Are you interested in food , United States history , and the English language ?
你对美食、美国历史和英语感兴趣吗？
If so , American cookbooks provide wide information in all three subjects .
如果是的话，美国的烹饪书能提供这三个方面的丰富信息。
The first , published in 1796 , started a market that continues in the 21st century with online publications of such works .
第一本烹饪书出版于1796年，它开创的市场一直延续到21世纪，如今这类作品也在网上出版。
And , the literature offers more than just recipes .
而且，这类书提供的不仅仅是食谱。
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·埃利亚斯是波士顿大学饮食研究项目主任，著有《纸上美食：烹饪书与美国文化》。
She says that cookbooks do help teach us how to prepare food .
她说，烹饪书确实能教我们如何做饭。
But they provide more than that , too .
但它们提供的还不止这些。
“The concept of meals , how many meals a day that people expect to eat ?
“关于餐食的概念，人们预期一天吃几顿饭？
What do they expect to have in those meals ?”
他们期待每顿饭吃些什么？”
They also inform readers about discoveries , equipment and technology related to food making .
它们还向读者介绍与烹饪有关的发现、器具和技术。
Elias said , “What are the objects that are necessary to make the things and what exists ?
埃利亚斯说：“做这些东西需要哪些器具？当时有哪些器具？
So , are you being asked to do something over an open fire or are you being asked to use an electric stove ?
书里是让你在明火上做，还是让你用电炉？
Is it something that can be done in the microwave ?
是能用微波炉做的吗？
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 .”
如果你看到很多腌菜之类的保存食品的食谱，你就知道那是一个没有冰箱的年代。”
Amy Bentley is a food historian at New York University .
艾米·本特利是纽约大学的饮食历史学家。
She said that cookbooks from the 1800s were used as lifestyle and household guides .
她说，19世纪的烹饪书被当作生活和持家指南来使用。
They include food recipes , but they were not central to the books back then .
书中也有食谱，但在当时，食谱并不是书的核心内容。
American Cookery by Amelia Simmons is the first cookbook published in the United States .
阿米莉亚·西蒙斯的《美国烹饪》是在美国出版的第一本烹饪书。
Simmons wrote that her goal with the book was to improve the new generation of women in the U.S .
西蒙斯写道，她写这本书的目的是提升美国新一代女性。
Megan Elias says that after the Civil War , cookbooks became more diverse .
梅根·埃利亚斯说，内战之后，烹饪书变得更加多样化。
Writers started exploring local foods and customs in their work .
作者们开始在作品中探索当地的食物和习俗。
Some communities would put together a group cookbook to raise money .
一些社区会合编一本烹饪书来筹款。
These cookbooks provide a look into what the American middle class was eating throughout the years .
这些烹饪书让人们了解到美国中产阶级多年来吃的是什么。
Such works serve as a record of the traditions and interests of different neighborhoods and groups .
这类作品记录了不同社区和群体的传统与兴趣。
Throughout the years cookbooks have signified humanity's growth in knowledge , trends and innovations .
多年来，烹饪书见证了人类在知识、潮流和创新方面的进步。
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世纪后期，许多食谱都考虑到了含有细菌的食物的危险。
Then , in the 1930s , refrigerators became common objects in American homes .
后来，到了20世纪30年代，冰箱成了美国家庭的常见物品。
The threat of bacterial infection from food dropped , and very soon , cooks adapted to the new conditions .
食物引起细菌感染的威胁降低了，厨师们很快就适应了新的条件。
New recipes and new cookbooks resulted .
于是就有了新的食谱和新的烹饪书。
But cookbooks are not complete reflections of American life .
但烹饪书并不能完整地反映美国人的生活。
Elias said publishing companies mostly control cookbook content .
埃利亚斯说，烹饪书的内容主要由出版公司控制。
And , their main goal is to make money from book sales .
而它们的主要目的是靠卖书赚钱。
“The publishing world doesn't necessarily have the goal of representing the truth of Americans who made it .
“出版界不一定以真实呈现做出这些菜的美国人为目标。
It tends to be upper middle class , white , Northeastern .”
往往偏向中上阶层、白人和东北部。”
In the 21st century , with the growth of social media and food websites , publishing companies have less control .
进入21世纪，随着社交媒体和美食网站的发展，出版公司的控制力减弱了。
These new ways to share recipes have led to more open discussions about food and cooking .
这些分享食谱的新方式带来了关于饮食和烹饪的更开放的讨论。
This gives the public more choices and power .
这让公众有了更多的选择和话语权。
Elias praised the new discussions around food .
埃利亚斯称赞了围绕饮食展开的新讨论。
Physical cookbooks are still highly desirable as well , Bentley says .
本特利说，纸质烹饪书也仍然很受欢迎。
“They're very good to give as gifts .
“它们很适合当礼物送人。
They're very , very popular because they're sort of neutral .
它们非常非常受欢迎，因为它们比较中性。
And everyone loves a cookbook , especially with beautiful pages ,” she said .
而且人人都喜欢烹饪书，尤其是页面精美的。”她说。