Food

Spring News & Spicy Dinner Parties

~ rashatayeh

Sooooo…. a lot has happened since my last post here and my artist residency at Brunswick Mechanics Institute.  Firstly, I gotta admit, Im just not all that great at keeping up with this blog and social media… so forgive me! But I love that most of what I do is away from screens.  I’ve spent most of my winter in my studio creating, mixing herbs in my apothecary or cooking in my kitchen… and since Spring is (finally) here, gardening duties are calling!  The sun is out and the plants are waking up after a long and cold winter.

Secondly, I was invited to present Spice Trails at Footscray Community Arts Centre!  And what pleasure it was to come back to the Gabriel Gallery at FCAC to host an intimate dinner party over two nights in late August.

Spice Trails performance dinners on 24th and 25th Aug were a huge success. Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in this ever evolving live art project inspired by the Silk Road. And thanks to Footscray Community Arts Centre for making it happen & the chefs at Happy River Cafe for the delicious feast, and the talented crew at Pomp & Splendour for the gorgeous flower arrangements.

The next seating on 26th Oct is now SOLD OUT. But there is a waiting list at this link if you’d like to register your interest should tickets (or new sessions) come available http://footscrayarts.com/event/spice-trails/

Below is a slide show of some images from August’s seatings, taken by Felis Sarcepuedes.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

What I love about this project is that it always looks and feels different, depending on who is in the room!  The dynamic nature of live art and participatory art make every seating beautifully unique.  Since last year, Spice Trails has evolved into an immersive live art series of performative dinners and installations, inviting guests to explore and experience the cultural, social and political dimensions of contemporary food culture while drawing on important histories inspired by the spice trade along Silk Road.

This journey explores the development and destruction of great civilisations that has shaped the way we eat today. The narrative unfolds through a 5-course vegan meal with matching wine available, inviting the audience to become performers, sharing stories of merchants in multiple languages.  The route this year followed five stops along the (massive) Silk Road, starting in China’s Sichuan Province, travelling through India, Palestine, Southern Spain and finally, stopping in France for dessert. Spices at each one of these places weaved everything from flavours, colours and stories.

This year, I was really curious about experimenting with natural dying, and different textures of silk.  There is something special about exploring materiality through all of our senses.  You would’ve noticed in some of the images above the various colours of silks presented with the spices they are dyed with.  My personal favourite is the bright yellow of raw silk soaked in turmeric.  And as one of the notes read:

“In every apple you are eating Jupiter; in every plum, Saturn”

And with Turmeric you eat the sun.

I’m looking forward to hosting another seating next month!  For now, back in the studio to get on with it.

Spice Trails is back

~ rashatayeh

It is a great honour to be an artist in residence at Brunswick Mechanics Institute next month to further develop my performative dinner and Live Art work Spice Trails & Trade Routes.

SPICE TRAILS _196.JPG

An iteration of this work was presented in my studio last year, and Im excited to have the opportunity to develop it further in my residency, where I will further explore the cultural, social and political dimensions of contemporary food culture while still drawing on important histories inspired by spice trade along Silk Road.

SPICE TRAILS _151

This immersive Live Art project is part installation & part performative dinner inviting the audience on a journey to listen, taste and smell their way through different countries, cultures and communities. This journey explores the development and destruction of great civilisations that has shaped the way we eat today.

SPICE TRAILS _165

Images from this post are from last year’s performative dinner, taken by my talented friend, Phoebe Powell.

I will be writing more updates during my residency about my research and development.  And stay tuned for more information about the presentation of this year’s performative dinner!

 

 

Hip Hop High Tea

~ rashatayeh

I am honoured & very excited to be collaborating with DJ MzRizk and Belleville Melbourne in hosting this year’s Rizky’s Hip Hop High Tea!

MzRizk will be playing throwback RNB jams from the 90s and early 2000s, head Chef Jarrod Moore will be designing an all vegan menu and I will be matching teas from my Beit e’Shai Apothecary and Teahouse.

Rizky’s Hip Hop High Tea will take place at Belleville on Saturday May 25 from 2pm – 4pm. Located in a Heritage-Listed building just off Little Bourke Street and inspired by a dive bar in Paris, it is the perfect space to enjoy a few cups of tea with friends and family.

Playing beats while you sample tea and eat, Rizky’s Hip Hop High Tea remixes the traditional High Tea into a casual and entertaining atmosphere that everyone is welcome to enjoy.

Cost: $70 per person, plus booking fee.

Book your tickets at this link.  Bookings essential for catering and dietary requirements.

We can cater for guests that have Dietary Requirements. Please send an email to hiphophightea@mzrizk.com with your dietary requirements after you have made your booking. We will not be able to accomodate those with dietary requirements if we have not been advised by May 16th, 2018.

Minimal door sales available on the day, however those with dietary requirements may not be able to be catered for so it is preferable to purchase tickets in advance!

 

For more details contact Danielle Rizk: hiphophightea@mzrizk.com

IMG_0830.PNG

The Wellness Series

~ rashatayeh

I’m excited to announce the launch of The Wellness Series, which include four 1-hour workshops discussing practical ways to nourish the mind & body through nutrition, herbalism & mindfulness.

Workshop 1: Cleansing & Mindful Eating on Sat 14th Oct 2017.  The first instalment will discuss ways to cleanse & reenergise the body & support the immune system in time for the warmer months.

Workshop 2: Food & Mood on Sat 11th Nov 2017.  The second instalment will discuss ways to use food as medicine to promote mental health. Learn about foods & herbs that can support us through anxiety, depression or to generally lift the mood & support mental health & wellbeing.

Workshop 3: Food & Women’s Health on Sat 18th Nov 2017.  This third instalment will discuss how foods & herbs can support women’s health; including fertility, regulating menstrual/moon cycles, and ways to relieve symptoms of PMT & endometriosis.

Workshop 4: Healing the Gut on Sat 2nd Dec 2017.  The fourth & last instalment will discuss how we can heal the gut through food & fermentation with a practical introduction to Komboocha making.

You can book one workshop for $35 or ALL four workshops for $120
Each workshop runs from 11am – 12pm & is limited to 20 spaces

For bookings visit this link.

If you have any questions please contact rasha.tayeh[at]gmail[dot]com

rasha-photos-39

Rasha Tayeh is a holistic nutritionist, researcher & artist. Her practice is inspired by the seasons & ways in which we can enhance connections with our bodies, our communities & with nature. She combines principles of nutrition & herbalism in her wellness workshops. Rasha is a registered nutritionist with experience working in private practice, community health and academia. As an artist, she has exhibited nationally & internationally at various galleries including the Australian Centre for the Moving Image & the National Gallery of Victoria. For more visit www.rashatayeh.com

Spice Trails & Trade Routes

~ rashatayeh ~ 2 Comments

You are invited to this special event that is part dinner, part performance & part installation.

Hosted by artist & nutritionist Rasha Tayeh, in collaboration with creative chef Shu Liu.

Imagine an ancient map as your dinner table, tracing Silk Road and other important trade routes. Explore through taste and smell a journey that shaped the development and destruction of great civilisations and in turn, the way we eat today.

Each stop along the road will deliver a special course featuring a particular herb or spice. As you take this culinary journey across the dinner table, you will be invited to tell stories of spice merchants and traders. Stories will unfold at each stop and with each course.

This intimate dinner party is at 7pm Friday 28th April 2017 at MESMA Studio (limited to 20 guests only).

$120 per person includes 5-course dinner, or $150 per person for dinner including wine.

To book your ticket please visit this link.

The participatory story telling during this curated dinner may be in various languages, with interpretations in Arabic, English & Auslan (Australian Sign Language).

Please note, the menu is vegetarian/vegan, but if you are strictly vegan or have any allergies, get in touch when you book your ticket to ensure you are catered for accordingly.

For more information contact: rasha.tayeh@gmail.com

mesma_rashatayehblog02

Rasha Tayeh is a Palestinian artist based in Melbourne; her work crosses a range of photography, film, sound and installation practices. She is also a nutritionist and researcher interested in food history, food anthropology, and the space where art and health intersect. Rasha’s work draws on themes around phenomenology, identity, feminist issues, spirituality and humans’ place in society and their natural environment. Her work has been exhibited at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (Melbourne), National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne), International Arts & Health Conference at the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra), Alderman Gallery (Melbourne), Sustainable Living Festival (Melbourne), Transitions Film Festival (Melbourne & Adelaide), Environmental Film Festival (Melbourne), Sguardi Altrove Film Festival (Milan), Hidden Features Cinema (Edinburgh), Life Sciences Film Festival (Prague), Palestine Museum of Natural History (Bethlehem), Little Woods Gallery (Melbourne) and Footscray Community Arts Centre (Melbourne).

Shu Liu is a self-taught creative chef and owner of Shu Restaurant in Collingwood.  He’s passionate about experimenting with flavours and textures from his hometown cuisine in Sichuan.  Shu’s recipes and menu design reflect seasonal and local produce, with a focus on fusion cooking.

Palestinian Cooking Workshop: Autumn Equinox

~ rashatayeh

This installment of my Palestinian Cooking Workshop series is inspired by the Autumnal Equinox* and this lovely time of year when leaves change colour, days start get slightly shorter and a bit cooler. As usual I will draw inspiration from mama & teita (my mother & grandmother), who taught me everything I know about cooking, and passed down a wealth of nurturing recipes!

This two-hour workshop will take you on a sensory journey into Palestinian cuisine and look specifically at foods and herbs that support us during the transitions of autumn, as we move away from the warmer months of summer into the cooler months of winter.

During the workshop we will focus on:

– Traditional herbal infusions & remedies, from selected herbs and spices used in Palestine and the Levant

– Cook a delicious vegan meal & discuss nutritional benefits of seasonal produce**

Participants will go home with:

  • Recipes of the meal shared on the day
  • A deeper understanding & curiosity for delicious foods from Palestine & traditional herbal medicine
  • A jar of their personally crafted herbal infusion (optional for $8 each during the workshop, cash only)

This workshop is limited to 12 spaces. So, book early.

Cost: $65, to book click here. 

When: 2:30pm – 4:30pm, Sunday 26th March 2017

Where: CERES Community Kitchen, cnr Roberts & Stewart St Brunswick East VIC 3057

If you have any questions, please contact me on rasha.tayeh@gmail.com

—

*An Equinox is an astronomical event that happens twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn. It’s when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun. During Equinoxes the tilt of the Earth (with respect to the Sun) is 0° and because of it, the duration of the day and the night are almost equal on Equinox day i.e. 12 hours.

Equinoxes occur on 20th or 21st March and 22nd or 23rd September each year and both days have equal length of day and night. While it is autumn time in the Southern hemisphere, March Equinox is called Autumnal Equinox, and in Melbourne this year, it falls on the 20th March. So to celebrate this time of year and connect with the natural cycles, this workshop’s content will reference the Equinox, its energy, transitions and the seasonal foods & medicinal herbs we can use to best support our bodies, minds and spirits.

**Vegan light snack/tasting included – please contact me when you book if you have any allergies.

Palestinian Cooking Workshop 2

~ rashatayeh

In this two-hour Palestinian Cooking Workshop we will explore wild herbs, the liver & digestive health.

During the workshop we will:
– Cook a delicious vegan dish* & discuss nutritional benefits of selected wild herbs, or “edible weeds”
– Learn about traditional herbal infusions for detoxification, cleansing & good digestion

Participants will go home with:
– Recipes of the meal shared on the day & notes on how to look after the liver & digestive system
– A deeper understanding & curiosity for delicious foods from Palestine & the use of wild edible herbs

Workshop limited to 12 spaces. So, book early to avoid disappointment!

*Tasting/light snack included – please contact me asap if you have any allergies.

Cost: $65
When: 2:30pm – 4:30pm, Saturday 4th February 2017
Where: CERES Community Kitchen, cnr Roberts & Stewart St Brunswick East VIC 3057

For tickets visit this link.

If you have any questions, please contact me on rasha.tayeh@gmail.com

Spice Trails & Trade Routes

~ rashatayeh

I’m feeling grateful for all that has happened the past 12 months since moving back to Melbourne… the projects, exhibitions, workshops and opportunities this year brought my way have been wonderful.  It’s good to be back, and I’m feeling excited about what 2017 has in store.

Before I take a little hiatus from online blogging and news sharing, I wanted to share something I’ll be working on this summer… a special event to welcome the new year that is part dinner, part performance and part installation.

rasha-photos-64

The working title is Spice Trails & Trade Routes…

Imagine an ancient map as your dinner table, with plates being served, or rather, travelling across this map to tell a story from the perspective of spices… maybe there will be cinnamon, saffron, nutmeg, star anise, cloves, pepper, chilli, cardamon or other aromatic herbs… Following Silk Road, the Way of the Sea, the Ridge Route and other important trade routes between Asia, Europe and Africa that have shaped the way we eat today.

Each stop on the map will deliver a special course featuring a herb or spice, and so as guests take this journey across the dinner table, stories of spice merchants and traders unfold at each stop and with each course.

Stay tuned for more news on this project…

For now, enjoy your end of year break.  And may 2017 bring you all your hearts’ desires.

Rasha Tayeh © All Rights Reserved

Growing Food Project

~ rashatayeh ~ 1 Comment

It’s been 3 years since I released my short film the Growing Food Project (2013), and as this year is coming to a close, I’m feeling quite reflective thinking about how things have changed in the last few years… and how many more local food projects have sprung up around Melbourne since this little film was made.

leaves
Video still, Growing Food Project (2013)

This 15-minute film documents Melbourne’s local food movement and community food initiatives, where people come together to build local, fair and sustainable food systems.  I feel honoured that most of the people featured in the film & others who have worked behind the scenes are good friends of mine.  To learn more about the film check out this blog post from the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

The film had a great run screening nationally & internationally.  And I’m really humbled by the feedback I received and the number of emails telling me that since watching this little film, some people felt inspired to start a garden in their homes or their neighbourhoods.

It makes my heart smile knowing that the art I create resonates.

The film has been offline for a bit, while screening at international film festivals.  But the time has come to share it with you again…  So click here to watch it.

In loving memory of my dear friend & teacher, Glenda M Lindsay Jan 23 1954 – Jan 15 2017.

babako
Video still, Growing Food Project (2013)

 

Growing Food Project, film by Rasha Tayeh © All Rights ReservedPrint

 

Moreland Food Gardens Network

~ rashatayeh

Earlier this month, myself & friends from around Moreland got together to celebrate six years of food activism, community gardening, local food projects and other amazing achievements by our group the Moreland Food Gardens Network (MFGN).

As a co-founder of MFGN, it makes me so proud to see how this group has become an important asset for our community.  The network provides an opportunity for people in Moreland to come together on a regular basis, to share information and collaborate in a variety of ways to improve access to seasonal produce and growing food in & around the area.

Recently MFGN was involved in the Urban Agriculture Forum hosted by Sustain & Melbourne University’s Burnley Campus to discuss Urban Agriculture in Melbourne, its achievements, lessons, enablers and opportunities.

To check out what Moreland Food Gardens Network is all about, visit our website or follow us on Facebook & twitter.

r