Are you interested in food , United States history , and the English language ?
你對美食、美國歷史和英語感興趣嗎？
If so , American cookbooks provide wide information in all three subjects .
如果是的話，美國的食譜書能提供這三個方面的豐富資訊。
The first , published in 1796 , started a market that continues in the 21st century with online publications of such works .
第一本食譜書出版於1796年，它開創的市場一直延續到21世紀，如今這類作品也在網路上出版。
And , the literature offers more than just recipes .
而且，這類書提供的不僅僅是食譜。
Megan Elias is the director of food studies at Boston University and the writer of Food on the Page : Cookbooks and American Culture .
梅根·埃利亞斯是波士頓大學飲食研究學程主任，著有《紙上美食：食譜書與美國文化》。
She says that cookbooks do help teach us how to prepare food .
她說，食譜書確實能教我們如何做菜。
But they provide more than that , too .
但它們提供的還不止這些。
“The concept of meals , how many meals a day that people expect to eat ?
「關於餐食的概念，人們預期一天吃幾餐？
What do they expect to have in those meals ?”
他們期待每餐吃些什麼？」
They also inform readers about discoveries , equipment and technology related to food making .
它們還向讀者介紹與烹飪有關的發現、器具和技術。
Elias said , “What are the objects that are necessary to make the things and what exists ?
埃利亞斯說：「做這些東西需要哪些器具？當時有哪些器具？
So , are you being asked to do something over an open fire or are you being asked to use an electric stove ?
書裡是讓你在明火上做，還是讓你用電爐？
Is it something that can be done in the microwave ?
是能用微波爐做的嗎？
If you see a lot of recipes for things that are preserved for pickles , you know that you are looking at a time without refrigeration .”
如果你看到很多醃菜之類的保存食品的食譜，你就知道那是一個沒有冰箱的年代。」
Amy Bentley is a food historian at New York University .
艾米·本特利是紐約大學的飲食歷史學家。
She said that cookbooks from the 1800s were used as lifestyle and household guides .
她說，19世紀的食譜書被當作生活和持家指南來使用。
They include food recipes , but they were not central to the books back then .
書中也有食譜，但在當時，食譜並不是書的核心內容。
American Cookery by Amelia Simmons is the first cookbook published in the United States .
阿米莉亞·西蒙斯的《美國烹飪》是在美國出版的第一本食譜書。
Simmons wrote that her goal with the book was to improve the new generation of women in the U.S .
西蒙斯寫道，她寫這本書的目的是提升美國新一代女性。
Megan Elias says that after the Civil War , cookbooks became more diverse .
梅根·埃利亞斯說，南北戰爭之後，食譜書變得更加多樣化。
Writers started exploring local foods and customs in their work .
作者們開始在作品中探索當地的食物和習俗。
Some communities would put together a group cookbook to raise money .
一些社區會合編一本食譜書來募款。
These cookbooks provide a look into what the American middle class was eating throughout the years .
這些食譜書讓人們了解到美國中產階級多年來吃的是什麼。
Such works serve as a record of the traditions and interests of different neighborhoods and groups .
這類作品記錄了不同社區和群體的傳統與興趣。
Throughout the years cookbooks have signified humanity's growth in knowledge , trends and innovations .
多年來，食譜書見證了人類在知識、潮流和創新方面的進步。
During the last part of the 19th century , for example , many recipes were informed by the dangers of food containing bacteria .
例如，在19世紀後期，許多食譜都考慮到了含有細菌的食物的危險。
Then , in the 1930s , refrigerators became common objects in American homes .
後來，到了1930年代，冰箱成了美國家庭的常見物品。
The threat of bacterial infection from food dropped , and very soon , cooks adapted to the new conditions .
食物引起細菌感染的威脅降低了，廚師們很快就適應了新的條件。
New recipes and new cookbooks resulted .
於是就有了新的食譜和新的食譜書。
But cookbooks are not complete reflections of American life .
但食譜書並不能完整地反映美國人的生活。
Elias said publishing companies mostly control cookbook content .
埃利亞斯說，食譜書的內容主要由出版公司控制。
And , their main goal is to make money from book sales .
而它們的主要目的是靠賣書賺錢。
“The publishing world doesn't necessarily have the goal of representing the truth of Americans who made it .
「出版界不一定以真實呈現做出這些菜的美國人為目標。
It tends to be upper middle class , white , Northeastern .”
往往偏向中上階層、白人和東北部。」
In the 21st century , with the growth of social media and food websites , publishing companies have less control .
進入21世紀，隨著社群媒體和美食網站的發展，出版公司的控制力減弱了。
These new ways to share recipes have led to more open discussions about food and cooking .
這些分享食譜的新方式帶來了關於飲食和烹飪的更開放的討論。
This gives the public more choices and power .
這讓大眾有了更多的選擇和話語權。
Elias praised the new discussions around food .
埃利亞斯稱讚了圍繞飲食展開的新討論。
Physical cookbooks are still highly desirable as well , Bentley says .
本特利說，紙本食譜書也仍然很受歡迎。
“They're very good to give as gifts .
「它們很適合當禮物送人。
They're very , very popular because they're sort of neutral .
它們非常非常受歡迎，因為它們比較中性。
And everyone loves a cookbook , especially with beautiful pages ,” she said .
而且人人都喜歡食譜書，尤其是頁面精美的。」她說。