適應力的展現/Demonstration of Adaptability

說起來我常煮西式料理（一週約有一半以上的機會煮西式料理來吃），是有很多原因的。

一、我是個喜歡飲食多變化的人，就連中菜台灣菜我也都很少煮相同的菜餚。
二、我也不特別偏愛吃米飯，一杯米我可以吃三頓，放久了米飯也不好吃。
三、再來，一頓飯若想吃中菜，就得至少炒兩道菜，為了自己的小鳥胃弄兩道菜，也太搞剛了。
四、中菜多是得炒的，站在爐邊揮鍋鏟出得一身汗。相較之下西式料理送進烤箱後就可以翹著腿等，實在是輕鬆許多。
五、好奇嘗鮮也是原因之一，既然都到米國，不好好玩一下這兒的食材，實在是太可惜了！
六、我所在的鄉下地方其實選擇很少，多數也不新鮮，有得時候想買還不到呢！
七、大多數亞洲超市都得開車才能到，不若美國超市方便，對於前兩年沒有車的我，若不想麻煩他人，就得運用美國超市有的食材了。炒空心菜？還是別想了吧！
八、當然也有經濟上的考量。畢竟在人家地盤，若想買中式食材或調料，肯定不便宜。請家人寄來也太大費周章，多數時侯還是運費都比食物貴呢！

最最最重要的，還是我在澳洲的經驗。

那時和朋友一起去澳洲參加環保志工活動。向志工組織報到，抵達宿舍後，已經稍過用餐時間。打開冰箱，我頓時愣住：雖然有許多基本食材－花椰菜、雞蛋、胡蘿蔔等等，但我完全不知道該怎麼煮！不是說我不會做菜喔！我在台灣已經有好幾次做菜給家人吃的經驗，炒幾道家常菜或燙青菜什麼的，稱不上好吃，要下肚可是完全沒問題。但是，宿舍裡沒有醬油麻油米酒蒜頭，也沒有電鍋白米讓我煮飯，那我到底該做什麼？燙了青菜煎了蛋，也沒白飯給我配呀！當下我真是傻眼，只好問一同報到的米國女生都煮些什麼。她說她知道怎麼做沙拉，結果當天吃了一頓好冷的中餐（完全沒有熱食...）。

從此之後，我下定決心，為了不要讓自己在餓死異鄉，一定要會幾樣當地的料理，這樣我隨時都有方法填飽肚子。所以說，煮西式料理其實是、完全是強烈適應力的最好展現呀！

There are many reasons that I cook western food frequently (at least half of the week I will have western food).

1. I like variety, especially meal variety.  I even seldom cook the same Chinese or Taiwanese dishes.
2. I am not a rice person.  One cup of rice is good for three meals for me, while others can only have one or two meals, so I don't have to cook that often.  In addition, rice won't taste good if it is not fresh cooked.
3. Traditionally we have two more dishes for one meal.  It costs too much time and effort to make two dishes for my small stomach.
4. Most of the Chinese or Taiwanese dishes are pan-fried or stir-fried.  Not only I have to stand by the stove making dishes, but I get sweaty due to the heat as well.  On the other hand, when cooking western food, I can just put them in the oven and sit on the couch waiting.  What a relaxing way to cook!
5. Curiosity is one of the reasons too.  Since I am in the US, it would be a pity if I don't play with local ingredients.
6. The city that I stayed has very limited Asian grocery stores and ingredients, and most of them is not fresh.  Sometimes I even can't buy what I want.
7. Most of the time Asian grocery stores are beyond walking distance.  The location is not as convenient as US grocery stores as well.  Since I didn't have a car two years ago, I had to use whatever I could find in US supermarkets.
8. The economic factor is considered as well.  Chinese ingredients or spices are not cheap, since they are imported.  Even if I ask my family mail them to me, the cost of shipping can be a lot higher than that of food!

Most importantly, is my experience in Australia.

I was there to attend conservation volunteer activity.  It was a little after lunch time after checking in the dorm.  I opened the refrigerator to see what I could make, and I was stunned: I had no ideas what to make even though there were many basic ingredients such as broccoli or eggs.  I am not saying that I didn't know how to cook.  In fact, I had several experience of cooking for the whole family while I was in Taiwan.  Some easy dishes weren't a problem to me at all.  However, there were no soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, or garlic - whatever Asian spices that I was familiar with.  Also, there was no rice cooker to cook rice.  Even I could make some Taiwanese dishes, there was no rice to go with it.  I turned to an American girl who checked in the same time as well, asking her what she usually made.  She said she knew how to make salad. So we made a big salad together, and that was all I had for lunch.  Cold salad, no hot food - which is what we Taiwanese always have.
 Since then, I made up my mind: in order not to die of starvation in a foreign country, I must learn to make some local dishes, so that I can always find ways to feed myself.

To conclude, cooking western food actually and totally is how I demonstrate my strong adaptability!