奶奶的炖肉 Grandma's Pot Roast

Grandma's 1)Pot Roast 奶奶的炖肉

　　看韩剧《大长今》的时候，除了为长今的勤奋、坚强和聪明才智所叹服外，对于剧中几句经典台词也念念不忘。其中有一句是：“做食物的人希望通过食物将自己的心意传递给对方，希望吃的人脸上始终挂着微笑！”奶奶的炖肉之所以如此美味，正是因为其中包含了奶奶那深深的爱和拳拳心意……
　　—— Maisie

　　
　　The delicious ²⁾aroma of something cooking ³⁾per-meated the hallway as I climbed up the steps to my grandmother’s apartment.
　　I couldn’t wait to step inside because I knew something wonderful was always waiting for me, a special dish or a special ⁴⁾treat.
　　I would watch her as she cooked and I thought that someday I too would be as good a cook as my grandmother.
　　Her eyes lit up as she lovingly placed a dish in front of me. I was the worst ⁵⁾picky eater to ever “⁶⁾grace” a table. Only at my grandmother’s table would I eat everything in sight. I especially loved her pot roast.
　　“Grandma, tell me how you make everything so delicious? Someday I want to be the best cook there ever was, just like you.”
　　“Sweetheart,” she would say, “I do not have any particular recipes, nothing is written down. I use a little bit of this and a little bit of that.”

　　当我爬上奶奶公寓的楼梯时，整个走廊都弥漫着美味佳肴的香气。
　　我迫不及待地走进房里，因为我知道总有一些好吃的东西在等着我，一道好菜或是一次特别的款待。
　　奶奶烹饪的时候，我会站在一旁仔细地看。我梦想着有一天能成为像奶奶那样棒的厨师。
　　当奶奶慈爱地把一碟菜端到我面前时，她的双眼闪闪发光。我是世界上最挑食的人，不轻易“眷顾”某顿饭菜。只有在奶奶的餐桌上，我才会把饭菜吃得一干二净。我特别喜欢她做的炖肉。
　　“奶奶，你能告诉我怎样才能做出美味佳肴吗？我想将来成为世界上最好的厨师，就像你一样。”
　　“宝贝，”她会说，“我并没有什么特别的秘方，也没有写下什么菜谱。烹饪的时候，我会用一点这种材料，用一点那种材料。”

　　My heart sank. How was I going to become the “best cook ever” if I did not have an exact recipe? So to remedy the situation, I watched with a careful eye and memorized everything she did.
　　When she would shop for her ingredients (no big supermarkets back then), I insisted on going. I watched and listened as she spoke with the ⁷⁾butcher. Everything had to be perfect. She would say, “The best cut of meat and remove any visible fat as this is for my granddaughter.” Or in the open market, she would again say, “Nothing looks good today. Go inside and get me the freshest vegetables you have.”
　　I enjoyed being with her and I learned so much.
　　The years went by, my grandmother passed away and I was left with some beautiful memories of all the times we shared together. She taught me how to cook, to shop, what to look for in a cut of meat and how to get the best ⁸⁾bargains. My education in the art of cooking, taught by my grandmother, was priceless.
　　Did I become as good a cook as my grandmother? My pot roast is almost as good, which ⁹⁾brings to mind a very funny story.
　　When my family lived in ¹⁰⁾Queens, almost every Wednesday my ¹¹⁾in-laws would come for dinner. They especially enjoyed my pot roast.
　　One evening while having dinner my husband made an announcement. Speaking directly to his mom he said, “Why can’t you make a pot roast as good as my wife does?”
　　She answered, “I don’t have to. Marsha makes a pot roast that we all enjoy so let’s leave it at that.”

　　我大失所望。如果没有一本详细的菜谱，我怎么能成为“世界上最好的厨师”呢？于是，我想到了一个补救的办法，那就是每次奶奶烹饪的时候，我都睁大眼睛仔细观察，并记住她的每一个步骤。
　　当奶奶要外出买做菜的材料时（那时还没有大超市），我坚持要和她一起去。我观察并聆听她和屠夫的对话。每个环节、每个因素都必须恰到好处。她会说：“要最好的一块肉，一点儿肥肉都不能有，因为这是要做给我的孙女吃的。”而在露天市场上，她会说：“今天的东西看起来都不新鲜，请进去里面拿你们最新鲜的蔬菜给我。”
　　我喜欢和奶奶在一起，从她身上我学到了很多东西。
　　随着时间的流逝，奶奶离我而去了，她留给我的是我们在一起时的美好回忆。她教会我如何烹饪、买菜，怎样辨别肉好不好，怎样讲价。奶奶传授给我的烹饪手艺是无价之宝。
　　我有没有成为像奶奶那样出色的厨师呢？我做的炖肉跟奶奶的差不多一样好，这让我想起了一个很有趣的故事。
　　当我们一家住在昆斯区的时候，差不多每个星期三，我丈夫的家人都会来我们家吃饭。他们特别喜欢我做的炖肉。
　　有一天晚上，大家正在吃饭的时候，我丈夫突然当众对他妈妈说：“为什么你就不能把炖肉做得像我妻子弄的那样好吃呢？”
　　我婆婆回答说：“没那个必要啊。玛莎做的炖肉，我们都很喜欢，所以尽管留给她做好了。”

　　Several weeks passed and one day while speaking to my mother-in-law we ¹²⁾devised a ¹³⁾devilish scheme.
　　“I am going to cook a pot roast at home, take it to your house and not tell anyone where and by whom it was cooked,” she said to me. I agreed. The day arrived and everything went off without a ¹⁴⁾hitch.
　　After dinner my husband again ¹⁵⁾recited to his mom, “I can’t believe that in all the years I lived in your house, you never learned how to cook. Why can’t you make a pot roast as good as my wife does?”
　　I laughed until I cried! I couldn’t speak. I had to ¹⁶⁾let the cat out of the bag.
　　“Michael, I have to tell you something. Your mother made the pot roast and brought it over,” I told my husband.
　　He couldn’t believe it! The look on his face was one of amazement. I can still see it to this day!
　　Over the years, my children and friends have requested several of my dishes. One dish is always asked for over and over—pot roast and potatoes. I have ¹⁷⁾accommodated this request on many occasions. I love to cook and enjoy watching and hearing the ¹⁸⁾ooh’s and ¹⁹⁾ah’s as they begin eating.
　　A few years ago, I ²⁰⁾sub-mitted my pot roast recipe as a “one-pot meal” in a contest. I had to actually put the recipe to paper even though none existed. I was just ²¹⁾ecstatic when I received a check for a small sum and a copy of the cookbook in which it was published.
　　As I held the book and check in my hand, I started to cry uncontrollably. I wanted my grandmother to know that she was the best cook and teacher there ever was.
　　We all share special moments with people we love, whether it’s with a parent, family member, teacher or friend. These moments cannot be ²²⁾duplicated. I cherish every moment I spent with my grandmother.

　　几个星期后，有一天，我和婆婆聊天的时候，我们想到了一个“小诡计”。
　　“我打算亲自在家做一回炖肉，然后把它拿到你家去。不要告诉任何人这是谁做的，在哪里做的，”她对我说。我同意了。那天来临了，一切都按计划顺利进行着，没有出现意外。
　　晚饭过后，丈夫又对他妈妈朗声说道：“真不敢相信我在家里住了那么多年！你从来就没有学会如何烹饪。你怎么就不能把炖肉做得像我妻子弄的那样好吃呢？”
　　我大笑得泪水直流，说不出话来。我得揭开谜底了。
　　“迈克尔，我得告诉你一件事。这次的炖肉是你妈妈在家里做好后拿到我们家来的。”我向丈夫道出了实情。
　　他简直不敢相信自己的耳朵！他诧异至极。至今我依然记得他当时的表情。
　　这些年来，我的孩子和朋友们经常要我给他们做几道好菜。其中有一道菜他们百吃不厌，那就是炖肉加土豆。我已经多次顺应他们的请求，端出了这道拿手菜。我喜欢烹饪，喜欢看到家人朋友们开心地品尝着我的拿手菜，喜欢听见他们一边品尝一边发出啧啧的赞叹声。
　　几年前，在一次烹饪比赛中，我拿出我的炖肉秘方，参加了其中“一罐菜”单元的比赛。虽然这道菜并没有所谓的秘方，但我还是把它的菜谱写了出来。收录了我的炖肉秘方的那本烹饪书出版发行后，我收到了一小笔稿费和一本赠书，这一切让我欣喜若狂。
　　当我手捧赠书和稿费支票的时候，我突然无法自控地大哭起来。我真想让奶奶知道，她是世界上最棒的厨师，也是最好的老师。
　　我们都与自己所爱的人分享着一些特殊的时刻，也许是与父母，也许是与其他家庭成员，也许是与老师，也许是与朋友。这些特殊的时刻不会重演。因而，我珍惜与奶奶共度的每一刻。