Merienda: A Light Meal for Afternoon (Spanish)
On the most wonderful time of the day and happiest moment’s smell
Etymology: merendar (to snack)
Just as afternoon tea with a jam scone was an essential and quite ordinary detail of life for the Queen of England, an afternoon snack with at least a slice of cake and a glass of milk was one of the greatest longings of my childhood. So, while I can easily refuse practically any meal, I can never refuse an invitation that includes cake or cookies.
It’s not that I grew up in poverty, on the contrary, I was financially comfortable, but what was lacking was a mother who usually had time to make cakes or cookies at home. My siblings and I had a mother who worked day and night to give us a good future, so maybe I owe her everything I have today. But my then-child’s heart wanted cake, one of the few things my mother didn’t used to make. My mother was never a good cake baker at any point in her life. Even when she had the time, her cakes came out of the oven as a different food but not a cake, a little thicker than pudding.
The irony is that one of the things I cook best now is cake. If we’re having a get-together with family or friends and everyone’s bringing something, I usually bring a cake. Because I make them often.
