Is pudding more important than politics? As war rages and natural disasters escalate, people are turning to comforting cake and chocolate. Some worry we are burying our heads in the soufflé.
Sweet treats roar back in grim world
Old banger: The British Christmas pudding descends from pottage, a kind of broth that included raisins, dried fruit, spices, wine, breadcrumbs and meat. Glossary
Gateau - A rich cake containing layers of cream or fruit.
Baked Alaska - A cake topped with ice cream and caramelized meringue.
Uptick - An increase or rise.
Solace - Comfort in times of sadness or worry.
Physiological - Relating to the way in which the body functions.
Victorian - The era when Queen Victoria was on the British throne, from 1837 to 1901.
Marcel Proust - A French novelist who lived from 1871 to 1922.
Madeleine - A small, sweet butter cake.
Culinary - Connected with cooking or kitchens.
Bayou - A flat, wet area of land near the coast in the southern US.
Sadya - A traditional Kerala meal served on a banana leaf.
Kerala - A state in southern India.
Kaffee - Coffee in German.
Kuchen - German for cake.
Baklava - A rich Greek and Middle Eastern dessert made of thin, flaky layers of pastry filled with chopped nuts, butter, and cinnamon and soaked in a honey or sugar syrup.
Lokum - A fragrant jelly candy recipe native to Turkey, otherwise known as Turkish Delight.
Ravaged - Severely damaged; devastated.