Food many, alas, returned (5)
I believe the answer is:
salad
'food' is the definition.
(salad is a kind of food)
'many alas returned' is the wordplay.
'many' becomes 'd' (**).
'returned' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'd'+'alas'='dalas'
'dalas' backwards is 'SALAD'.
(Other definitions for salad that I've seen before include "Curve" , "Cold dish of various vegetables," , "vegetarian dish" , "healthy food" , "rabbit food" .)