In Thanks for the Apple

Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.

Song of Solomon 2:5 (New International Version)

Is it only among the peoples of the north that the sight of a red apple brings warmth to the heart, and the aroma of apples and cinnamon baking in the kitchen embodies the comfort of home and family? A little research shows that this ancient symbol of love is being baked in modern Greek and Italian homes too, so it would appear that the phenomenon of apple pleasure is not confined above latitude 42 (the homeland's southernmost point). Certainly, there is nothing simpler than an apple sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and set in a warm oven for half an hour, and there is nothing more comforting, soothing, or restoring. This is my paean of love.