Food in A Temporary Matter

The presence of food in "A Temporary Matter" was one of my class questions for that reading. After reading through it again, I think that a certain element that food serves is connection. It can be really REALLY good, or a disaster. I think that this is true for many things(work, sex, a marriage). The idea of eating is also very sensual. It involves taste, touch, sight, smell. You can even almost hear the food cooking in this story. It is such a strange juxtaposition of wonderful sounding food paired with a failing marriage and the death of their child. Food continues to even appear in their memories. When Shukumar is going through drawers. He finds candles and is reminded of his wife's birthday when she was five month's birthday. He remembers, "she made vanilla cream cake with custard and spun sugar. All night she kept Shukumar's long fingers linked with hers as the walked among the guests at the party" (Lahiri 9).  These candles are re-lit when the power goes out and are used to illuminate their meal. I think that this is very significant. Maybe food represents nourishment in all forms. I suppose it could also represent sickness as well. Does the relighting of candles stand for Shukumar's attempt to rekindle the marriage, his wife's or neither?