老美們的日常食譜

 

    If you think American cooking means opening a package and tossing the contents into the microwave, think again. On the one hand, it's true that Americans thrive on cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant dinners. From busy homemakers to professional people, many Americans enjoy the convenience of prepackaged meals that can be ready to serve in 10 minutes or less. On the other hand, many Americans recognize the value of cooking skills. Parents-especially mothers-see the importance of training their children-especially daughters-in the culinary arts. Most Americans will admit that there's nothing better than a good home-cooked meal. But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don't happen by accident.

　　假如您以為美式烹飪就是打開一個料理盒而將里頭的東西拋進微波爐加熱，那你得改變想法了。從某一方面來說，美國人以早餐的冷麥片，午餐的三明治及快餐晚餐而發(fā)育健壯，這倒是真的。從忙碌的家庭主婦到上班族，許多美國人喜歡享受事先包裝好的便餐所帶來的方便，這些速餐在不到10分鐘內(nèi)就可上桌。從另一個角度來看，許多美國人都認同廚藝的價值。父母親--特別是媽媽看到訓練孩子，尤其是女兒，烹飪藝術的重要性。大多數(shù)的美國人都承認沒有什么比得上一頓自家做的餐點。而談到烹飪，一如其它的技巧，好的成果并非偶然天成的。

　　Probably every cook has his or her own cooking style. But there are some basic techniques and principles that most people follow. For example, baking is a primary method of preparing food in America. The dinner menu often has casseroles, roast meats and other baked goods. For that reason, Americans would find it next to impossible to live without an oven. American cooks give special attention to the balance of foods, too. In planning a big meal they try to include a meat, a few vegetables, some bread or pasta and often a dessert. They also like to make sure the meal is colorful. Having several different colors of food on the plate usually makes for a healthy meal.

　　大概每一位廚師都有他自己的烹飪方式。但仍有一些基本方法和原則是大多數(shù)的人遵行的。例如，烘培在美國是烹飪的一種主要方法，晚餐菜單上通常有“焗烤菜”，烤肉及其它的烘培食物。因此，美國人會覺得沒有烤箱幾乎是無法過活。美國廚師們也特別留意食物的均衡。在計劃一頓大餐時，他們會試著加入肉，幾樣蔬菜，一些面包或面食，而且通常有甜點。他們也喜歡使餐點色彩亮麗。若盤中有不同色彩的食物，通常令人覺得是健康的一餐。