Inviting a Friend to Supper
BY BEN JONSON
Tonight, grave sir, both my poor house, and I
Do equally desire your company;
Not that we think us worthy such a guest,
But that your worth will dignify our feast
With those that come, whose grace may make that seem
Something, which else could hope for no esteem.
It is the fair acceptance, sir, creates
The entertainment perfect, not the cates.
Yet shall you have, to rectify your palate,
An olive, capers, or some better salad
Ushering the mutton; with a short-legged hen,
If we can get her, full of eggs, and then
Lemons, and wine for sauce; to these a cony
Is not to be despaired of, for our money;
And, though fowl now be scarce, yet there are clerks,
The sky not falling, think we may have larks.
I’ll tell you of more, and lie, so you will come:
Of partridge, pheasant, woodcock, of which some
May yet be there, and godwit, if we can;
Knat, rail, and ruff too. Howsoe’er, my man
Shall read a piece of Virgil, Tacitus,
Livy, or of some better book to us,
Of which we’ll speak our minds, amidst our meat;
And I’ll profess no verses to repeat.
To this, if ought appear which I not know of,
That will the pastry, not my paper, show of.
Digestive cheese and fruit there sure will be;
But that which most doth take my Muse and me,
Is a pure cup of rich Canary wine,
Which is the Mermaid’s now, but shall be mine;
Of which had Horace, or Anacreon tasted,
Their lives, as so their lines, till now had lasted.
Tobacco, nectar, or the Thespian spring,
Are all but Luther's beer to this I sing.
Of this we will sup free, but moderately,
And we will have no Pooley, or Parrot by,
Nor shall our cups make any guilty men;
But, at our parting we will be as when
We innocently met. No simple word
That shall be uttered at our mirthful board,
Shall make us sad next morning or affright
The liberty that we’ll enjoy tonight.
蒸雞
１。 雞一隻斬塊，均勻的撒上細鹽，放入盤中，加薑塊，蔥段，料酒隔水用猛火蒸15分鍾左右，直到沒有血絲滲出來就可以了，最好掌握到剛剛熟，肉質嫩滑即可。
２．蒸出的湯汁倒入另一個碗裏，將冰水注入盤裏（足夠掩蓋雞塊），讓蒸好的雞肉迅速冷卻，然後瀝去水分，這樣可以保持全雞的原本形狀。
３．起油鍋，放入蔥段爆香至蔥段變成焦黃色，才會有很香的蔥油味，轉小火，將蒸雞肉時，蒸出的湯汁，倒入鍋內，加適量的鹽調味，（因為要用來浸雞肉所以可以稍微偏鹹一點）轉大火燒開後，關火，放涼後用濾網過濾掉雜物，倒入蒸雞的容器裏，蓋上保鮮膜，放入冰箱靜置１－２小時，浸得雞肉入味，食用時，撒上蔥花或者蔥絲裝飾即可．
從冰箱裏拿出來時湯汁已差不多結成凍了，風味絕佳。吃完雞肉還可以用凍湯汁撈麵。
白斬鴨
鴨半隻，用叉子在鴨皮上戳些小洞，用鹽，料酒，薑，蔥醃製4-5小時，衝洗幹淨； 7-8飯碗水加薑片，蔥段，料酒，桂葉燒開，放進鴨子以中火燜煮18-20分鍾，熄火繼續浸泡25分鍾，取出鴨子，抹上少許麻油，稍涼後斬塊擺盤。
這次火候掌握的很好，鴨肉嫩滑多汁，口感像極白斬雞，完全沒有一般鴨肉的硬澀感。。。
清蒸踏板魚
魚攤老板介紹這種踏板魚，非常新鮮，肚子裏幹幹淨淨，帶有新鮮亮麗的魚春，買了中段，比活魚還貴。魚肉嫩滑，肉質細膩，味道清甜，極品！下次看到還要買。。。
材料 ： 魚中塊（洗淨用少許料酒，蔥，薑鹽15分鍾），蔥絲，薑絲，芫茜。
調味料 ： 1.醬油，清水，白胡椒粉，2.滾油。
做法 ： 魚肉厚處劃幾刀，盤底用蔥段墊底，擺上魚塊，鋪上薑片，蔥段，放進蒸籠以旺火蒸10分鍾，取出魚塊擺進另個幹淨盤裏，倒進調均的調味料（1），鋪上薑絲，蔥絲，淋上三大匙滾油即可。
肉 - 扣肉
材料 ：方塊五花肉（約５００公克），青江菜適量。
醃料 ：醬油兩大匙，酒兩大匙，八角兩顆，蒜３－４辯，薑４－５片。
調味料 ：冰糖兩大匙，太白粉水適量。
做法 ：（１）肉洗淨，以醃料醃２０分鍾後入油鍋炸至金黃色（炸時皮朝下，油隻需泡到肥肉處，瘦肉不需炸），撈起浸泡於冷水中（這個步驟叫走油）。
（２）取出肉塊，切厚片，放回醃料裏再醃30分鍾。
（３）取一大碗，將五花肉片鋪在碗內，倒入醃料，加冰糖，以保鮮膜密封，入鍋以旺火蒸三十分鍾，轉小火繼續蒸兩個半小時。
（４）取出肉片擺盤，圍以燙熟的青江菜，蒸肉汁撇去油後燒開，以太白粉水勾薄芡，淋於肉片上即可。
這道菜香嫩滑口但不油膩，非常好吃。
