本文的作者既是一位主廚，也是一位美食作家，在諸如與別人分享蛋糕這類簡(jiǎn)單的小事情中找到了生活的力量、頓悟了人生的哲理、享受到了生活的樂趣。

by Kim O’Donnel

作者金?奧唐納

Here's what I've learned from my hours in the kitchen.  

以下就是我在廚房里學(xué)到的10個(gè)人生哲理。

1.  Small gestures can make a big difference. The day after the Virginia Tech shootings, in April 2007, when my community in northern Virginia was shaken with grief, I found myself baking a batch of lemon cupcakes with milk-chocolate frosting. As I admired their glistening tops, I couldn’t help but wonder: Could a tiny cupcake make the world feel like a more tender place, even for one bite? As I delivered the cupcakes to my neighbors, the smiles on their faces were proof that, yes, indeed it could.

1. 小舉動(dòng)往往會(huì)產(chǎn)生很大的不同。2007年4月，在佛吉尼亞理工學(xué)院槍擊事件反生后的一天，北佛吉尼亞社區(qū)的人們都沉浸在巨大的悲痛之中，而當(dāng)時(shí)我正在用牛奶巧克力霜做一塊檸檬蛋糕。我很尊重他們的情感，并且禁不住在想：一小塊蛋糕，哪怕只是咬上一口，能夠讓人們覺得這個(gè)世界更加地溫暖、情義濃濃嗎？當(dāng)我將蛋糕送給鄰居品嘗的時(shí)候，他們臉上的微笑向我證明，一個(gè)小小的舉動(dòng)的確能溫暖人心。

2.  Cheap thrills are closer than you think. In this BlackBerry-crazed world, growing your own food, even just a little herb garden, can help you appreciate the present moment: the sweet delight of that first cherry tomato, the heady perfume of fresh mint. During the holidays, I am always thankful for that backyard rosemary when I pluck it from the bush and add it to apple pies, roasted meats, and white-bean bruschetta.

2. 生活中廉價(jià)驚喜處處可見。在這個(gè)電子產(chǎn)業(yè)瘋狂發(fā)展的世界，親手種植食物，即使僅僅只是種植一個(gè)香草花園，都足以使你享受此刻的時(shí)光：體驗(yàn)第一次收獲櫻桃番茄時(shí)的甜蜜喜悅心情，新鮮薄荷的濃郁香氣。假日里，當(dāng)我在灌木叢中摘下迷迭香時(shí)，當(dāng)我在蘋果餡餅中、烤肉中及白色菜豆烤面包片中放上它們時(shí)，我總是對(duì)后院的迷迭香充滿感激之情。

3.  Control is overrated. When my fiancé and his stuff moved into my one-bedroom apartment, I was OK with the books and the CDs, the quirky framed prints, and even the oddball knickknacks he squeezed onto my already crowded shelves. But when it came to my kitchen, nothing was allowed to disrupt the order and flow. So when, a few weeks before we were married, he bought a knife without consulting me, I nearly had a stroke. Of course, my response symbolized my many years as a single woman who had only herself to consider. If I was going to let him into my life, I quickly realized, I had to let him into my kitchen, too.

3. 不應(yīng)過分控制。當(dāng)未婚夫及他的全部家當(dāng)一起搬入我那只有一間臥室的公寓時(shí)，他的書和CD、加了奇特外框的相片甚至那些稀奇古怪的小玩意兒塞滿了我那本來就很擁擠的書架上，那個(gè)時(shí)候我倒沒覺得有什么。但是如果這些東西出現(xiàn)在廚房里，那么就必須擺放地井井有條，不能破壞廚房的“秩序”。所以在我們結(jié)婚前幾個(gè)星期，當(dāng)他沒有問我就帶回一把刀的時(shí)候，我當(dāng)時(shí)差點(diǎn)被氣得中風(fēng)。當(dāng)然，我的反應(yīng)正說明這么些年來我一直都是單身居住，從來都只是考慮自己。我突然意識(shí)到，如果我想要讓未婚夫進(jìn)入我的生活，那么也就得讓他進(jìn)入我的廚房。

4.  Sing if you must, but quit thinking so much. Despite my culinary training, I couldn’t make a pizza dough to save my life. It was either too tough, too doughy, or riddled with holes. Then a friend visiting from Australia, who loved to sing while he cooked pizza, showed me the error of my ways: In my stressed-out quest to make it perfect, I was overkneading the dough. When I stopped fussing over it, I got it right.

4. 如果必須，那就歌唱吧，但是不要想得太多。盡管我接受過烹飪這方面的專業(yè)培訓(xùn)，但是我還是做不出一塊像樣的披薩餅來填飽肚子。要么太硬，要么太軟，或者是上面有好多洞。一次，一位來自澳大利亞的朋友來我家做客。他喜歡一邊做披薩，一邊唱歌。他給我指出了披薩做法上的錯(cuò)誤之處：在力求完美的心情驅(qū)使下，我將面團(tuán)烤糊了。當(dāng)我放松心情，不再有任何壓力時(shí)，我做出了真正好吃的披薩餅。

5.  There are always second chances. A dear friend of mine died suddenly of a heart attack in early 2007. For months I had intended to cook for him, and now it was too late. Or was it? In tribute, I baked him a marble cake and took it to his funeral, where his friends and loved ones stayed behind to eat it and exchange stories about this wonderful man.

5. 總會(huì)有機(jī)會(huì)的。我的一位密友于2007年年初因突發(fā)心臟病去世。好幾個(gè)月之前，我就打算做好吃的給他，但是現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)太晚了。真的是那樣嗎？我做了一個(gè)刻有大理石花紋的蛋糕作為祭品并帶到了他的葬禮上，他的親朋好友留下來吃了那塊蛋糕，一起分享了這位杰出男人的故事。

6.  Substance beats style every time. You might think a trained chef has a gleaming kitchen filled with expensive appliances. Well, I spent the past four years in an apartment with a kitchen so lilliputian that even making room for a toaster was out of the question. My husband, who found bread crisped in the oven an unworthy substitute for the real stuff, pleaded for mercy. So I bought a $3 collapsible tin toaster from a camping store. Not only did it take up hardly any space but it also toasted bread to crunchy perfection.

6. 實(shí)質(zhì)和表象總是有沖突。你也許認(rèn)為一個(gè)受過專業(yè)培訓(xùn)的主廚會(huì)擁有一個(gè)漂亮的廚房，里面擺滿了昂貴的廚具。但是過去的四年中，我都是在公寓里一間小小的廚房里度過的，那里面小得連放個(gè)烤面包機(jī)都成問題。老公發(fā)現(xiàn)面包在烤箱里成了碎片，而不是烤成真正的面包時(shí)，就發(fā)了慈悲。因而我才用3美元在野營(yíng)器械商店買了一個(gè)折疊式錫制烤面包機(jī)。買它不僅僅是因?yàn)樗鼛缀醪徽嫉胤?，而且因?yàn)樗梢詫⒚姘镜檬炙执嗫煽凇?B class="label bg2" jQuery1325229574015="38">

7.  We all have what it takes to create something. The legendary cookbook author Edward Espe Brown taught me a lot about the creative aspects of preparing food―how the sheer physical act of it is an artistic expression, like painting or dancing. Now, that might sound a bit lofty when you’re racing to get dinner on the table. But if you think of cooking as creating something, even when you’re making the most basic meal, you might get more enjoyment out of your time in the kitchen―where we all possess some creative ability, however great or small.

7. 我們每個(gè)人都有創(chuàng)造力可挖掘。充滿傳奇色彩的食譜作家愛德華?埃斯佩?布朗（Edward Espe Brown）教會(huì)我很多在準(zhǔn)備食物時(shí)發(fā)揮創(chuàng)造性的方法——如何將這種完全的肢體動(dòng)作變成一種藝術(shù)表現(xiàn)形式，像繪畫或舞蹈那樣?，F(xiàn)如今，似乎快速準(zhǔn)備好飯菜成為衡量高級(jí)飯店的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。但是如果即使在做普通的家常便飯市都將烹飪看成是一種創(chuàng)造，那么你在廚房里將會(huì)得到更多的樂趣——在那里，我們每個(gè)人都擁有或大或小的創(chuàng)造力。

8.  Communicate, any way you can. Two years ago, we weren’t sure my kid brother was going to live. He is fine today, but back then, powerless to help him, I placed his photo on the kitchen counter and taught him aloud how to make meat sauce, step-by-step, as if he were next to me. Although the conversation was one-sided, having his smiling face staring up from that photo as I stirred the sauce helped me through one of the most difficult experiences of my life.

8. 盡量與人溝通，任何方式都可行。兩年前，我們家里人都不曾想過弟弟會(huì)離開人世。他時(shí)好時(shí)壞，家人無力幫助他。我把他的照片擺在廚房臺(tái)面上，教他如何制作肉醬，一步一步地教，就好像他就在我身邊一樣。盡管這樣的溝通只是單方面的，但是一邊攪動(dòng)肉醬，一邊看著照片上他的笑臉，伴我走過了人生中最艱難的時(shí)刻。

9.  Your instinct may not be the best, but it’s yours. A fearsome chef-instructor at a cooking school in Italy once gave an assignment to me and my classmate Max to make risotto for lunch. While I stirred, chef Sergio sternly reminded us to add salt before serving. “How much?” we asked. “Enough,” he replied and walked away. We felt lost, but lunch was imminent, so we took turns salting and tasting until we both agreed it was just right―then high-fived to our accomplishment. Did chef Sergio like it? No. But then his food was always too salty for my taste.

9. 你的天性或許不是最好的，但那真正是你自己的本性。曾經(jīng)烹飪學(xué)校一位來自意大利的令人生畏的主廚講師給我及同班同學(xué)馬克斯布置了一次作業(yè)，那就是午餐做意大利調(diào)味飯。當(dāng)我攪拌調(diào)味飯的時(shí)候，主廚塞爾吉奧嚴(yán)正頂住我們一定要在上餐前加鹽?！凹佣嗌?？”我們問道。“剛剛好就行。”他回答后就走開了。我們感覺一片茫然，但是午餐時(shí)間馬上就要到了，因此我們輪流著加鹽品嘗直到兩個(gè)人都覺得味道剛剛好——然后就擊掌慶祝成功了。主廚塞爾吉奧喜歡這個(gè)味道嗎？不喜歡。但那是因?yàn)樗喳}要比我重。

10.  Less really is more. Exhibit A: the grilled cheese sandwich. If I cooked my last meal over a skillet, ironing two pieces of Cheddar-stuffed bread together with some strong mustard, I would be smiling wide.

10. 即使少加一點(diǎn)東西，也確實(shí)已經(jīng)很多了。一號(hào)展品：烤好的奶酪三明治。要是我用平底鍋?zhàn)鲎詈笠淮尾惋?，而沒有用兩片塞滿切達(dá)奶酪的面包外加一些刺鼻的芥末時(shí)，那我肯定會(huì)開口大笑的。