Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - charcuterie board|又中又英

When I was in Sweden many years ago I tried smorgasbord for the first time. I liked it so much I wanted to have it again when I returned to Hong Kong. I hunted high and low but could not find a single restaurant that had smorgasbord. If you hunt high and low for something it means you search everywhere for it. As I said in a previous column, I am now staying in my niece’s house in Atlanta. She and her husband often ask what I would like to eat for dinner. Last week she made a charcuterie board. It reminded me of smorgasbord. Smorgasbord is from Sweden. Charcuterie board originated in France.

A smorgasbord consists of a large variety of small hot and cold dishes such as salads, different types of cheese, smoked fish like salmon, cold meats such as ham, and small pieces of hot meat. These small dishes are spread out on a large table for people to choose what they want to eat. It is not like a buffet because a buffet also has large hot dishes. A charcuterie board has similar things as a smorgasbord but does not have hot dishes. Many different types of cold dishes such as ham, pastrami (thin slices of smoked and seasoned beef), different types of cheese, fruit, olives, bread, crackers, and cookies are put on a large wooden board. Many people like to enjoy a charcuterie board with wine. You can see pictures of my niece’s charcuterie board in Popnews.

I don’t have a large appetite and I don’t like large dishes. I also don’t like to eat fast. That’s why I like smorgasbord and charcuterie board because I can choose small things to eat slowly with wine. My niece often makes a charcuterie board when she invites friends to her house. She never puts the same things on her charcuterie board. Hong Kong people should try a charcuterie board when they have guests. It’s easy and they don’t have to cook at home.
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多年前我在瑞典的時候,就第一次嚐過瑞典式自助餐 smorgasbord。我喜歡到不得了,回到香港後還想再吃。我四處尋獵(hunted high and low),但還是找不到一間有提供瑞典式自助餐(smorgasbord)的餐廳。若你 hunt high and low for something,即是指你到處尋找某事物。正如我在之前一篇文章裏所說,我現居亞特蘭大我侄女的家中。她和她的丈夫常常問我想吃甚麼當晚餐。上星期她就弄了一個熟食冷肉拼盤 charcuterie board,這令我想起了瑞典式自助餐smorgasbord。Smorgasbord來自瑞典,而charcuterie board 則來自法國。

A smorgasbord包含了各式各樣的熱盤和冷盤小碟,例如沙律、不同種類的芝士、煙燻魚如三文魚、凍肉如火腿,以及一些熟肉的小塊。這些小碟會攤放在一張大餐桌上,讓人可以任意選取自己想吃的。它其實跟一般的自助餐並不一樣,因為自助餐會有大盤的熱食。Charcuterie board有的食物跟smorgasbord相近,只是沒有熱盤。許多不同種類的冷盤如火腿、煙燻牛肉薄片(pastrami)、不同種類的芝士、水果、橄欖、麵包、薄脆餅乾和曲奇會放在一塊大木板上。許多人喜歡配以葡萄酒來吃這個熟食冷肉拼盤(charcuterie board),你可以在 Popnews上看到我侄女所弄的熟食冷肉拼盤(charcuterie board)相片。

我食量並不大,也不喜歡大碟的菜式,又不喜歡速食。因此我喜歡這種瑞典式餐前冷菜宴(smorgasbord)以及熟食冷肉拼盤(charcuterie board),因為我可以選擇小口的食物,伴着酒慢慢地吃。我侄女邀請朋友到家裏來的時候,就常弄這種熟食冷肉拼盤(charcuterie board),但她每一次放上冷肉拼盤(charcuterie board)的食物都不一樣。香港人宴客時,好應試試弄一個熟食冷肉拼盤(charcuterie board),它的做法非常簡單,在家中也不用開火烹調。

中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani
褚簡寧
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