A Cheesy Experience

Yesterday, when I was at the cheese section in the grocery store, a man I didn't know (not a store employee) handed me a chunk of applewood-smoked cheddar, sprinkled with paprika and told me it was great.

"If you buy this cheese, you'll remember me," he said.

My face must have had the Oh-No-Another-Grocery-Store-Crazy look because he said, "I'd better stop talking to you before my wife gets back." I edged away from him, the cheese still in my hand.

When I got to the checkout lane, the checker said, "You must really like cheese."

I explained how a person I didn't know recommended the applewood cheese. "I wanted to try some new cheeses because the family of a close friend started a magazine just about cheese," I said.

The look on his face was Oh-No-Another-Grocery-Store-Crazy, so I went on to explain it was an upscale magazine like Bon Appétit or Gourmet. This seemed to reassure him because he told me a story about a friend who, when visiting France, was served cheese with maggots in it. The maggots were supposed to be there as they were part of the delicacy.

When I told my husband about the maggots, he said, "Chimps eat maggots and are glad to get them."

I haven't tried my applewood cheese yet, but I'm sure it has no maggots.

Waving from the evolutionary tree ...