Born by Night Yet Ready for Dessert

A timeless memory of a Cuban children’s nursery rhyme and my grandmother’s signature bread pudding recipe

Photo by author of grandmother’s signature bread pudding

“Esa niña linda (This pretty girl)
que nació de día (who was born by day)
quiere que la lleve (wants to be taken)
a la dulceria (to the bakery)

Esa niña linda (This pretty girl)
que nació de noche (Who was born by night)
quiere que la lleve (wants to be taken)
a pasar en coche (on a stroller ride)”

“Abuela, Yo naci de dia o de noche? I’d ask my Abuela whether I was born by day or night?

“De noche, mi nina linda. (By night my pretty girl),” she’d always reply.

“Hay abuela, porque yo tenía que nacer de noche? A mi me gusta ir la duleria mucho mas que pasear en coche. El callejero es Tati. (Oh Grandmother, Why did I have to be born by night? I like the bakery far more than a stroller ride,” I’d always reply and then remind her that the street kid is my brother.

She’d laugh each time because she knew it was true. I loved to eat sweets.

This is just one of many Cuban spanish nursery rhymes she’d sing to me; one of few that I still remember. If only I had recorded her singing these songs to my children prior to her sudden, unexpected passing 15 years ago. I was…