Meet Mindamora Rocha | Baker & Theatre Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mindamora Rocha and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mindamora, what makes you happy? Why?
In 2020, it’s being able to create treats that brings a small moment of joy into the day-to-day craziness we find ourselves in.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a theatre artist who’s performed, taught, and directed in DFW and I’ve been blessed with the learning the magic of baking in recent years. In the midst of trying to afford a living as an artist, I have been able to become a baker as well. Quarantine limited where all of my creative & anxious energy could escape. I was so disheartened by the time protests started, I couldn’t will myself to write or sing or dance or create. I found myself in major need of comfort food & nostalgia so I started researching and veganizing Filipino treats my grandma made. I became so enthralled with learning & creating new combinations of Filipino flavors and American food from my childhood that I just wanted to share with people. I wanted a connection through food really, so I decided to start my vegan & Filipino-inspired pop-up bakery, Merienda Monster. Starting a small business during 2020 isn’t easy and can be scary, but what I’ve found is if I make a menu of treats I really love and am excited about, people see that and are also excited to support my business. I’m lucky enough to support organizations I care about through every treat ordered and that has given me even more motivation to continue the small business journey. I’d like the world to know that Merienda Monster is an example that food can be an offering of love and a statement of unity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Food is my love language so we’d be eating good! We’d definitely eat at my fave vegan spots: Nuno’s Taco, Best Thai, Vegan Food House, and D’Vegan. We’d have to grab Vanilla Oat Milk Iced Coffee at Peaberry Coffee and lounge on the lawn of Union Coffee to sip on Matcha Mint Oatmilk Latte to hang out and chat about life. I love pop-up markets and being to support my fellow creatives. I also love the Dallas Arboretum and just any park I can take a stroll and decompress at. I admire all the DFW theatres who are safely creating digital shows and enjoy when I’m able to stream their productions like from the Danielle Georgiou Dance Company and Theatre Three.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I absolutely have to shoutout my dear friend, Amaris Riddle, of My Riddle Kitchen & Pastry Chef of SugarFang Vegan Bakery, for encouraging my creativity and confidence as a baker and making space for me to learn and grow in the kitchen in such a nurturing environment. I am very grateful for the love I had at SugarFang.

Instagram: @meriendamonster
Facebook: @meriendamonster

Image Credits
Photo by: Mindamora Rocha Mural by: SM Sanz