Food and drink

An amuse-bouche is similar to though not entirely the same as an hors d'oeuvre. In french, literally translated to "mouth pleaser" [for bouche = mouth; amuser = to amuse, to please], this is a tiny bite-sized morsel served before the first course at formal dinner parties or restaurants. These tasty tidbits, often accompanied by a proper complementing wine, are served as an excitement of taste buds to both prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef's approach to cooking. Amuse bouche"

The appetite is the desire to eat food, felt as hunger. Appetite exists in all higher lifeforms, and serves to regulate adequate energy intake to maintain metabolic needs. It is regulated by a close interplay between the digestive tract, adipose tissue and the brain. Decreased desire to eat is termed anorexia, while polyphagia (or "hyperphagia") is increased eating. Dysregulation of appetite contributes to anorexia nervosa and cachexia on one side, and obesity on the other side of the spectrum. Appetite"

An ark of taste is a movement originally defined in eco-gastronomy, to protect "gastronomic products threatened by industrial standardization, hyperhygienist legislation, the rules of the large-scale retail trade and the deterioration of the environment," according to the Slow Food movement. Originally begun in Northern Italy, the program has regional offices in Germany, France, Switzerland and the United States. Ark of taste"

The term comfort food refers to any food or drink to which one habitually turns for temporary respite, security, or special reward. The reasons that something becomes a comfort food are diverse but include the food's familiarity, simplicity, and/or pleasant associations. Small children often seem to latch on to a specific food or drink (in a way similar to a security blanket) and will repeatedly request it in high stress situations. But adults are certainly not exempt. Comfort food"

Convenience foods or tertiary processed foods are foods which are designed to save consumers time in the kitchen, reduce costs due to spoilage, and reduce costs using economies of scale. These foods require minimum preparation, typically just heating, and are packaged for a long shelf life with little loss of flavor and nutrients over time. They were developed specifically to preserve the oversupply of agricultural products available at the time of harvest in order to stabilize the food markets in developed countries. Convenience food"

In general terms, eating (formally, ingestion) is the process of consuming something edible, i.e. food, for the purpose of providing for the nutritional needs of an animal, particularly their energy requirements. All animals must eat other organisms in order to survive: carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, and omnivores consume a mixture of both. Eating"

eGullet is a food discussion community that was formed in August of by Jason Perlow, a computer industry freelance writer and Steven Shaw, a New York attorney turned food critic. EGullet"

:In North American English, an entrée is the main course, following now-obsolete French usage. See main course. Entrée"

Food is any substance that can be consumed, including liquid drinks. Food is the main source of energy and of nutrition for animals, and is usually of animal or plant origin. Food"

Food security is a term used in development and humanitarian aid. It does not have one agreed definition; but is often used broadly to mean a situation in which people do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. World-wide around 852 million men, women and children are chronically hungry due to extreme poverty; while up to 2 billion people lack food security intermittently due to varying degrees of poverty. (source: FAO, 1998). Food security"

Food storage is both a traditional domestic skill and is important industrially. Food is stored by almost every human society and by many animals. Storing of food has several main purposes: Food storage"

A list of some prominent writers on food, cooking, dining, and cultural history related to food. Food writing"

Gastronomy is the study of relationship between culture and food. It is often thought erroneously that the term gastronomy refers exclusively to the art of cooking (see Culinary Arts), but this is only a small part of this discipline: it cannot always be said that a cook is also a gourmet. Gastronomy studies various cultural components with food as central axis. Thus it is related to the Fine Arts and Social Sciences, and even to the Natural Sciences in terms of the nutritional system of the human body. Gastronomy"

A gourmet is a person with a discriminating palate and who is knowledgeable in fine food and drink. The word is a corruption of the French word groumet, a valet in charge of the wines. It is often used as an adjective for meals of especially high quality, whose makers or preparers have used especial effort or art in presentation or cooking the meal, or for facilities equipped for preparing such meals, such as a restaurant. Gourmet"

Hors d'œuvre(s), pronounced "or-derve", also known as appetizer(s), refer to the food served before or outside of ( French: hors d) the main dishes of a meal (the œuvre). The purpose of the hors d'œuvre is to whet the appetite; if there is a long waiting period between when the guests arrive and when the meal is served (for example, during a cocktail hour), these might also serve the purpose of sustaining guests during the long wait. Hors d'œuvre"

Hunger is applied literally to the need or craving for food; it can also be applied metaphorically to cravings of other sorts. It is an extreme of a normal appetite. Hunger"

Larousse Gastronomique is a classic encyclopedia of gastronomy. Larousse Gastronomique"

List of domesticated organisms from other kingdoms ( Fungi, Protista, and Monera) List of domesticated fungi and microorganisms"

Local food (also regional food) is a principle of sustainability relying on consumption of food products that are locally grown. It is part of the concept of local purchasing, a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. Local food"

A main course is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses (a full course dinner can consist of ten or even twelve courses). The main course can also be called the entrée; however, in some menus the main course follows the entrée, or entry, course, and the salad course. It is sometimes called the meat course. Main course"

(Provisioning (cruise ship)) Cruise ships consume vast amounts of food every day, the following is a list of supplies provisioned onboard the Celebrity cruise ship Constellation for a average 7 day cruise. Provisioning (cruise ship)"

The provisioning of the RMS Titanic was well stocked for its week long transatlantic maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912. Provisioning (RMS Titanic)"

(Provisioning (USS Constitution)) Ordered on a cruise intended to last at least six months, the USS Constitution sailed on 30 December, 1813, with 485 men provisioned as follows : Provisioning (USS Constitution)"

A salad bar is a buffet-style table on which the components of a salad are placed. These often include lettuce, tomatoes, bacon bits, assorted raw vegetables, croutons, and various types of salad dressing. Customers assemble salads with whatever components they wish. Salad bar"