Another Fake Brooklyn Job

Pulling from their backgrounds in both fine art and food, Ag Monasterios-Ramirez is diving into the New York pop-up scene and challenging the boundaries of both disciplines. Whether you want to call them a “snack sculptor,” “edible artist,” “food stylist,” or their preferred title, “cook;” it’s certainly clear that what they are doing is new and different. I sat down with this pioneer of haute cuisine to discuss the industry, art, mental health, their life, and their hopes for the future.

As I wandered up to Ag Monasterios-Ramirez’s Ridgewood apartment, I found them waiting for me on their front stoop, cradling their small dog and smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. Effortlessly stylish, with a welcoming energy, a bright smile, and a million tattoos, I caught myself thinking, “I didn’t realize they were this hot…”

We went upstairs and checked out their kitchen, where they had been experimenting with various recipes.

“Try this,” they said, extracting a spoonful of syrup from one of their many caldrons. “It’s a brown butter passionfruit curd.”

Not very hungry, and not in the mood for sweets, I readied a few stock compliments in my head before accepting the nectar. “Holy shit,” I said, in full sincerity, upon the spoon touching my tongue. A flavor that was simultaneously bright but rich, tart but sweet, decadent but light, scratched some deep primordial need within my caveman brain I hadn’t even realized was itchy. “Das f*#^’in gud,” I said, drooling so hard that my words slurred.

Their home felt warm, lived in, and hip, in a perfectly North Brooklyn/ South Queens kind of way. Paintings hung from the walls and sat on the floor, there were two blue couches perfect for friends visiting from Mexico City or Los Angeles to sleep on, and dancing around the living room, like little wraiths of parties past, were a multitude of candy colored balloon animals.

“At my birthday party I set up a balloon animal station,” they explained. “There was a definite group who never left the ‘balloon animal corner.’”

“So, I think you were originally described to me as a ‘snack stylist?’” I said, moving a few balloon animals off their couch to make room for myself.

“It was probably a ‘food stylist,’” Ag said, laughing. “I work for a food stylist, but it’s an approximate term. At the end of the day all freelance cooking is kind of glorified catering.”

“Yea, it sounds like one of those ‘fake Brooklyn jobs,’ memes,” I said laughing.

“A ‘food creative’ is  another funny little term,” they said. “But I have a hard time calling myself that as well. The work people in that realm do is pretty impressive. Working with a lot of galleries and brands, small plates and snacks. My boss once made a whole series of fancy mid century modern furniture replicas out of butter. Everything is precious and pretty. She specifically went into food from fashion, and the intersection is evident.”

“There’s such a distance between the work and what people might think of when they hear a term like that,” I said. “Is there perhaps a better way to discuss these jobs?”

“I can’t control what other people say,” they said, with a shrug. “It’s easy to see why a term like ‘food artist’ or ‘food creative’ is easy to make fun of. They feel kind of TikTok coded. I’m trying to distance myself from all that. I really like the term, ‘cook.’ That’s where it’s at!”

“I know you have a background in fine art and tattooing,” I said. “Is food new to you?”

“I’ve been cooking my whole life,” they said, gesturing to their kitchen. “A pretty good read on my mental health is whether or not you see me in the kitchen at least a few times a week. If I’m not cooking, I’m not doing well. I was in coffee for a long time. I’ve been tattooing for a long time. I really struggle with having a fulltime job. I burn out really quickly. I got into cooking, because of the freelance opportunities; private chefs and pop-ups. I wanted to learn more about food and investigate the pop-up world more.”

“A pretty good read on my mental health is whether or not you see me in the kitchen at least a few times a week.”

“How do you think your other disciplines interact with your cooking?” I asked.

“I really like working at the intersection of food and art,” they explained. “My end goal is to find a way to incorporate art and food aesthetically. I want to explore food as multimedia conceptual art. Consumption, the body, transness, sustainability.”

“I want to explore food as multimedia conceptual art. Consumption, the body, transness, sustainability.”

“How have you been exploring these concepts thus far?” I asked.

“I recently applied to a bioart residency that has really helped me put my ideas together,” they said. “I really want to work with biodegradable edible materials. You can do a lot of sculptural things with sugar, you can toe the line of things that are for food and the body and things that are more cerebral and feel more like an installation. Sensory stimulation is really important to me, and I like the idea of multisensory immersive installation pieces.”

“How do you see your work ultimately being displayed?” I asked. “Gallery installations, passed canapes, incorporated into performance?”

“I would like to do it all!” They said emphatically. “I feel very noncommittal about everything. My original idea was to present my work in the form of dinner parties. I’d also like to take it in a more traditional art direction, as well. Right now, I’m willing to invest time in anything that pushes me to learn more and explore these concepts more fully.”

“I know you’ve started pursuing your original idea,” I said.

“Yeah!” They said, with a proud smile. “I recently co-hosted a dinner party with Aviva Silverman, who’s an amazing artist. We did it in their studio. We brought such different things to the table. They brought in a performer, and we integrated some of their sculptural materials into the menu. We have different strengths, and our collaborative energy was amazing. I’m so grateful for everything they contributed. I don’t want my work to all be about me. I’m not looking to be in the spotlight.”

“How important is it to you that the food at events like these actually gets eaten?” I asked.

“It’s very important! They laughed. “I’ve worked a lot of events where the food feels too precious to eat. I want people to get their hands dirty.”

“On that note,” I said. “Do you think it’s possible for sustainability to be front and center in the pop-up style of dining?”

“Of course!” They said. “It’s important to always think about it. An old coworker of mine recently started a new pop-up; the concept is no-waste fine dining. Finding ways to use excess materials is important. Donate what you aren’t using!”

“Where do you see your career going from here?” I asked.

“I really like working freelance,” they said. “I really like working with pop-ups. For me, it feels like I’ve hacked the industry a bit. I don’t want to go through the process of working in a more traditional restaurant context. My experiences in restaurants haven’t been amazing, but my experiences in pop-ups and with private chefs have been wonderful. I’ve been able to work with great people, and have learned so much from them. I’ve been doing a pop up series with my friend, Tian, called Earth Star Kitchen. We’ve been putting a lot of energy into it. We have been planning one at Medora, which is a fantastic wine bar that hosts pop-up series. I’m more of a ‘job sprinter’ than a ‘job runner.’ I’d much rather work three days straight and then be done with a project, than work long term at one place at a more moderate pace.”

“Also, the problem for artisans and creatives working in these kinds of ultra-chic modes, is that they have to deal with rich people,” I said. “It seems like your clientele are mostly pulled from your community.”

“I hope so, that’s ideal,” they said. “But, if you have to work for ‘stupid rich people,’ hey, they’ll pay you. I think it’s fine to sell out a bit.”

“Amen!” I said, as we both started laughing. “It’s the pop-up era in New York right now, and everyone excited about it should get their coin!”

“It IS the pop-up era in New York right now!” They said, flashing an excited smile. “There are so many people looking to collaborate. My favorite cooks are ones who are always playing with their food and experimenting. There are so many opportunities for me to grow and expand my ideas. I want to earn my space in this climate. I want to earn the trust of this community.”

“It IS the pop-up era in New York right now!”