Hi buddies,
Happy May! It’s really gloomy in Chicago, but the flowers are blooming, the greens are coming up in the garden, and a robin made a nest on our front porch, so I guess it is Spring.
I’m working in the studio a lot this month, returning to some collaborative projects that were on the back burner while I put out my solo LP, starting the score for a play, and working on a little film/TV project that I can’t tell you about just yet…
a few shows:
May 5th - with Coupler: live score for 1926 silent film A Page of Madness. Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.
May 6th - solo, opening for Joanne Robertson: Empty Bottle, Chicago
May 11th - duo with Sarah Clausen, Elastic Arts, Chicago
May 12th - duo with Zander Raymond, Compound Yellow, Oak Park
May 25th - solo, new longform piece for Quiet Comfort, Comfort Station, Chicago
May 27th - duo with Macie Stewart, Constellation, Chicago
tiny recommendations:
This is actually a big recommendation — friend and legendary Chicago saxophone player Mars Williams has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and is raising funds to help pay for his care and recovery. Dave Rempis is organizing the GoFundMe here. Mars’ energetic curiosity and love of music has been so inspiring to me over the last ten years in Chicago, a reminder that you can and should keep the joy you’ve been given and share it. Whatever you can give helps!
We’re busy at home these days, so I’m passing on two favorite quick recipes from the past few weeks. I love having yummy things that I can memorize. First, bucatini all’ amatriciana ( adapted from Marcela Hazan):
Finely chop an onion and cook for a few minutes in butter and oil. Add three or four slices of guanciale, cut in 1 inch x 1/4 inch pieces. Fry for a minute and then add 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes and some red pepper flakes. Cook uncovered on low for 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick. Toss with bucatini and cheese. Serve with a crunchy salad.
and Sichuan Cold Noodles (or hot, of you’re impatient), adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. This one is a bit more chopping and advance grocery store prep, but once you have everything it comes together very quickly:
prep, in two bowls:
3 chopped green onions, 1 tsp dried red chili flakes (Chinese or Korean style), 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns, 1 star anise pod, 2 chopped garlic cloves and an equal amount of chopped ginger.
2 Tb soy sauce and an equal amount of rice or chinkiang vinegar, and a dollop of tahini
Cook the amount of noodles (ramen, soba, udon) you want. If you want them cold, run them under cold water and then leave to drain. If you want them hot, drain and toss them in a little oil. Meanwhile, heat a 1/4 cup of neutral oil until it smokes in a wok or small pan. Pour the oil over bowl No. 1 (green onions etc.). It should sizzle mightily and smell amazing. Toss the noodles in the contents of both bowls and serve.
Have you seen Tampopo? It’s so good! A beautiful homage to the joy of food.
And Pasta Grannies, a youtube series about Italian nonnas making pasta. Here, 100 year old Annunziata makes fregola — I love how she blesses each step of the process.
I’ve been listening to this, for dancing.
This show is closed, but it was wonderful, so here’s your reminder to go see The Neo-Futurists if you’re in Chicago.
If you have recommendations for Washington D.C., let me know — I’ve never been there.
That’s all, for now!
Lia