I like soup all year round and applaud its various personalities. Thick soups are substantial and warming; brothy soups are restorative and soothing; chilled soups are refreshing and invigorating.
我一年四季都喜欢喝汤，称赞各种汤的独特滋味。浓汤丰郁暖人，清汤滋补慰藉，冷汤清爽振奋。
And then there is chicken noodle soup, a constant comfort, loved by young and old. Every culture makes one and all have their virtues. I was raised on the kind from a can; it came with the territory. But one must grow up, and any lingering nostalgia for canned is easily trumped when a tastier homemade version becomes available.
还有鸡汤面，它总能带来慰藉，年轻人和老年人都喜欢。每种文化都有自己的鸡汤，各有所长。我小时候喝的是罐装鸡汤，这也在所难免。不过，人总要长大，对罐装鸡汤的怀念很容易被自制的更美味的鸡汤磨灭。
Now is an ideal time for chicken and noodles to swim in a bowl. This version is inspired by a soup I had in Japan one cool April evening many years ago. Traditional Japanese cuisine is always attuned to the natural cycles. Food is meant to mirror the season, nourishing both the appetite and the senses.
现在是做鸡汤面的好时候。我这种做法的灵感来自很多年前一个清凉4月的夜晚，在日本喝到的鸡汤。传统日本饮食总是跟随自然周期。食物要反映时令，既满足食欲，又取悦感官。
Mine is by no means authentic, but it has the feeling of spring, which is exactly what I was after. It is light and delicately flavored and features the season’s tender new offerings: young leeks, peas and spinach.
我的做法绝不是正宗的日式料理，但它有春天的感觉，这正是我想要的。它的味道清淡微妙，采用的是春季的鲜嫩食材：大葱、豌豆和菠菜。
As homage to the original vernal theme, I flavored this one with a bit of ginger and garlic, a splash of mirin and soy and a soupçon of white miso to finish. For noodles, I used earthy buckwheat soba. I didn’t make it to my local Japanese grocery, though, so instead of snipped shiso leaves to garnish, I used basil, which provided an analogous sweet, sharp brightness.
为了向最初的春天主题致意，我在鸡汤中加了点姜、蒜、米酒和酱油，最后用一点白味噌收尾。面条用的是质朴的荞麦面。不过，我在附近的日本杂货店里没有买到紫苏叶，只好用罗勒叶装饰，它也能增添类似的甜蜜浓烈的鲜明气息。
It would have been easy to use traditional dashi for the broth, but I chose to forgo it. I craved real chicken broth; and besides, I wanted to prove a point. The chicken needed to be cooked somehow and I figured it could do double duty. In some ways, chicken thighs are the perfect meat for soup: It’s practically impossible to overcook them. Simmering a pound or so in plain old water for just 20 minutes leaves them tender and juicy, and simultaneously produces a light broth that’s surprisingly flavorful.
如果用传统的狐鲣鱼汤，应该很简便，但我没用那种汤。我想要真正的鸡汤，另外我还想证明一点。鸡肉只需稍微炖一下，我发现这样有双重作用。从某些角度讲，鸡大腿是做汤的理想材料：它怎么煮都不会老。把一磅左右的鸡腿肉放入白水中，用小火炖20分钟，这样既能让鸡肉鲜嫩多汁，又能让鸡汤清淡美味。
The ingredient that gives this soup its ultimate appeal is the miso that is stirred in at the end. Just a small amount provides the sweet, salty, nutty, fermented, savory solution that transforms the whole into a magic elixir.
让这道鸡汤具有终极美味的配料是最后搅入的那点味噌。很少的一点就能让整道汤具有微微的甜味、咸味、坚果味、发酵味和香味，变成奇妙的万灵药。
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