1. supper one
supper one was the official launch of ROTTEN MOTHER. hosted at the carriage house in the west village, the ticketed dinner featured nine edible installations and passed courses.
installation one
pandan and coconut sea moss jello
agar agar | pandan | coconut | lime | sea moss | salt
borscht deviled eggs
pickled beets | dill | fresh horseradish
butter trio with la cabra sourdough
shiso + koji miso | kimchi | charred ramps + crickets
sculpture twofresh greens + chicory salad
sunchoke tahini pâté | parmesan tuille | chive blossoms
served on a 2x4 platter for guests to forage the dish
passed one
hamachi crudo
tangerine salt cured hamachi | house brewed passion fruit kombucha and coconut water broth | finished with fresh passion fruit + micro cilantro
2. the uhaul event the uhaul event was an ode to raising rent prices and the headache of summer moves. instead of a venue, we converted a uhaul truck into a dining room that spilled out onto the street. despite a torrential downpour, the show continued.
rottenmothernyc@gmail.com
instagram ROTTEN MOTHER is a culinary art collective exploring the connection between food and art through edible installations. Our project serves as a liminal space for chefs and artists to cocreate through the delicate tension between transformation and decay—where fermentation flirts with rot.
services offered
ROTTEN MOTHER aims to nurture the intersection of food and art. our collective explores this through:
- tablescapes
-
edible installations
- food styling
- curated experiential dinners + small bites
- whatever we dream up together
about usROTTEN MOTHER was founded by barbara kelley and grace heizer. with respective backgrounds in fine dining and the art world, we met through the industry and quickly found common ground in wanting something different from the usual dining experience. one that was experiential and playful, that had the feeling of an exhibition with the comfort of a meal with loved ones. ROTTEN MOTHER continues as a collaborative practice led by grace, working with artists, designers, and other creatives to create food-based experiences that tell stories.
more rotten mother:
zine one
for supper one, we designed an accompanying zine as the evening’s menu.
ROTTEN MOTHER sees food as art and chefs as artists. that belief drives us to team up with other creatives, building experiences that blend visual art with what ends up on the plate.
Last Updated 24.10.3
nyfw cos install
1. week long install for COS during NYFW designed a series of morning and evening bites centered on seasonality and highlighting the colorway of the new line.
savory canelles
gruyere | speck | cornichon
stone fruit bites
plums | apricots | pluots | piped greek
coconut yogurt | sesame brittle | thai basil
radicchio cups
pink radicchio| whipped tahini + coconut |aleppo
pepper | blood orange | mintpetite fours
blueberry + corn cake | blueberry compote | fresh tarragon
pluot olive oil cake | brûléed pluot | vanilla crème fraiche
savor scone
za’atar | feta | charred garlic scape | browned-butter sesame labneh
kalei nyc + azyr specs install
2. pop-up with kalei nyc + azyr specsheld at the gallery and design space, kalei nyc, we designed two edible installations for their collaboration with the eyewear brand, azyr specs.
installation onebrown butter cornbread madeleines
queso fresco | crema buttercream | charred
corn | corn husk glasses
installation twofig sculpture
white balsamic + pepper sugar | comté cheese | thyme | sugar shard plates
installation threecandy lenses
blueberry + lavender | lemon + lemongrass
colors were based on azyr specs lens samples
brooklyn center for theatre research + burning man install
3. installation for the
brooklyn center for theatre research +
the burning man project
we were commisioned to create a tablescape in collaboration with the burning man project and the brooklyn center for theatre research for a burning man artist panel—celebrating the launch of burning man’s ‘rising sparks’ program.
savory tomato cake
japanese milk bread | heirloom tomato | kewpie and cream cheese ‘frosting‘
rosewater + strawberry poached rhubarb
croquembouche with spun sugar
miso caramel | orange + gochujang pastry cream
lavender meringues
cherry scones |
clotted cream |
matcha chantilly cream
heat index install
4. pop-up with kalei nyc + azyr specsdesigned a food installation to integrate into the works of visual artists at heat index vol. iii. every component was fermented.
kombucha jello
suspended saffron scoby jellies | orange blossom coconut whip
hanging tamales
hongos pibil | young maizo | banana leaves | salsa macha | coconut crema
guests were encouraged to ‘harvest’ the tamales by cutting away at the install.
île flottante
passion fruit| custard | scoby stained glass | baked meringue
chimera vanities + spring bar install
5. installation for the launch
of chimera vanities + the
destroying angel fragrance
designed a menu based on the destroying angel fragrance—creating a menu for the top note, bottom note, and heart note of the fragrance.
poached pears
butterfly pea tea | violets | wine
bottom: cedar-smoked camembert crostini
strawberry prosecco jam | bergamot-infused evoo | cedar tips
heart: mushroom arancini
bleu cheese + maitake | porcini dust | juniper berry-pickled enoki
top: bergamot + vanilla tapioca pudding
violet | poached pears | brown sugar syrup