老外厨房

I managed to find a simple Japanese dish that tastes great for my first attempt at cooking Japanese food. I can’t take all the credit though, I was given a similar recipe by World Foodie Guide and adapted it slightly for my own taste.

我第一次做日本菜，我试着做了一道又简单又好吃的菜，当然这并不都归功与我，因为我从“世界食物指南”上找到的菜谱然后又根据自己的口味重新做了一些小小的改动，仅此而已。

As this is not a dish that I’ve ever had a Japanese restaurant, I wasn’t sure how it was supposed to taste. But reading the few ingredients and cooking method reassured me that I’d enjoy eating it. After trying it, I can say with confidence that it’s a great meal. However, it does require at least one vegetable as a side dish. I think it’s best to use this as an appetizer or side dish as it is a lot of meat.

因为这道菜是我以前从未在在日本餐厅吃过的，所以我并不知道它具体的口味做好之后是怎样的。但是在我看过需要的食材和做法之后，我知道自己一定会喜欢吃的。试做了一次后，我可以很确定的说，这真的是一道很好吃的菜。但是如果做这道菜的话，我认为需要再配一道素菜，搭配着吃。这道菜适合当开胃头盘或者小吃之类，因为有太多的肉了。

The one thing that may be difficult to find in China is mirin. Mirin is a sweet cooking wine that is a little thicker than most rice wines. You may be able to substitute rice wine and brown sugar if mirin isn’t available, but I don’t know how well that will work.

这道菜所需要的一个重要调味品是味霖，但是可能在中国不太容易找到。味霖是日式调味米酒，比大多数的烹饪米酒要稠，（备注：味霖有点甜味，颜色是淡黄的。）手边没味霖时，可用烹饪米酒加点红糖代替，但是我不知道这样的效果如何。

The first time I tried this dish was with chicken. It turned out alright, but it was difficult to slice chicken breast into thin pieces. The second time I tried it with beef, marinating the meat a little longer in the sauce before placing it into the frying pan. I also added a little more mirin than the recipe called for (I had almost equal parts mirin and soy sauce).

我第一次是用鸡肉做的，做出来效果还不错，只是很难把鸡胸肉切成很薄的片儿。第二次，我试着用牛肉, 我把准备好的牛肉在煎之前，放在酱汁里多腌了一会儿。而且，我还多放了一些味霖，比菜谱当初要求的量要多一些。（我做的时候酱油和味霖放的比例是差不多的）

Because I like the flavor of this sauce, I’m trying to use it in other ways. The next cooking experiment will be with fish.

因为我很喜欢这个酱汁的味道，所以我又进行了新的尝试。下一次我打算用这个酱汁来做鱼。

Ingredients: 原料：

1/2 lb. beef, sliced thin
半磅牛肉，切成薄片
1 tablespoon mirin
1茶勺 味霖
2 tablespoons soy sauce
两勺酱油（生抽）
1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
半茶勺 姜茸

1. In a bowl, mix the mirin, soy sauce and grated ginger. It’s okay to use more ginger if you want (I like the taste and tend to add more).
1，准备一个碗，把味霖，酱油和姜茸混合。姜的用量可以根据个人喜好多加一些。（我比较喜欢姜，所以打算多加一些）

2. Trim all excess fat from the beef. Slice the beef as thin as possible. The better the cut of beef, the better this dish will taste.
2，将牛肉上多余的脂肪去掉，然后将牛肉尽可能的切薄。切的越薄，做出来的味道会越好。

3. Dip the beef in the sauce. You’ll have to experiment as to how long the beef should sit in the sauce. For a lighter flavor, just dip in the beef in briefly. For a stronger flavor like I had, let the beef sit for 30 seconds or more. Since the slices are thin, it won’t take long for the flavor to be absorbed by the beef.
3，将切好的牛肉片放入之前准备好的酱汁中。那腌制时间以多久为宜呢？这个看个人口味，喜欢口味淡一点的人，就把牛肉片在酱汁中蘸一下，就可以捞出。但是如果想要味道稍微重一些的呢，就把牛肉片在酱汁中多腌一会儿，大概30秒或者更久。因为牛肉切的很薄，所以不需要花很久入味。

4. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan and transfer the beef to the pan. Try to lay each piece flat so it cooks evenly. It doesn’t have to cook long, a minute on each side should be enough (it depends on how thin you sliced it). Each side should be slightly browned.
4，将油在准备好的大的不粘锅进行加热，然后把牛肉放入煎锅中，试着把牛肉片放平整，这样煎的话，才可以受热均匀。煎的时间也不要太长，每一面大概一分钟左右（这个取决于牛肉片的厚度）。总之牛肉的每一面要煎成浅褐色。

I love holidays because they include food. And every holiday has something special. This week is Hanukkah, which is the Jewish festival of lights when we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians and the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem.

我很喜欢过节，因为过节的时候有很多珍馐佳肴，而且每个节日都有自己比较特色的菜式。这一周是光明节。光明节是犹太民族比较重要的一个节日，是为了庆祝

Part of the tradition of Hanukkah is eating a lot of fried food. Unfortunately, too much fried food is unhealthy, so I try not to have a lot of it. Growing up, my mother felt the same way about fried food, so most of the traditionally fried foods in our house were actually baked with a little oil to make them crispy.

光明节的一个传统就是吃很多油炸的食品。可是很多油炸食品都不太健康，所以我通常不会吃很多。我长大后，我的妈妈也觉得油炸食物不健康，所以在我家大部分的传统油炸食物一般都是用一点油放在烤箱里烤，把它们烤的酥脆。

One of the most popular Hanukkah snacks is potato latkes (pancakes). There are quite a few ways of making latkes, including some that don’t use potatoes. Many people just buy frozen hash browns because they’re very similar. I’ve tried making latkes a few times, but I almost always forgot an ingredient and messed them up. I’ve also tried making them in a wok, which doesn’t work so well because it’s not a non-stick surface.

光明节中最受欢迎的小吃是土豆煎饼。做土豆煎饼的方法很多，甚至有的都不用土豆。很多人为了省事，都直接买冷冻的薯饼，因为它和土豆煎饼非常的相似。我曾经尝试做过几次土豆煎饼，但是我每次总是会忘记一样材料，所以最后总是以失败告终。我也曾尝试过在炒菜的锅里做土豆煎饼，但是做出来也不好，因为我用的炒菜的锅不是不粘锅。

This time I wrote down everything I need to make the perfect latkes.

这次我把需要做土豆煎饼的所有材料全部写下来，这样的话就可以不再忘东忘西，做一个可口的土豆饼。

Ingredients 食材：

3 potatoes   三个土豆
1 egg  一个鸡蛋
1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4杯 切碎的洋葱
salt  盐
oil (olive or any other cooking oil) 油（橄榄油或者其它食用油）

1. Peal the potatoes and grate them. Add the onion to the potatoes and squeeze out as much water from the grated potatoes and onion as possible. The more water you squeeze out, the better the latkes will stay together.

1. 将土豆去皮然后压碎。把洋葱碎加入到土豆中，混合之后开始使劲的挤，将洋葱和土豆混合后多余水分挤干净。

2. Beat the egg. Add the potatoes and onion to the egg. Add some salt and mix.

2.鸡蛋打散，将前面准备好的土豆和洋葱倒入到鸡蛋液里，再加一些盐然后拌匀。

3. Make small pancakes out of the mixture–about the size of the palm of your hand and about 1/2 inch thick.

3.把拌匀后的混合食材，捏成饼状—大概为手掌大小，1/2英寸厚。

4. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and place the latkes in the pan four at a time (don’t make too many at once). Let them cook until the bottom is brown (about 5 minutes) and flip them over to allow the other side to brown.

4，在不粘锅中倒油，然后加热，将捏好的土豆饼放在平底煎锅里，一般可以一次放四个（不要一次做太多）。然后当向下的一面煎成褐色的时候（大约五分钟），翻起来煎另外一面，也是煎成褐色。

5. When you remove them from the pan, dry the excess oil with a napkin. You can place them in an oven to keep them warm and crispy.

5.当两面都煎好后，从锅中拿出来放在厨房用的纸巾上，这样可以吸掉一部分多余的油。当你做剩下的土豆饼时，之前做好的土豆饼可以放在烤箱里以保持温度和其酥脆的口感。

6. Most people dip the latkes in applesauce. I like mine with a lot of applesauce.

6 很多人都喜欢拿土豆饼沾苹果酱，我也喜欢吃的时候沾很多苹果酱。

We gave you a picture of a fruit last week and asked you to identify it. Linda Cui correctly identified it as cactus fruit or prickly pear as the sign at the grocery store says.

我已经在上周将“神秘水果”的图片发在了网上让大家辨认。Linda Cui很正确的辨认出了那个图片是“仙人掌果”或称为“刺梨”，在超市买的时候，超市的标签是这样标注的。

This fruit mostly grows in the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico, but is also found in parts of southern Europe and South Africa. The prickly pear cactus can be identified by its flat pads that look like ping pong paddles and large spines. The fruit comes in red and green varieties–the color is because of the different varieties of the same cactus.

这种水果多生长在美国西南部和墨西哥的沙漠里，不过在南欧和南非的一些地方也可以找到。仙人掌很容易从它那大而平的带刺的叶片中辨认出来，它的叶片如果没有刺的话，看起来很像乒乓球的球拍。仙人掌果有红色和绿色两种，颜色的不同是因为仙人掌的不同。

These pears must be peeled very carefully because the spines grow deep into the skin and can cause severe discomfort if eaten. The inside is a little hard and the flavor is bland. It is popular in deserts because the water content of the fruit makes it refreshing. After trying it once, I think I’ll pass on purchasing it again–there are many other fruits that I would rather eat.

仙人掌果必须要小心的削皮，因为它的刺长的很深，而且通常都长在果肉里，所以如果不注意的话，那样吃下去会非常不舒服的。吃起来果肉有一点硬而且口味很平淡。吃过一次之后，我想我不会下次再买了，因为实在不敢恭维，而且世间还有其他那么多其他好吃的水果。

Native Mexicans have used this fruit to make an alcohol called Colonche (I will have to look around the liquor stores to see if they sell this).

墨西哥人会用这种仙人掌果酿一种叫“Colonche”的酒。（我这几天会去卖酒的商店转转看有没有卖。）

My wife’s favorite side dish (since I introduced it to her) is mashed potatoes. I was surprised that she never had anything like it before, especially considering there is a similar dish in China.

我太太最喜欢的一道小菜就是土豆泥（自从我给她介绍了这道菜之后，土豆泥就成了她的最爱）。我当时真的觉得很吃惊，因为她从未吃过类似的东西，特别是中餐中还有类似的菜式。

Mashed potatoes go well with almost any meat dish. It’s especially good with barbecued meat dishes, which is why it’s a popular choice in any barbecue restaurant. It’s also good with spicy dishes as it helps neutralize the spice. In the US, we usually also have a green vegetable to go with this for a more balanced meal. I prefer using red potatoes as I think they taste better and they’re healthier, but any potato will work.

通常在西餐中吃肉菜的时候都会搭配土豆泥。尤其当和烧烤之类的肉类搭配吃最赞，这也是为什么土豆泥会在各式烧烤类的餐厅中成为很受欢迎的菜式之一的原因。当然土豆泥和口味比较辣的菜式搭配着吃也不错，因为这样可以帮助中和辣的口味。在美国，我们有时也通常会做一些素菜来搭配荤菜以平衡膳食。但是我更喜欢用红皮土豆做的土豆泥来配荤菜，因为我觉得这样吃起来更好吃而且也比较健康，不过任何土豆都可以拿来做土豆泥。

To make this well, you will need a potato masher, but it is possible to make mashed potatoes with a large, strong fork (I know this because I never had a potato masher while living in China).

要想将土豆泥做的口感比较好，我们在做的过程中会需要一个压土豆泥器，但是如果买不到的话，可以用一个又大又硬的叉子将土豆捣成泥状。（我在中国住的时候，就从没有用过土豆泥器）

You can add a lot of different herbs and spices to mashed potatoes so that you have variety each time you make it. I particularly like adding a little fresh rosemary for a slightly sweet flavor. My wife likes when I add wasabi paste to the mix.

你可以每次在土豆泥里加不同的调味料和香料，这样的话，你每次都可以吃上不同口味的土豆泥。我很喜欢在土豆泥里加一些新鲜的迷迭香，这样会使土豆泥带一点点甜味。我的太太很喜欢我在土豆泥里加一些芥末酱，这样混合的口味也很好吃。

Ingredients:食材：
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut (cut them smaller if using a fork instead of a potato masher)
4个中型土豆，削皮然后切小块（如果你要用叉子捣土豆泥就要将土豆块切的小一些，这样方便你在土豆煮熟之后捣）

1/4 cup of fresh milk or soy milk
1/4 杯的新鲜牛奶或者是豆奶
2 oz. butter
2 盎司 黄油  （一大勺黄油即可）
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2瓣大蒜，切碎。
salt and pepper to taste

盐和黑胡椒粉（根据个人口味放）
Optional: rosemary, dill, wasabi, or curry powder (don’t combine all of these)

其他可供选择的调味料： 迷迭香，莳萝（又称小茴香），芥末酱，或者咖喱粉（千万不要将这些全部混合在一起，挑自己喜欢的一样放在土豆泥里）

1. Put the potatoes in a pot and cover them with water. Boil until the potatoes are very soft–test them with a fork (if the potato falls apart, it’s ready).

1.将切好的土豆放在锅里，水盖过土豆。开火煮到土豆变的很软，然后用叉子叉一下，看看如果一叉，土豆就碎的话，说明土豆已经煮好了。

2. Drain all the water from the pot.

2，将锅里的水沥干。

3. Keep the stove on very low heat. Add milk, butter and garlic.

3 将火开至最小，往土豆里开始加牛奶，黄油和切好的蒜蓉。

4. Mash until the potatoes are smooth or until there very few small chunks remain.

4.开始捣锅里的土豆，捣到土豆变的很细软，或者是基本没有什么大的土豆块的时候，就好了。

5. Add salt, pepper and any other herbs and spices you’d like.

5.这个时候可以根据个人喜好加盐和胡椒粉还有其他的香料。

Fortunately, I’m married to a wonderful woman who loves to cook, so I can take a break from cooking every now and then. I also like that she enjoys learning to cook new foods.

我觉得自己很幸运，娶了一位喜欢烹饪的太太，所以我可以时不时从厨房中解脱休息一下。我很喜欢我的太太总是不断乐于尝试新的菜式。

On our trip through Thailand we sampled a lot of local food, and the one that we had most often was pad Thai. Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand and can be found everywhere. The dish combines a lot of different flavors that come together in beautiful harmony on the tongue. There are also many varieties of this dish for people who enjoy more meat, seafood, or vegetables. As with a lot of Thai dishes, chili peppers and other spices are added later to suit one’s taste (I like mine extra spicy).

我们去泰国旅游尝试了很多的当地小吃，其中有一种是我们在泰国最常吃的小吃叫“泰式炒面”（有的人也称它为“泰式炒河粉”）。“泰式炒面”是泰国菜中最常见的，几乎泰国的每个地方都可以找的到。这道菜混合了多种不同的味道，在唇齿之间各种味道完美融合。“泰式炒面”有很多种类，所以不管是喜欢食荤的人，还是吃素的人，或者喜欢海鲜的人，都会各得其所。就像很多其它的泰国菜一样，辣椒和其他的一些调味料是在菜做好之后，根据个人口味随意添加的。（我喜欢特别辣的。）

Ingredients: 原材料

Thai or other flat rice noodles泰式或者是其他的类型的米粉

1/2 lb. diced chicken breast, shrimp, or tofu半磅切碎的鸡胸肉和虾仁，或者豆腐
1 egg  一个鸡蛋
1 cup bean sprouts 一杯豆芽
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped  三瓣大蒜，切碎
1 small onion, chopped一个小洋葱，切碎
2 green onions, chopped两根小葱，切碎
5-10 small mushrooms, chopped五到十个小蘑菇，切碎
1 long hot pepper, chopped 一个长辣椒，切碎
1 non-spicy pepper, chopped一个甜椒，切碎
1 teaspoon chili pepper 一勺辣椒粉
2 tablespoons fish sauce两勺鱼露
2 tablespoons tamarind or white vinegar 两勺酸果或者白醋
1 tablespoon sugar一勺糖

1. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 5-10 minutes and set aside.

1，将米粉在在温水中浸泡5-10分钟，然后放在一边。

2.  Heat peanut oil in a wok and scramble the egg. Remove the egg and set it aside when it’s cooked.

2，将花生油在锅里加热然后打鸡蛋进去，鸡蛋要在油里打碎，然后等鸡蛋炒熟了以后盛出来，放在一边

3. Add a little more peanut oil and cook the chicken, shrimp, or tofu.

3.再锅里再加一点油，然后将切好的鸡肉，虾或者豆腐下锅；

4. As your choice of meat is cooking, add the bean sprouts, peppers, onions, and garlic.

4.当肉炒熟之后，加入豆芽，辣椒和洋葱还有蒜一起翻炒；

5. Mix in the spices, stirring constantly.

5，加入之前准备好的各种调料，继续翻炒；

6. Add the rice noodles, mix and cook for another two minutes.

6，将米粉加入后，再继续炒两分钟就可以出锅啦。

My travels through Asia exposed me to fruits and vegetables I had never encountered before. Since moving back to the US, I admit that I do miss eating fresh lychees and dragon fruit.

我在亚洲的旅行经历让我接触到很多我闻所未闻的水果和蔬菜。自从我搬回美国后，我承认有时候确实会很怀念中国的新鲜荔枝和火龙果。

Recently, I have come across some fruits and vegetables that I haven’t seen before at the local grocery store. To my surprise, many of these fruits and vegetables are grown here in the US.

最近，我在我家附近的百货店里发现了一些我没有见过的水果和蔬菜，让我惊奇的是这些水果和蔬菜竟然生长在美国。

Yesterday, I decided to try this fruit. I have no idea if it’s any good or how to pick out a good one, but I’ll try my luck with it anyway. The question I have for my readers is: Can you identify this fruit? And does anyone know if it’s available in China?

昨天，我决定试一试一种新的水果，因为我不知道该怎么挑，所以全凭运气。我亲爱的读者朋友们，我的问题是：你能认出这是什么水果吗？有人知道在中国可以买的到吗？

I’ll reveal the answer next week.

下一周我会揭晓答案。

Americans love their snacks. And they buy them in many shapes, colors, and flavors. When I moved to China, I tried different snacks from the grocery stores even though I couldn’t read the packages–I just guessed what it was from the pictures.

美国人很喜欢零食，美国的零食可谓是令琅满目，各种款式，颜色还有口味很多。当我搬到中国的时候，我也经常会到商店买一些不同的零食尝试一番，尽管我不知道包装上写着什么，我通常是从外包装的图片上来猜，然后买了吃。

At one point I found that Lay’s Potato Chips made flavors that just didn’t exist in the US. Here we have fairly simple flavors like sour cream and onion, barbecue, salt and vinegar. But in China, they came out with blueberry, cucumber, lychee, and other fruits and vegetables. As curious as I am, I tried the lychee potato chips. They were awful. I couldn’t imagine why Lay’s wanted to produce such a terrible flavor. I thought that maybe Chinese tastes were different from my own, so I offered the chips to strangers in a restaurant and asked for the their opinion. It turned out that my tastes were no different from the Chinese. This leads me to believe that Chinese people should try the American versions of Lay’s (and other brands) potato chips.  Maybe in the future, the potato chip companies will finally bring the real flavors to China.

有一次，我在中国发现了乐事薯片（水果味），在美国完全没有的卖。在美国，薯片的口味比较简单，比如酸奶油和洋葱口味，烧烤口味，或者原味。但是在中国，竟然有蓝莓味，黄瓜味，荔枝味和其他一些水果蔬菜口味的薯片。有一次出于好奇，我买了包荔枝味的薯片尝了尝，味道简直是不能提，太难吃了，我真是无法想象，乐事怎么会推出这样这样的口味呢？后来我想也许是因为我在美国习惯了，所以是中外的口味差距，所以我晚上去餐厅吃饭的时候，带上了这包薯片，然后邀请餐厅里的人尝尝，给个评价，结果大家都觉得不好吃。所以这让我觉得我和中国朋友在吃的品位上并无差距。

这件事情让我认识到，以后中国朋友应该多试着尝试一下美国版的乐事薯片。我想也许不久的将来，这些薯片公司会把在自己国家不同口味的薯片介绍到中国。

Laowai’s note: There were a few potato chip makers that sold wasabi potato chips. This is a rare flavor for potato chips in the US and I wish they were more popular here.

老外评语： 在中国我见到过有芥末口味的薯片，这个在美国很少见，我倒希望这个口味以后可以在美国流行起来，受到大家的欢迎，因为真的很好吃。

Thanksgiving is one my favorite holidays–I enjoy any holiday that includes family and food, which is probably why I like Spring Festival so much. This Thanksgiving was especially nice because it was the first time in six years that I celebrated with my parents and the first Thanksgiving my wife got to celebrate in the US.

感恩节是我最喜欢的节日之一，我很喜欢过节，因为可以和家人在一起还有很多好吃的，这也许是我在中国喜欢过春节的一个原因。今年的感恩节对我而言，格外的美好，因为这是我离家六年来，第一次和我的家人重聚，而且也是我太太在美国的一个感恩节，所以意义比较重要。

In my family, the dinner is fairly simple–a large turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, some yams, some green vegetable, and dessert (usually pie). Depending on the size of the family gathering, there might also be other dishes–more vegetables, mashed potatoes, or soup. Families around the country might alter the menu in a number of ways, but the center of every Thanksgiving meal is that turkey. And most people will say, “My mother makes the best turkey,” and I’m no different. I have never had a turkey better than my mom’s.

在我家，我们的感恩节晚餐比较简单—-一只大火鸡和一些搭配的肉汤还有蔓越莓酱，一些红薯，还有一些绿色蔬菜，当然还有餐后的甜点（通常是南瓜派）。晚餐的种类通常由家庭聚会的人数决定，如果人多，可能会再加一些其他的菜，多半是一些蔬菜，土豆泥或者汤。有的家庭也许会对感恩节的菜单有所改动，但是基本每家的感恩节餐桌上都少不了火鸡。而且绝大部分的人都会说：“我的妈妈做的火鸡最好吃。” 当然我也不例外，我觉得没有人做的火鸡可以和我妈妈做的相娉美。

Thanksgiving dates back to the Pilgrims. They gave thanks for the harvest that helped them survive in the early years–the Native Americans helped them with crops that were foreign to the Pilgrims. The holiday has religious origins, but it is now a secular national holiday celebrated by most Americans on the fourth Thursday of November. It was not an official holiday until 1941. It is now considered a time to reunite with family for a feast (it really does sound a lot like Spring Festival).

感恩节要追溯到十七世纪的清教徒。（1620年9月，102名清教徒登上“五月花”号帆船，于12月26日到达了美国的普利茅斯港，准备开始新的生活。然而，这些移民根本不适应当地环境，第 一年冬天过后，只有50人幸存。第二年春天，当地印第安人送给他们很多必需品，并教会他们如何在这块土地上耕作。这一年秋天，移民们获得了大丰收，11月 底，移民们请来印第安人共享玉米、南瓜、火鸡等制作成的佳肴，感谢他们的帮助，感谢上帝赐予了一个大丰收。） 这个节日宗教的起源，但是现在成了一个非宗教的全国性的节日。在美国通常是十一月的的第四个星期四进行庆祝。感恩节在1941年被规定为法定假期。现在它被认为是合家团聚，吃大餐的节日，是不是听起来和中国的春节有点像呢？

Turkey is an important part of every Thanksgiving meal (though not everyone eats it). The turkey is native to the northeastern US and had a reputation as a difficult bird to hunt (it almost became the national bird). There were numerous times in the fall and spring that I saw families of wild turkeys around my neighborhood–I almost hit a few with my car.

火鸡是感恩节餐桌上最重要的一道菜，尽管并不是每个家庭都会在感恩节这一天吃。火鸡原产于美国的东南部，而且被认为是很难狩猎的动物（火鸡还差点成为了美国的国鸟）。在春天和秋天的时候，我见过我家周围见过野生火鸡，有好几次我开车还差点撞上它们。

Another great tradition of Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, which first hit the streets in 1924. It used to be called the Christmas Parade because it was the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Now, it is a major parade through the streets of Manhattan with giant balloons of mostly cartoon characters. Snoopy has appeared in the parade more than any other balloon character.

在感恩节另一个重大的活动是是纽约梅西百货组织的盛大的感恩节游行。这个活动第一次举办是在1924年。它曾经被称为是圣诞游行，因为通常人们把它认作是为圣诞购物季拉开序幕。每次的游行都是在纽约曼哈顿的主要街道进行，游行会有很多超级巨大的卡通人物气球。其中史努比是最受欢迎的。

Although I have lived very close to New York City most of my life, this was the first time I went to the parade. When I was a child I watched it on TV instead.

虽然我住的地方离纽约很近，不过今年却是我第一次去看这个游行。我小的时候一般是在电视上看转播。

I was introduced to frittatas by my roommate in grad school. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay attention to how it was made then and was forced to learn to make it on my own. I came across a simple recipe online when I was living in China, and attempted to cook a variation of frittatas for my wife and mother-in-law. Although it didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to, everyone enjoyed it. Since then, I have found other ways of making this egg-based dish.

在我上研究生的时候，我的舍友给我介绍了意大利蛋饼。可是当时没有太注意他是怎么做的，所以现在我不得不自己学。当我住在中国的时候，我在网上找到了一种比较基础的意大利蛋饼的做法，我试着在此基础上改良，给我的太太和丈母娘做了一次。尽管最后出来的效果和它本来的应有的效果不同，可是大家还是吃的很开心。再后来，我找到了其他的方式做这类有鸡蛋的菜式。

The frittata originated in Italy, but can incorporate a lot of regional influences when being made today. It is very similar to an omelet, except that it is baked. You can easily alter the recipe in any way you like–it’s very difficult to make this dish wrong.

蛋饼最早起源于意大利，但是今天流传的做法，却是受到了很多不同地区的影响。它很像中国煎鸡蛋，可是它是烘烤出来的。你可以按照自己的喜好随意变化菜谱，完全不用担心会把这道菜做砸了。

Traditionally, this dish uses a cast-iron pan that is placed in the oven when all the ingredients are ready. I don’t have a cast-iron pan, so this doesn’t work for me. You can substitute the pan for an oven-safe glass dish, but this just adds to the clean-up work afterward. My method involves cooking everything in a single pan on the stove (though I must admit that the oven-baked version does taste better).

这个菜的传统做法，是将所有的原料放在一个平底铁锅里，然后放到烤箱里烤。因为我没有平底铁锅，所以我用了其他的器皿，当然你也可以用玻璃餐具，只要他们是可以放在烤箱里用的，那就都可以拿来用，只是后来清理起来会比较麻烦一些。

不过我这次做这个蛋饼是在煤气灶上用一个平底锅做的，也成功了，当然我要承认，用烤箱的话，出来的效果更好一些。

One of the best ingredients you can use for any frittata is chorizo . Chorizo is Spanish sausage that is also popular in South America. It is always made with paprika, and I prefer to buy the spicy chorizo that also has chili powder. Unfortunately, I know chorizo is not readily available in China, but you can use any quality sausage as a substitute. You can also use ground beef or chicken.

做任何种类的意大利蛋饼都需要一个最重要的食材就是西班牙肉肠。口利左肉肠可以算是西班牙肉肠的代名词，在南美洲也是很出名的。口利左肉肠因为它里面添加的paprika，比普通咸肉香肠更有风味。我通常喜欢买辣味肉肠。不过我在中国的时候很难找到这种肉肠，所以你可以用其他的香肠代替，当然我建议最好不要用火腿肠，我个人认为四川腊肠是不错的选择。当然你也可以不用香肠，而用碎牛肉或者鸡肉代替。

Ingredients 原料：

2 Sausages (less than 1/2 lb.), chopped 两根香肠，大约半磅左右，切小块
4-6 Eggs, beaten4-6个 鸡蛋，打散
1 Large potato, diced 一个大土豆，切成小小的块
1 Medium onion, chopped 一个不大不小的洋葱，切碎
1 Green or red bell pepper, chopped  一个绿柿子椒或者红柿子椒
2 Cloves of garlic, chopped 两瓣蒜 切碎
1/4 cup of milk  1/4杯牛奶
2 tbsp olive oil  两勺橄榄油
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste  黑胡椒粉（最好用黑胡椒粒，口味会好一些）
Spicy peppers, chili powder, and/or hot sauce, optional

辣椒粉或是辣椒酱（可放可不放，看个人吃辣子的能力啦）

具体做法：

1. In a bowl, beat the eggs and mix with milk. Set aside.

1）用一个碗，将鸡蛋打散，打的过程中加一点点牛奶，放在一边；

2. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the sausage. When the sausage is almost cooked, add the potato.

2）在平底锅里放油，然后开始炒香肠，当香肠差不多炒熟的时候，加土豆丁；

3. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic to the pan. Stir the ingredients until the onion and peppers are almost soft. Add the black pepper and any other spices you want.

3）加洋葱丁，辣椒丁和蒜蓉，然后开始翻炒，直到洋葱和辣椒差不多软了的时候，可是加黑胡椒和其他的调料（比如盐，或者辣椒粉）

4. Reduce the heat to low and add the eggs to the pan. Spread the eggs, sausage, vegetables evenly in the pan. Cover the pan and let the mixture cook slowly for about 5-10 minutes, or until the eggs are solid on top.

4）把火开小，然后把打散的蛋液加到平底锅里，同时顺便搅一下之前炒的香肠和蔬菜，这样可以让他们受热比较均匀，之后就盖上盖子，小火5-10分钟，或者直到最上面的蛋液变熟为止。

If you use an oven for this, pre-heat the oven to 175C, place the pan or glass dish, covered, in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the eggs are solid.

如果你家有烤箱的话，那么就将烤箱提前预热到175度，当香肠和菜都炒熟之后，倒入到平底锅或者其他器皿里，在加入蛋液，放入烤箱开始烘烤，大约十五分钟左右，当蛋液凝固后，就大功告成了。

If you are feeling adventurous, you can even add shredded cheddar cheese to the last step of the recipe.

如果你是个喜欢不断尝试新鲜的人的话，你甚至可以在最后加蛋液的时候，再放一些“车打”奶酪。

One food I missed a lot when I lived in China was salmon. I usually ate it once a week in the US because it was moderately prices and easily available (other fish I frequently cooked were tuna and trout). During my first year and a half in China I only saw salmon at sushi restaurants, and we rarely ate there because it was expensive and our salaries were rather low. As I moved to a better district within Shenzhen, I found salmon available at the larger supermarkets like Carrefour. Unfortunately, it still very expensive–a pound of salmon cost about as much as going out for a nice dinner (at least I didn’t have to cook if we went out).

当我住在中国的时候，有一个东西是让我比较想念的，那就是三文鱼。在美国的时候，我通常每周会吃一次，因为价格不是很贵，而且很容易买的到（其它我常吃的就是吞拿鱼和鳟鱼）。在我刚来中国的一年半里，我只在吃日本菜的餐厅里见过三文鱼，而且我很少吃，因为三文鱼在中国卖的很贵，我刚来深圳的时候工资不高；不过后来换了好的工作，我在家乐福发现有卖三文鱼，可是还是很贵，一磅三文鱼的花费够我在外面自己好好吃一顿的了（至少出去吃我我不需要自己做）。

Unlike most fish in China, salmon has its own flavor and doesn’t require a lot of spices when it’s cooked. It also doesn’t have to be cooked as thoroughly as other fish. There are a lot of ways to make salmon that are delicious. Today, I’ll share an easy recipe that I never saw in a cookbook–I thought of it while walking around the grocery store after seeing that salmon was on sale.

三文鱼和中国很多的鱼不同，它的味道很独特，所以在烹饪的时候，不需要加太多的调料，而且在做三文鱼的时候，也不需要像其它的鱼一样要煮的很彻底。做三文鱼的方法很多，而且都很好吃，今天我给大家介绍一个非常简单的做三文鱼的菜谱，这个我在任何烹饪的书上都没有看见过。这个菜谱的产生也很有意思，有一次我在百货商店买东西，看到三文鱼特价的时候，突然冒出来的一个想法。

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon fillet, with the skin on.
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Half stalk of lemon grass, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon spicy fish sauce
2 tablespoon olive oil

原料：

1磅三文鱼（带皮的）
3瓣儿大蒜，切成蒜蓉
半根儿柠檬草，切碎
一根小葱，切碎
一勺麻辣鱼的疆
两勺橄榄油

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and mix in the fish sauce, green onion, lemon grass, and garlic. If you can’t get lemon grass, use a lemon juice from half a lemon.

准备一个平底锅，将橄榄油加热，然后放入麻辣鱼的酱，小葱，柠檬草，大蒜。如果你买不到柠檬草，用半个柠檬挤成汁儿用也可以。当然味道上会有一些差别，但是都很好吃。

Place the salmon in the pan (I prefer to put the skin side up first so the spices cook into the salmon). Cover the pan–this will help the salmon cook faster and prevent the oil from splattering everywhere. Let the salmon cook for about five minutes (longer if it is a thick piece). Flip the salmon and let it cook for another five minutes. Do not overcook the salmon.

然后将三文鱼放入锅中（我觉得先将带皮的那一面朝下开始煎会比较好，这样所有的调料都会放在三文鱼肉上，好入味）。把锅盖盖上，这样三文鱼熟的快一些，还不会让油花四溅。大约五分钟后（如果鱼比较厚的话，时间略久），接着将鱼翻过来，在煎五分钟。三文鱼千万不能做的过熟，要不就不好吃了。

The leftover oil and spices can be used to cook a leafy vegetable such as spinach in the pan. Be sure that the vegetables you put in the pan are dry, otherwise you’ll have a watery mix that lacks flavor.

剩下的油和调料可以拿来煎一些绿叶菜，比如菠菜，很入味的。还有就是菜如果炒得话，一定要沥干水分，要不炒出来口感不好。