Everyone’s had the experience of savouring a bite of food and being transported to a different time or place. Something in the taste or texture of the food triggers a memory, say from childhood or when you first fell in love.
But the taste can just as easily trigger some revelation in the present. A sunset can be transformed into something more sublime than it has otherwise been.… Continue reading
Some time ago, I reflected on an essay by the American writer Henry Miller. The piece was called “The Staff of Life,” a rousing screed about the state of bread in the U.S.… Continue reading
I was surprised to see a television commercial, recently, for Wonder Bread, the factory produced bread-like product made of pure white flour (along with multiple nutritional supplements and chemical preservatives) and one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Wonder Bread has a place in North American culture.… Continue reading
Years ago, when I couldn’t sleep, long after midnight, I’d drive into the big city. It was strangely peaceful, alone in the car, a talk radio station playing quietly, the long road stretching out before me. I found it soothing and a welcome break from tossing and turning in bed.
Well, I admit there was also a little loneliness and sadness at the root of it.… Continue reading
Somewhere, there’s a picture of Anne, my first wife and mother of my two kids. She’s kneeling next to a large basket of sesame-encrusted ring breads. I took the picture in Athens in 1980, our first trip abroad together.… Continue reading