FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Food is any substance or material eaten to provide nutritional support - fuel - for the body, or, especially in mammals, for pleasure. Food is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, Food is ingested and assimilated by an organism and converted to energy in order to maintain life. A beverage is always a food, though a food is not necessarily a beverage. A beverage can be generally described as any liquid specifically consumed by drinking, whether as food or solely for purposes of hydration. In addition to fulfilling the need for nutrition, food and beverages form an essential part of the culture of humans and other communal animals; humans notably consume food, and beverages - tea, coffee and alcohol are common examples - as part of festive and other social occasions. Many routine social activities rely on the mutual consumption of food and many social routines where food is not consumed feature other activities in some way symbolizing the intake or sharing of food.

The top foodie websites:

1.Ruby violet

This artisan ice-cream parlour in North London’s Tufnell Park is at the forefront of the trend for properly made ice cream and wonderfully inventive flavours.

2.Hella Bitters

The two flavours are Citrus and Aromatic, and the recipes on the website show how to use them in cocktails such as Peat’s Old Fashioned and the gin-based Southside, as well as as a marinade for roast chicken and crispy bacon.

3.Field&Flower

Great quality meat from Somerset, including home-reared 28-day hung beef as well as local lamb, pork and chicken around the UK

4.Maltby Street Market

The capital is crammed with food markets these days, but Maltby Street, a cheeky breakaway from the overexposed Borough, is well worth a visit.

5.The Grenada Chocolate Company

A small — but significant — cooperative with strong ideals. It produces award-winning dark chocolate in a small factory in Grenada

Indian cuisine recepies:

Indian butter chicken

Indian butter chicken is slightly sweet and sour. Restaurant style Indian butter chicken has tomato and cashewnut based gravy garnished with butter and cream.

Serves : 2 Cooking time : 50 mins Ingredients:

300 gms Chicken breast boneless Marinate: 1 -2 tsp hung thick curd 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp tandoori masala 1/4 tsp tandoori color Curry 2 tblsp Butter 2 tsp garlic paste 1 green chilly sliced 1/2 tsp Cumin powder 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder 1 tsp Salt 6 or 1/2 kg Tomato 10 Cashewnuts 1 Big tblsp Tomato Ketchup 1/2 tsp Sugar 1/4 cup Water 1/2 cup milk 2 tblsp Cream 1/4 tsp garam masala 1 tsp fenugreek crushed Finely chopped coriander leaves

How to make authentic butter chicken :

• In a bowl take all the ingredients under the marinate head and the chicken pieces.The chicken pieces should be 1" inch in size. Mix well and keep aside for atleast 2 - 3 hrs

• Blanch, peel and puree the tomatoes. Keep aside.

• Soak the cashewnuts for 2 - 3 hrs in hot water and then strain and grind the cashewnuts into a fine paste.

• For the curry heat the pan and add butter and immediately add the garlic paste.

• Now add the sliced green chilly. Also add cumin powder, red chilly powder and salt. Add 1 tblsp water and mix well.

• Add the tomato puree and cook till the gravy leaves the side.

• Lower the flame and add the cashewnut paste and stir constantly.

• Now add the tomato ketchup, sugar and 1/4 cup water.

• Meanwhile in a separate pan shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces for 4 - 5 minutes. If overcooked then the chicken will get hard and stiff. Keep aside.

• Once the gravy comes to a boil add the chicken pieces. And cook for a minute.

• Now lower the flame add the milk and stir well. Cook for another minute and then add the cream. Mix well

• Now add the garam masala and crushed fenugreek leaves. Mix well.

• Transfer the chicken to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves, crushed fenugreek leaves and swirls of cream.

• Restaurant style Indian butter chicken is ready to be served with naan or tandoori roti. Authentic butter chicken is a very high calorie dish yet very very tasty. So dig in

• Note: 1. Milk should be at room temperature before adding to the gravy. 2. Add milk and cream at low flame only. 3. Add the garam masala only at the end.

Here are some of the gift ideas for foodie:

1. Cupcaking kit

Get them the wholesome cupcake kit to bake

2. Stollen

You can bake all day or just bring them this: a to-die-for stollen, studded with rum raisins, wrapped with love.

3. Fancy Bar Potions

Cocktail artists can add vodka, rye, whiskey, or gin for top-shelf sips.

4. Pasta Trio

Surprising ingredients, like rye and saffron, elevate these Brooklyn-made savories.

5. Ancho Reyes

Encourage them to spice up their after-work drink or substitute the triple sec in a margarita with this liqueur’s smoky chili kick. It’ll warm them right up.

6. Acacia Wood Tea Box

Give the gift of organization. Fill this acacia wood box with assorted tea bags for the recipient to thumb through and find their favorite flavor.

7. Variety Terrapins

These decadent chocolate-and-caramel treats are topped with toasted nuts and offer the perfect one-two-punch toward reaching dessert bliss.

8. Criollo Assortment

As delicious as they are attractive, this assortment of exotic dark chocolate bars can be split up and dispersed within stockings or gifted entirely to your sweetest cocoa connoisseur. 9. Hot Cakes Trio

This trio of peanut butter bites, spiced hazelnuts, and chocolate-covered espresso beans will offer a satisfying pick-me-up alongside their afternoon joe

!!!Three cheers for all the foodies !!!

Keywords:Indian cuisine recipes,foodie websites,gift for foodies,food and beverages.