Sazonando la Mente // Seasoning the Mind

A little bit past Canal St in the Lower East Side sits El Sazón at 83 Baxter Street, a snug Dominican restaurant adorned with buntings of the Dominican Republic’s flag around the entrance. As soon as we entered the hole-in-the-wall eatery, we were greeted by the subtle rhythmic beat of background music and the welcoming smell of the food from the kitchen. Having seen this restaurant being raved about in a few videos before, we decided to check it out, marking the debut of our passion project. 

Upon entering, we deliberated on the menu for about five minutes before ordering a plate of mofongo with cheese (mofongo de queso frito, $13.00) and rice with pork (arroz con pernil, $11.95), which was part of an all-day special. Mofongo is a popular Dominican dish, composed of mashed plantains, fresh garlic, house seasoning, and optional toppings—the dish that we ordered was accompanied by fried cheese morsels. In a previous class field trip to El Malecón, another Dominican restaurant in Washington Heights, Grace had tried mofongo with chicken (mofongo con pollo). In comparison, she said that her experience this time was a lot better, with the mofongo being less dry and the sauce having more flavor. 

We also ordered a cup of morir soñando ($5.00), which actually translates to “to die dreaming,” a classic Dominican iced beverage mainly made with orange juice and milk. The drink lived up to the name, resembling that of an American creamsicle. It was exactly what we needed–a refreshing and creamy (but also light!) drink.

Mofongo de queso frito

Arroz con pernil y morir soñando

After having enjoyed a filling meal, we headed towards the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. We took the N train from the Canal Street station to the 57th Street-7th Avenue station and walked approximately ten minutes towards the MoMA. Following a brief excursion to a picturesque public seating area, we arrived at the MoMA and headed straight towards the third floor to check out the Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980 exhibit.

Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980 exhibit

The exhibition aimed to show the development of architectural design throughout Latin America, given the fairly new introduction of modernism and the prevailing existence of local craft traditions. There, we were met with a spacious room with pieces of furniture, intricate tapestries, and other media. From animal hide to wool, the pieces varied in material and color, adding to an overall diverse atmosphere that seemed to transcend time periods and design trends. 

One of our favorite works was Roberto Matta’s Malitte Lounge Furniture (1966), an arrangement of four grass green and one bright yellow piece of furniture, unified to form a 63-inch tall square. When deconstructed, Matta’s work becomes a two-seater sofa, three seats, and one footrest. We were attracted to this piece due to its large size, geometric design, and vibrant colors. Grace notes that she would like to have a highly functional and aesthetic piece in her house one day. 

Roberto Matta’s Malitte Lounge Furniture (1966)

We indulged ourselves in the music playing outdoors, a smooth mix of techno-music and spontaneous trumpeting, before returning back to the air-conditioned indoors. We sat in front of a large screen, spanning about two floors, and watched the seemingly incomprehensible objects and animations play before our eyes. Spending ten minutes, we verbalized what we saw, taking turns guessing what Leslie Thornton’s HANDMADE (2023) depicted; one of our predictions came close, where the animation at the top was the art created by the contraption that was being displayed at the bottom. However, despite the subtle similarities of this predicted dichotomy, the exhibition’s explanation of the piece remained partly incomprehensible due to its complexity surrounding physics and natural phenomena.

Leslie Thornton’s HANDMADE (2023)

We exited the MoMA building still confused about what we had absorbed, and headed down the still-bustling 57th Street with our minds and bellies still enriched.