Mozzarella

There is a small plastic package of fresh mozzarella in my cheese drawer, and I can't stop thinking about it.

Apart from its easy smooth-melting qualities and light salty taste, Mozzarella is mostly a non-descript dairy product. It has almost no independent flavor, yet it complements many other foods with natural affiliation.

Basil, for instance, marries well with it. So do tomatoes. Garlic. Salami.

Which is, of course why it is the official cheese of pizza.

When wed to these other decidedly-Italian flavors, it wraps around them with hot elastic love, and binds them all together.

Also in my fridge, is some thin-sliced salty prosciutto. And, I am still a little hungry. I foresee a small glass of wine in my immediate future, with a few slices of cured meat, White cheese and maybe an apple.

Yep. That's it. Time for a snack.