In times of stress and pain, it’s natural to look for comfort. And many Americans have looked to restaurants to serve up their favorite comfort foods over the past week. “Cooking is therapy, but I didn’t cook all of last week,” writes Seattle Post-Intelligencer food writer Hsiao-Ching Chou. “I went out to eat so I could be around people, not necessarily to talk to them, but so I wouldn’t be alone. I was looking for comfort in food and in dining out.”
Scientists may quibble about whether foods really have a psychological impact. But even self-deputized food cop Dr. Kelly Brownell, chief proponent of the “Twinkie tax,” told The New York Times, “It may not be biology. It may just be that they taste good.”
