Lori (Barnett) Rice (HHS’02) knows a thing or two about experiential learning. As a student in a nutrition communication course at Purdue, she was given an assignment to style food and take a photo. “I remember thinking, ‘Why are we doing this?’” To Rice, who was more interested in fitness and the science of nourishment, creating glamour shots of her lunch seemed a little bizarre. Today, as a photographer, food stylist, writer, and recipe developer, she understands the importance of enticing culinary photos. “We eat with our eyes first, and there’s so much beauty in photography,” she says. “Creating a gorgeous photo that makes people want to eat healthily is very rewarding.”

Growing up, Rice was influenced by cuisine made from scratch: her mom owned a wedding cake business; her grandmothers passed down cherished family recipes; and she worked in a bakery for several years in high school and college. Her studies in wellness and exercise, as an undergrad at Purdue and a grad student at the University of Kentucky, deepened her enthusiasm for natural, handcrafted meals devoid of overly processed ingredients. Rice’s love of cooking, nutrition, and education has afforded her countless opportunities to write about and photograph food around the world. She’s worked with agricultural groups, including Wonderful Citrus and the National Onion Association, and a variety of health and lifestyle magazines and websites, all while maintaining her own food blog, Fake Food Free. Over the past 10 years, Rice’s career has blossomed due to her MO: never pass up an opportunity to try something new.

Exposing myself to other cultures and new ways of doing things has made me a better person.

A willingness to dive into any situation convinced Rice and her husband, Daniel (A’01), to move to Brazil when he was offered a job in the South American country. Keen to stay busy, she pursued freelance writing assignments for nutrition-focused websites. The abundance of fresh, locally produced ingredients she encountered in farmers markets near her new home motivated Rice to start a blog documenting her adventures in recipe creation; she began to appreciate how food affects people on familial and community levels. “Exposing myself to other cultures and new ways of doing things has made me a better person in both my personal and professional life,” she says.

Upon entering the world of epicurean content development, Rice was reintroduced to food styling and photography — this time, she wasn’t so quick to dismiss the artistic components. And while she’s attended photography workshops and taken some online courses, her skill with a camera is mainly self-taught. A proponent of experimentation, Rice believes there’s rarely only one way to perform a task. Her main piece of advice? “Learn from as many sources as you can.”

Rice savors the varied traditions of foods and beverages. An avid fan of beer, she became fascinated by the history of brewing on trips to Germany and Ireland; the flavors, science, and social customs that surround beer fueled her interest. Wanting to share her passions with others, Rice decided to create a guide for marrying brews with the fresh, simple ingredients she favors. Her new cookbook, Food on Tap: Cooking with Craft Beer, is a collection of recipes that prominently feature more than 20 varieties of lagers and ales. In addition to mouthwatering photography and helpful tips and tricks, Rice suggests beers to enjoy alongside the dishes for those looking to double their pleasure.

Encouraging readers to “make what you eat, eat what you love, and enjoy beer and food that inspires you,” Rice invites novices and seasoned cooks alike to experiment in unexpected ways. She hopes to continue experimenting herself with photography projects and additional cookbooks but has also found a deep satisfaction in her current day-to-day life. “If I’m still doing this work in 10 years, I wouldn’t have a thing to complain about — I love it.”