41.   Q. Can food become torture?

42.   Researcher Annie Lawson looked at the passing down of culinary tradition and how food becomes an expression of cultural identity.

43.   She says food became her shield.

44.   Since the only alternative was to buy full loaves of different breads, the extra food often became stale or moldy before it was eaten.

45.   The climate of the Middle East dried out so much that food became scarce, forcing the invention of agriculture, many scientists believe.

46.   The stores are all closed, and food is becoming scarce.

47.   To cool the air within, a refrigerator pulls out moisture from the interior, which is why improperly covered foods quickly become dry.

48.   Troops from California to New York had been served the same fare in mess halls, and that middle-of-the-road food became the norm.

49.   While specialty foods are becoming a presence on the World Wide Web, most of those households will be buying groceries from a few sites like www.peapod.com.

50.   With the affluence, prosperity and jet travel of the era, foreign foods became more familiar and accessible.