Rice is the undisputed queen of making me awesome mix CDs. Before her mixes, I received compilations that I listened to with a sense of obligation- you know, the kind you trade with your psuedo-boyfriend in middle school but never really get into because both your tastes are still ill formed. But Rice’s mixes, which started in high school, were the first that I ever took seriously, listening to once and then over again, and again, on repeat. Her tastes are diverse and her unearthing abilities impressive- she can find old hip-hop, obscure indie tunes, classics, mashups, rock, sad melodies, energetic jumping songs, British stuff- and she has a gift of figuring out exactly what her friends want to hear. She left for Italy yesterday to work at Spannocchia, a farm where she’ll learn how to craft prosciutto and practice sustainable agriculture. Here are some snapshots from her goodbye party, which took place Saturday night.
A pile of thinly sliced portobello
Olive oil dressed sweet potato chips with Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper
Hanami Ale is the spring seasonal beer from NH-based Smuttynose. I loved the cherry blossom label and the slightly sour taste, and surprise surprise- I’m suddenly itching to visit DC to see the blossoms!
Taleggio and portobello pizza with caramelized leeks and fresh garlic, parsley and lemon rind. We made the dough but we felt turned out more like springy focaccia than the crispy crust promised from the recipe. Still tasty.
