time at home and gobbled up on a camping getaway. And outdoor gatherings calls for delicious, refreshing and unfussy drinks. We’ve got seven ready-to-serve cocktails, mixed drinks and beers that are ideal for enjoying over the long weekend.

Also this week, we share an essay on the time-honoured tradition of making Italian sausages from scratch. The Globe’s Angela Pacienza tagged along with her father, who showed her the art and science of making food with love. Read more.

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