Casserole1

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本文作者向我们介绍了一道地道的美国家常菜——焙盘炖菜，就是在砂锅中加入任何你喜欢的原料（蔬菜、肉粒、豆子等）进行烘烤，然后浇上奶油或酱汁。焙盘炖菜作为“抚慰食品”，经常勾起很多美国人美好的回忆。由于制作简单、携带方便，焙盘炖菜也成了美国人聚餐中的“闪耀明星”。

A casserole is a one dish meal that consists of various ingredients combined in a saucepan and then baked.2. 焙盘炖菜是在砂锅中加入各种原料进行烘烤而成的一道菜。ingredient： 烹调原料，组成部分；saucepan： 长柄而有盖子的深平底锅，炖锅。It is one of the most popular comfort foods in America and has many different variations.3. comfort food：（指令人心情愉快的）抚慰食物，家常菜；variation： 变化，变种。A comfort food is exactly what it sounds like: a rich, easy meal that often provides sentimental or nostalgic feelings.4.“抚慰食物”正如其名：营养丰富的家常便饭，经常能够引起人们的感伤或怀旧之情。sentimental： 感伤的，多愁善感的；nostalgic： 怀旧的，乡愁的。Many families have a special casserole recipe, possibly one passed down from generation to generation.5. pass down： 流传，传给；from generation to generation： 一代一代地。When thinking about a favorite home cooked meal, many people will remember the casseroles their mothers made for them as a kid. Interestingly enough, many will also shudder as they remember a horrid casserole that their mothers used to insist they eat.6. 有趣的是，很多人一想到小时候母亲强迫自己吃下的那些难吃的焙盘炖菜也会不寒而栗。shudder： 战栗，发抖；horrid： 极为讨厌的，可怕的。

The word “casserole” comes from the French word for “saucepan”. Previously the term referred to any dish cooked in an earthenware vessel for a long period of time, but our modern de finition of a casserole has shifted from that.7. 在很长的一段时间里，“casserole”用于指任何在陶制容器里烹煮的菜，但现代含义已经有所变化。earthenware： 陶器，瓦器；vessel： 容器，器皿。Today when we think of a casserole, we think of pieces of meat and chopped vegetables combined with something starchy (such as pasta,rice, or potatoes), topped with a cheesy of crunchy topping, and baked in an oven.8. 如今我们想起焙盘炖菜，就会想到肉片和剁碎的蔬菜加上一些淀粉质食品（如面团、大米或马铃薯），浇上一些松脆的奶酪配料，放入烤箱里烘焙。chop： 剁，切；starchy： 食物含大量淀粉的；pasta：意大利面； cheesy： 奶酪的，干酪质的；crunchy： 松脆的。The new casserole appeared in 1866, when Elmire Jolicoeur (a French-Canadian immigrant) invented the dish. The modern casserole increased in popularity in the 1950’s when new lightweight glassware became available on the market.9. lightweight： 轻质的；glassware： 玻璃器皿，玻璃制品。This made it convenient yet sophisticated for housewives of the era. Today, while the dish has lost some of its sophistication10. sophistication： 精致，考究。, casseroles are still popular dishes.

One social event where the casserole really shines is the potluck11. potluck： 聚餐（各家带一道菜的聚餐方式）。dinner. A potluck is a dinner in which all of the guests in attendance bring one dish for everyone to share. Naturally, casserole was a popular choice as it was convenient to cook and carry. I remember we used to have potluck dinners all the time after band performances. Our band had informal performances quite often, and usually parents would all bring food to share afterwards. It was a great time to socialize with everyone, not to mention to try out a variety of different foods.12. 这是一个交流的好机会，更别说还可以尝试各种不同的美食。socialize with： 与某人交流、交往；not to mention： 更不用说，此外。I remember one of the parents always brought their famous lasagna, a form of casserole consisting of pasta, ground beef, and tomato sauce.13. lasagna： 意大利千层面； ground：（grind的过去分词）磨碎，碾磨。It was always a personal favorite of mine.

There are many types of casserole in American cuisine. Some of them, such as lasagna, are pasta dishes.These usually consist of thin sheets of pasta with meat and sauce layered in between.14. 经常包括薄面片儿，中间夹上肉末和酱汁。Other forms consist of cooked pasta with sauce poured into a casserole dish, topped with a crunch or cheesy topping,and then baked in an oven. One of the most popular forms of this is macaroni and cheese.While some forms of macaroni and cheese aren’t baked, my favorite is baked macaroni and cheese topped with shredded Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.15. 虽然并非所有的奶酪通心粉都需要进行烘烤，但我还是最喜欢烤奶酪通心粉，撒帕玛森乳酪丝和面包碎。macaroni and cheese： 奶酪通心粉；shred： 撕碎，切成条状；Parmesan cheese：（意大利）帕玛森乳酪；breadcrumb：面包屑，面包中间松软的部分。The baked topping gives the dish some extra richness, which I really enjoy. Macaroni and cheese was actually the first casserole dish I ever tried to make. I remember not knowing that macaroni and cheese was supposed to be baked, but after figuring it out a world of new cooking possibilities opened up to me.16. 我记得当时我还不知道奶酪通心粉是要烘焙的，当我知道了以后，我就像打开了通往各种新烹饪方法的大门。That is the fun of casserole, you can literally take anything you want to, be it beans or meat or vegetables, and bake it in a dish.17. 焙盘炖菜有趣的地方在于你可以真正随心所欲地往里面加入任何东西，无论是豆子、肉或是蔬菜，然后焙烤成一道菜。It allows for endless fun combinations. Another one of my personal favorite, which I discovered a few years ago, is shepherd’s pie18. shepherd’s pie： (通常指羔羊肉馅的)肉馅土豆泥饼。. That dish consists of meat covered with a mashed potato crust and baked.19. mash： 捣成泥状；crust： 外壳，表皮。