Seven months ago, food played a different role in my life than it does now. I used to see food as a way to relieve stress, to reward myself for a job done, or to compensate myself for a bad day.  Chips were an appropriate side dish for any trouble. Cookies were an almost universal cure. The ultimate weapon against depression was a chocolate milkshake. In a damp, drizzly November of the soul, Melville's Ishmael took to sea. I took to the supermarket, or McDonald's. My destination was less … [Read more...]