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

Pork-Tastic!

Last time I blogged about this little guy.  It has certainly come in handy.  So far it has handled cream of tomato soup, cream of broccoli soup and cream of mushroom soup.  Yesterday it surpassed itself reheating some leftover barbecue pork (and will provide an encore performance today).

I have a very simple recipe for pulled pork.  I just cook it.  Well, it's a little more involved than that but not much.  I rub a pork shoulder (pretty much the cheapest cut and the best for long, slow cooking) with a spice rub.  You can make your own by combining approximately equal amounts of salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, and any other other herbs & spices you like - cinnamon, red pepper flakes, cayenne, thyme, cumin, you name it.  Or just buy a jar of your favorite rub or spice blend.

Rub the meat all over with the spice blend and lay it in a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup - optional) and place it in a 450ᴼ oven.  When it starts to sizzle, after about 25 minutes or so, turn it down to 275ᴼ.  After a couple hours, turn it down to  250ᴼ and finally turn it down to 225ᴼ.  In all, it will spend about six hours in the oven after which time it should be fall apart tender.

Of course, if it's summer or you're a die-hard grill master you can do this on the gas or charcoal grill.  Just be sure to monitor the heat and to replenish the coals as needed.  I prefer the easier oven method.  It's just as tasty albeit without the smoky flavor the grill contributes.

Shred the pork with two forks or let it cool a bit and pull it apart with your hands.  Wear gloves or the paprika will stain your fingers.  Mix in your favorite homemade or store bought barbecue sauce and you are in business.  I like to serve this on sandwich rolls.  Cole slaw and potato salad are great accompaniments, as are mac & cheese or baked beans.

Leftovers can be reheated with a little additional sauce in your lunch crock and you can have your barbecue all over again!

Quotable quotes; in the category Okay Maybe He Didn't Really Say It But Maybe He Should Have.  And If You Find It On The Internet It Has To Be True, Right?

"Barbecue is popular because it combines the maximum of temptation with the maximum of opportunity."  George Bernard Shaw

Tooth Hurty!

Well, I finally had the offending tooth pulled and a bone graft to boot (necessary as I plan to have an implant later to replace the lost molar).  Not my favorite activity, let me tell you.

What I did enjoy was finding new things to eat that require little or no chewing and a freezer filled with Dove Bars and Ice Cream Sandwiches, useful both as a food source and as a cold compress to help reduce swelling after a tooth extraction.

One thing I have really enjoyed is this little gizmo. 

It's made by Crock Pot and is a lunch warmer.  It does not cook food, it warms it to eating temperature.  Fill the inner container with soup, stew or (I'm hoping) spaghetti, lasagna, mashed potatoes & gravy you name it.  Plug it in when you get to work and by lunch time your food is hot and ready and you did not have to deal with a line at the microwave (or any body's grody mess) or the high prices at the cafeteria.

There are lots of reviews of this product here.  I'll add my $.02.  There is a little ridge near the top of the inner container where the plastic lid snaps in.  I found after the first use that some of my soup had worked its way into the groove and I had to wash it extra carefully to be sure it all came off.  The container is not non-stick (and I would not want it to be) so you may want to spray the interior of the inner container with PAM or vegetable spray before filling.

The instructions tell you not to place the item on certain surfaces.  Better be sure and get a little wooden cutting board or trivet to place it on while heating.  You cannot remove the inner container while it's full of hot food, so you may wish to move the food into another container (which you'll have to wash) or just eat form the whole thing.  I'm not embarrassed - no reason to be!

I figure if I use this thing even once a week I'll have gotten my money's worth.  I don't often bring in things that need to be reheated, but when I do I hate to use the microwave.  I don't know why, I just do.  This is a great alternative.

I also bought this little guy (mine's bright yellow) thinking I might toast my sandwich once in awhile instead of eating it cold.

I'll let you know how this works out after I give it a try.  Meanwhile, check out the Lunch Crock.  You might like it!

Quotable quotes; in the category That's A Joke, Son!  (Actually, It's A Riddle)!

Q:  What time is it when you go to the dentist?
A:  Two-Thirty!

Comfort Foods - No Really!

I've been having dental issues again this weekend.  Luckily my stock of pain relievers is sufficient.  Sadly, it looks like another root canal is in my future.  If there's anything I hate worse than dental work it's not being able to eat comfortably.  Luckily my experience with dental work is as sufficient as my stock of pain relievers, so much so that I am considering writing a cookbook of soft foods that can be eaten while in extreme dental pain.  Here are a few ideas you might want to try next time you have a cracked tooth or need a root canal.

Potatoes.  Mashed.  Obvious, right?  But to make them just a little more substantial, peel a few potatoes (if they are young or are red or white potatoes with thin skins, just scrub them) and cut in chunks.  Place in a pot with water just to barely cover and sprinkle in a little bullion powder.  Simmer until very tender, drain any remaining liquid and return to the stove to dry a bit.  Plop in a nice amount of butter, a pinch of salt, a grinding of black pepper and top with minced fresh or dried parsley or chive.  Stir with a  fork to smash and enjoy, being careful to chew only on the unaffected side!

Take out.  A bowl of egg drop soup from the Chinese restaurant on the corner is just the thing.  If you can chew at all ask for a couple of won tons (or steal them from the Big Guy's bowl of Won Ton soup).  To make this at home heat a can of chicken broth (or water & bullion) to a simmer.  Season to taste with a little soy sauce, hot chili oil or whatever you like.  Beat an egg and drizzle into the soup while stirring gently to make egg flowers.

Congee . . . sort of.  Congee is actually a very small amount of rice cooked in a very large amount of water until it's a thick sort of soup.  Not exactly gruel, not exactly porridge, more like cream of nothing soup.  It's seasoned with bits of meat, vegetable, and other things.  To make a similar version at home add a few spoonfuls of leftover rice to a cup or two of chicken broth or water & bullion.  Simmer until the rice is completely dissolved and the soup is thick.  You can beat an egg and stir this in if you like.  Season to taste (see above) and enjoy.  Remember to let it cool if your teeth are sensitive to heat.

Don't forget the old standbys like oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina or grits.  Just leave out anything that requires much chewing like whole raisins or walnuts.  Remember to let it cool a bit if sensitive to heat.

For something cool try small curd cottage cheese, jello, or pureed anything (think baby food from a jar).  Any cooked fruit (apricots, peaches, apples) can be pureed, sweetened and enjoyed warm or cold.  Or do the same with vegetables such as squash, peas or cauliflower.  Or just grab a few jars from the baby food aisle.  Nobody has to know.

After a day or two of these dishes you will be eager to make that appointment and get back to steak and salads.

Quotable quotes; in the category What Is This, A Joke?

Q. When is it time to go to the dentist?
A. Two-Thirty! (tooth-hurty).

I Call It Pork!

I made a pretty tasty dish for supper last night.  You might call it Buta-don.  You might call it Rice Bowl.  You will call it good.

As usual I rounded up several recipes and took my cue from the ingredients that crossed over and what I had in the kitchen.  It came out pretty good.  I'm including links to a few of them.  This was my favorite and the one I based my recipe on.  Here is another that gave me more ideas.

And here is what I did.

I had a couple pork chops in the fridge - not sure what cut they were - they each had a bone in the center and were rather thin.  I sliced them into thinner, bite size pieces and marinated them in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake and a little sugar.  Being me I also added a little red pepper flakes and a drop of sesame oil.

I also shredded some cabbage because I had some in the house and because I felt like eating some.  Just a few leaves are enough, sliced as thin as you can and then put in a dish of cold water in the fridge to get crisp.

I also thinly sliced an onion partly because I have to use them up and partly because I like them.  Now all I had to do was heat some oil in a non-stick skillet, toss in the onion and toss in the pork (including the bones which had plenty of meat on them).  I sizzled this over fairly high heat until the pork was just about done and the onions nice and golden, then poured in the marinade.  Once it boiled I simmered it until it reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze.

Serve a portion of rice in a bowl with a portion of pork and onions over it and a bit of cabbage (drained) on the side.  Very tasty, quick and easy.

Quotable quotes; in the category Better Serve Everybody Else First, Just In Case!

"There is luck in the last helping."  Japanese Saying

So What Am I???

Big guy recently bought a tub of chopped chicken liver at the market.  He had seen it for sale and promised himself some next time he went there, which was last week.  He said the chopped liver was good (I did not have any) but the texture was too fine.

We used to eat at Carson's Ribs in Chicago.  Alas, while there once was a branch in nearly every nearby city or neighborhood, they have all closed and only the downtown location (and one in Milwaukee, and one in Deerfield) remains.  Carson's is good but not good enough to double the bill with transportation and parking costs.  But we surely miss the complimentary and excellent chopped liver that was available in the bar.  Grab a plate and load up with rye bread, chopped liver and toppings of minced onion & egg.

Carson's liver was more coarsely textured.  Closer to what I used to make "back in the day".  We did not have a food processor so of necessity I mashed the poached livers with a fork for a chunky-smooth spread spiked with onion, butter & hard cooked egg.  Here's how to make it.

Dice an onion or two as fine as you like.  Saute in melted butter - use chicken fat (schmaltz) if you're kosher or if you prefer it - until onions are turning golden and are very limp.  Cooked longer, they will turn sweeter.  Add a good amount of chicken livers.  Cut them into smaller pieces if you wish.  Simmer until the livers are cooked through but are still soft enough to mash with a fork.  Season judiciously with kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper.  Meanwhile, boil a couple of eggs (instructions follow).

Turn the livers into a bowl and mash them with a fork until as smooth as you like.  If you must use a food processor, pulse in several short bursts rather than letting it run continuously, until as smooth or chunky as you prefer.  Add the egg and mash into the spread with the fork (or food processor).

If you wish to serve this later you can melt some additional schmaltz and pour it over the top to seal it.  Stir it into the spread at serving or just nudge it aside.  Serve with bagels, Challah or rye bread or crackers for spreading.  Serve finely minced onion and chopped egg for garnish, if you like.

To make schmaltz, save bits of chicken fat from any whole or cut up chicken you are preparing.  I just slice off the fattier bits of skin and put it aside.  Dice the pieces and render the fat over low - medium heat in a heavy skillet, pouring off the fat as it accumulates.  Strain or not, as you desire.  The leftover bits or "cracklings" are known as gribenes.  These can be added to the chopped liver, used as a garnish, or eaten out of hand, like peanuts.

To make perfect hard cooked eggs fill a pan just large enough to hold the number of eggs with cold water.  Pierce the wide end of the egg with a push pin or an egg piercer, if you wish, and place in the pan.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer about a minute, then turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it stand at least 13 minutes.  Drain and fill the pan with cold water and let stand until eggs are completely cool, or until needed.  I like to tap the shell to crack it all around and let it stand in the cold water for a while, which seems to make peeling easier.


Quotable quotes; in the category But The Chopped Liver Was Just Right!

"Don't be too sweet, lest you be eaten up; don't be too bitter, lest you be spewed out."  Jewish Proverb.

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.