Today's Bento

Finally got around to making another bento - have been having too much fun with the Crock Pot Food Warmer and a sandwich maker I also brought in.  Note to self:  when it's time to remove the sandwich ignore EVERYTHING else including water delivery or mailman or sandwich will burn.

But I still love bento and often put myself to sleep imagining the next bento I'll be making.  This one looks tasty.  The mini meatballs were on sale and I could not resist (many bentos include mini "burgers" and this way I don't have to make my own).  Bonus points - they are fully cooked and require only reheating in sauce!

So today's bento includes leftover Jasmine rice, pan fried in the pan after making my favorite one-egg tamagoyaki; mini meatballs & mini sausages glazed in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake, sesame oil, a little ketchup and a pinch of hot pepper flakes; carrot & gobo kinpiri simmered with onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin and a pinch of sugar.  Gobo is burdock root and is a classic kinpira - we'll have to see if I like it.  It looks like an extremely long, extremely thin parsnip.

Also included is instant cabbage pickle (massage a chopped cabbage leaf or two with salt and squeeze a bit of lime juice over) with some red radish.  Tucked in between the tamagoyaki and the pickle is a daifuku - a sort of sweet rice cake with a dab of strawberry flavored filling.  I like them.

Sorry the picture is so bad - my camera has been giving me problems and this was taken with my less than ideal phone camera.  You get the idea.

Quotable quotes; in the category You Don't Have To Worry With Bento - It's Still Beautifully Arranged But They Use Chopsticks Instead Of Fingers!

"It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it."  Julia Child

Bento Is As Bento Does

I've been playing with bento, mostly from leftovers, the last few days.  We had some leftover kabobs with chicken, beef, pepper, onions & mushrooms.  I decided they could be repurposed as bento dishes.

For the first reincarnation I sliced a few pieces of the beef & chicken and sliced the pieces of pepper, onion & mushrooms.  I sautéed them in a little sesame oil and finished with the little bit of teriyaki sauce left in the bottle.  It was pretty good.

I paired that with some leftover macaroni & tuna salad.  I mean if you're gonna do leftovers, don't discriminate!  Besides, there are many versions of a macaroni salad in the bento books.  Some watermelon chunks added a "dessert" and helped fill my teddy-bear bento box.

For the next recreation I tried something I had read about - minced meat cooked until saucy and served over rice with a sort of scrambled egg and a vegetable dish.  I minced the remaining beef & chicken in the food processor and sizzled it in a little sesame oil, drizzling with soy sauce and mirin until it was tasty.

Likewise, I "scrambled" an egg, beaten with a little soy and mirin, by holding several chopsticks in my hand and stirring constantly until the egg was cooked and crumbly.  These two "sprinkles" were spread over a bed of rice.  The remaining pepper, onion & mushroom was sliced and cooked as before.  These were accompanied by a quick zucchini pickle.  There was enough of the meat and vegetable left for yet another bento the next day.

For this third and final version, I simply reheated the meat & vegetable (separately) adding a little more soy & mirin and spread them over the rice.  I made a one-egg tamagoyaki and also made a dish of carrot, onion & celery, julienned and cooked in sesame oil with soy and mirin and a little red pepper flakes.  Don't be deterred by using the same "dressing" ingredients in every dish.  For some reason, each retains its own unique flavors, complemented by the sauce ingredients.  They don't all taste the same.

Go ahead and use leftovers in your bento.  Indeed, go ahead and use just about anything in your bento!  From peanut butter sandwiches to marinated artichoke hearts to tuna casserole, anything goes.  And if it tastes good otherwise, it will taste good in your bento!

Quotable quotes; in the category Yes The Bento Lunch Is Tasty But What's For Supper?

"I'm the kind of girl who thinks about what she's gonna cook for dinner when she's finishing her lunch."  Padma Lakshmi, Cookbook Author, Actress, Model & Television Host.

Bento Calling My Name

It's time for another bento.  I'll make one tomorrow.   I have some leftover rice in the fridge so I'll make fried rice.  Easy and tasty.  I also have leftover ham from this week's sandwiches so I'll dice up some of that for the fried rice and maybe a couple of those mini cocktail wieners that I like so well.  If I had any bean sprouts I'd use those too, but I don't so I won't.

I have lettuce so a little salad would go nice with the rice.  I have some cucumbers so maybe I'll make a quick pickle too.  I haven't decided if I'll make my favorite tamagoyaki or if I'll just scramble an egg into the fried rice.

Fried rice is easy.  All you need is leftover rice (cold is best) and something else to put in it.  Even sliced garlic will do (and boy is it good - check this out).  My recipe is not authentic.  It's just good.  Try it and see.

Heat some oil in a skillet.  Use a little sesame oil for extra flavor.  When it's hot sauté a little chopped onion and/or garlic, if you wish, then toss in the rice.  Break up the clumps with a wooden spoon and stir and toss until the rice is pretty even and pretty much heated through.  You can push the rice aside and add other ingredients - diced ham, leftover bits of chicken or shrimp, vegetables and bean sprouts - use whatever you like and whatever you have on hand.  When those ingredients are heated through mix them all together with the rice.

Now push the rice over to the side again, add a little more oil to the bare spot in the pan (easily done with a folded bit of paper towel dipped in oil) and break an egg onto the oiled spot.  You can scramble it first or just crack it right into the pan.  Stir it around with a pair of chopsticks to scramble it as it cooks.  When it's pretty well done but still soft and tender, mix it in with the rice (if you like it cooked firmer, go ahead).

Now add some sauce.  You can just pour in a little soy sauce or you can use a bottled teriyaki type sauce or if you have some leftover dipping sauce from your soba noodles or dumplings, use that.  If you want to get fancy mix a little soy sauce with some mirin and sake, or just add these separately, a few dribbles at a time.  Stir and toss so the sauce gets mixed all through the rice and you're about done.  Serve this garnished with minced green onion or toasted sesame seeds and you're off!

To make a quick pickle, slice cucumber (or zucchini) thinly.  Sprinkle with a hefty pinch of salt and toss it around in a bowl, squeezing it to get the salt working.  You can weight it with a plate, put it in a pickle press or just leave it for about 20 - 30 minutes.  Now squeeze out the excess water, rinse and drain and squeeze again.  Dress with a little rice vinegar, or cider vinegar or even lemon juice.  Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes or a few thin slices of chili pepper, toss and serve.  Pickles like this will last a few days in the fridge so make enough for your next couple bentos and you're all set!

I won't try to tell you how to make a tamagoyaki.  Instead, here is a link to my favorite bento web site where you can learn her technique much more easily than by trying to decipher my instructions.  Enjoy your bento!

Quotable quotes; in the category Does It Make Me Feel Good Because I Like It Or Do I Like It Because It Makes Me Feel Good?

"Japanese food makes me feel particularly good."  David Mitchell

What Do You Call These?

If you read my bento posts you know that tamagoyaki is practically my favorite part of any bento.  Another favorite is budo mame.  As near as I can tell, budo mame means soybeans simmered until tender then simmered in sugar and soy sauce until caramelized.  They are, in my humble opinion, delicious.  Sweet, tangy, toothsome and tasty.

Of course, they don't really get totally tender.  Either that or I have never let them cook long enough.  My recipe says 4 -5 hours.  I skimped on that last time and the beans were decidedly not tender.  Not crunchy, but with lots of texture.

This is a recipe I do not make often.  Not because it's difficult - it's actually remarkably easy requiring only a few steps (soaking the beans, simmering the beans, skimming and adding water as needed and simmering in sugar and soy sauce at the end).  No, I don't make them often because by the time I think of them it's too late to soak them overnight and to simmer them the required 4 - 5 hours.

Never mind.  You are much more organized and forward thinking than I and you will get the beans soaking and cooking well in advance of when they will be wanted. 

For an "official" recipe visit my very favorite bento web site.  The recipe is here.  Enjoy!

Quotable quotes; in the category Having Your Cake And Eating It Too Is A Snap Compared To This!

"Wishing to eat the fugu, but wishing to live too."  Japanese proverb

Bent uh-oh

I brought a bento to work for lunch today.  I am not posting a picture of it because it is decidedly ugly.  I tried making a tamagoyaki (rolled egg omelet) with asparagus spears rolled up inside.  It failed dismally, falling apart and looking extremely un-photogenic.  I know from experience that tamagoyaki is delicious.  In fact it's usually my favorite part of the bento and I try to include one in every bento I make, so I'm confident that this ugly duckling will still taste great.

In addition I have beef strips with shitake mushroom and a sort of spicy chicken teriyaki.  I cooked the mushrooms the day before, then added them to the beef.  I also cooked some carrot, celery and radish (raw veggies from a couple days ago) and glazed them with the chicken.  In case you want to try them here are my "recipes".  I don't claim they are authentic but they are all based on recipes I have found at other bento blogs and cookbooks with my own adaptations imposed up on them.  Enjoy!

Simmered Shitake Mushrooms:  my recipe said to use fresh mushrooms.  I didn't have any so I soaked dried mushrooms in water, trimmed & discarded the stems, then sautéed them in sesame oil.  I added a drizzle of soy sauce, mirin and sake and a pinch of sugar and simmered until the liquid had cooked away and the mushrooms were glazed.  Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Sesame Style Beef:  slice any tender cut of beef thinly against the grain.  About a half dozen generous slices will make a nice serving.  Marinate 15 - 30 minutes in soy sauce, mirin and sake -  about a teaspoon or so of each.  Saute over medium high heat in sesame oil, then add the marinade and simmer, turning often, until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze and the beef is coated.  Optional - you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes and garnish with minced green onion if you wish.  Add the mushrooms and finish the beef & mushrooms together.

Spicy Chicken:  use chicken breast or thigh, as you prefer, boneless, skinless or not.  Marinate in a little hot sauce such as Tabasco or Picante sauce.  Saute in sesame oil until browned on all sides then add a little teriyaki sauce or a dribble each of soy sauce, mirin and sake (are you getting a picture here?) and simmer until thickened and chicken is glazed.  Optional, include some celery, carrot and onion or radish, thinly sliced and cooked in sesame oil, soy sauce & mirin.  Alternately, toss the marinated chicken in a little corn starch or potato starch, omit the teriyaki sauce, and cook until browned and crusty.

Pack your bento with steamed rice, the beef, chicken and tamagoyaki, if you made one, and some extra spears of asparagus or steamed broccoli florets.  Add a couple cherry tomatoes for color.  Allow the bento to cool completely before placing the cover on the box.  This bento should require no refrigeration as long as it's eaten within a few hours of preparing.

For more bento ideas check out my favorite bento blog, Just Bento.

Quotable quotes; in the category This Way To Tasty But Ugly Tamagoyaki!

"Failures are the finger posts on the road to achievement."
C. S. Lewis

Bento - Finally!

I finally got around to making another bento.   I have been meaning to for a long time but it just didn't seem to get done.  I am so out of practice this bento took me a half hour or more to prepare.  But it was worth it.

I included some of my favorites - chicken teriyaki, sauteed cocktail wieners and my most favorite of all, a tamagoyaki (egg cake).  I also included some peppers, onion & carrots cooked in soy sauce & mirin and a cucumber pickle.  I placed half an umeboshi plum on my rice.  This was my very first umeboshi.  It was very salty but tasty in its way.

I put the bento in a recycled take-out container as I could not lay my hands on an "official" bento box.  The only problem was I could not pack it quite tight enough to prevent any shifting around so I had to carry it carefully to prevent it becoming "messy".

I hope it does not take me so long to make my next bento.  This was fun . . . and tasty!!!

Quotable Quotes; in the category Yes, Especially If There's Bento For Lunch!

"When people you greatly admire appear to be thinking deep thoughts, they probably are thinking about lunch."  Unknown

Tiffin Is As Tiffin Does

So I have branched off from my bento box collecting to include tiffins.  According to some minimal research a tiffin is to India as a bento is to Japan.  The word can mean both the container and the food within.

Seems in India there are tiffin wallahs who pick up the freshly packed tiffins from the homes and deliver them to the workers in their offices.  They work with such speed and accuracy it's a mystery how the proper tiffin is delivered to the right person, and they arrive fresh and hot.  Since the tiffin is not insulated this can be important.

These are the first tiffins I have added to my bento collection. I bought them from Cost Plus World Market. The round one is probably large enough to hold a fairly substantial lunch of rice, a few pieces of meat, fish or tofu, and a selection of side dishes and salads, held in those little silicone cups so popular with bento lovers. 

The rectangle one is much smaller, not much bigger than a 3 x 5 card an only a couple inches deep.  It might be large enough to hold a snack, a lunch for a very young child or perhaps a muffin or a few pancakes, sausages and some fruit and yogurt for a "brown bag" breakfast.  It would also make a good companion for a smaller bento, one that's not quite big enough to carry all that you need for your lunch.

But I must admit both are extremely cute and that is the real criterion, no?  So now I have to get my act together and get some bento or tiffin appropriate foods on the menu and put these little guys to work.  If I pack anything especially delicious or photogenic I'll be sure to let you know.

Quotable quotes; in the category  Put THAT in your lexicon and speak it!

"Or just be intelligent and Nigella about it."   Lalita Iyer in a June 2, 2012 Times of India article about the health minister's demand for nutritious lunches for school children.

Oh! Bento!

I love bento.

Let me rephrase that.

I love the idea of bento.

I say that because even though I have been steadfastly collecting bento boxes, bento books, bento recipes and other bento related accessories, I don't make and eat bento as often as I'd like.

Some years ago a bento mania was apparently unleashed.  Moms make darling animal and cartoon character bento for their kids' school lunches.  Loving wives prepare exquisite bento for their spouses.  People tired of the old sandwich and apple brown bag routine or the ever more expensive soup/salad lunch out have turned to bento.  Those looking for imaginative ways to cut calories have discovered bento (there is a popular belief that the size of the bento box indicates the general number of calories it contains). 

Bento web sites abound.  Some of my favorites are Just Bento, Lunch in a Box and the aptly named My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch.

For a while I was bento crazy and committed to bringing a filling, nutritious bento for my workaday lunch.  I even learned to make a tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet) using a single egg.  This morsel is my favorite item in virtually every bento I have prepared.

Alas, now I can barely drag myself out of bed in the morning let alone exercise for 20 minutes then prepare a bento lunch in addition to showering, dressing and all the other tasks necessary to getting out of the house in the morning.

Perhaps I need to just buck up and recreate those habits.  A perusal of many of the bento sites proves that with planning and advance preparation, the last minute stuff can be taken care of fairly quickly in the morning.  It's just a matter of being prepared and committed.

The other day I made myself a bento lunch.  I did not have a lot on hand but I thought the carrot, celery and leek stir fry would be good over rice.  Actually, I put it over quinoa and Israeli couscous and it was not bad.  I think it would have been better had I stirred a little dressing or teriyaki sauce into the grains.

The vegetables were diced leeks with thinly sliced carrot and celery, cooked in a bit of sesame oil with a dribble of soy sauce and mirin at the end, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  The broccoli was blanched for a minute in boiling water and refreshed in cold water, then drained.  I vigorously shook off all the excess water to be sure my bento did not get soggy.  I stirred a little chili seasoning into a dab of mayonnaise to make a dip for the broccoli.

The one egg tamagoyaki filled in the corner (my favorite) and the best part was, I cooked it in the same pan as the vegetables, after they were done.  I love washing fewer dishes.

This bento was packed in a child's bento box which I purchased at a "Hello Kitty" store in the perimeter of our local Asian Super H Mart.  In case you do not know (I didn't) each of these characters has their own name.  I bought this box because the proprietress would not allow me to leave without making a purchase and insisted she would give me a discount.  I think this one was half off the original price.  It has a kid sized fork and spoon in a recess in the lid.  Cute but not very functional for an adult.  I prefer chopsticks anyway.

The vegetables were tasty.  Maybe next time I'll add some sliced mushrooms.  A few pieces of grilled chicken or grilled tofu would be a great addition to this bento, and maybe some cucumber or cabbage pickles. 

If I decide to forgo an extra 20 minutes of sleep, get up to exercise, make a bento and carry my coffee to work instead of enjoying it in front of a mindless early morning TV show I'll be sure to let you know.  Until then, konnichiwa!

Quotable Quotes; in the category It Sounds Good In Any Language!

"It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like 'What about lunch?'"

A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh