Reading time: Less than 1 minute
I like to share interesting pieces of figurative language I encounter in my reading. I write today about a metaphor from Calvin Trillen…
I can no longer remember the first time I tasted fresh mozzarella but I think I was about 25. It was a life-changing moment. The freshness! The smoothness! The softness. It as a different from regular packaged (aged) mozzarella as grapes are from raisins.
Thus, I read with more than usual interest, Calvin Trillin’s Dec. 2/13 New Yorker piece headlined Mozzarrella Story. It was Trillen’s reflection on the closesure of his “go to” New York City store for handmade fresh mozzarella. As a bit of a foodie myself, I feel his pain. When you find a good supplier for a food you eat regularly —particularly a speciality food like fresh mozzarella — you don’t want that store to close.
Being Trillin, he also filled his story with memorable lines. It’s worth reading the whole thing, but here was my favourite metaphor:
It’d kept it out of the fridge —refrigeration is to fresh mozzarella what wooden crosses are to vampires.
Isn’t that a terrific line? Like Trillin, I try to keep my fresh mozzarella (a rare treat in Vancouver) out of the fridge along with my tomatoes. A salad made with fresh tomatoes, each topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf, then sprinkled with salt, good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar is my favourite summertime salad.
