gistfile1.rb

def search_food(query)
  base = "http://platform.fatsecret.com/rest/server.api"
  key = "339df5xx11e42b3e7x3x1b21e7d12"
  #added the extra & at the end of the secret
  secret = "215ba9f90c6e4f41b23a149f322d2s7b1&"
  timestamp = Time.now.to_i
  signature_method="HMAC-SHA1"
  nonce = rand(100)
  method = "food.search"

  #normalizing the required parameters
  required_parameters = Addressable::URI.new
  required_parameters.query_values = {:oauth_consumer_key => key, :oauth_nonce => nonce.to_s, :oauth_signature_method => signature_method, :oauth_timestamp => timestamp.to_s, :oauth_version => "1.0"}

  to_encrypt = "POST&#{CGI.escape(base)}&#{CGI::escape(required_parameters.query)}"
        
  oauth_signature = Base64.encode64(HMAC::SHA1.digest(to_encrypt, secret)).strip
  final_url = base + "?method=" + method + "&oauth_signature=" + CGI.escape(oauth_signature) + "&" + required_parameters.query + "&search_expression=" + query.to_s

  url = open(final_url).read
end