My seventh grade geography teacher used to set aside certain Fridays during each marking period as "ketchup days" (intentionally spelled that way), during which we could "catch up" on classwork.

I thought "ketchup" was appropriate for the title of this post, as it's really a backlog of bento, with a few other pictures of food mixed in. Buckle in your seatbelt if you have a slow connection...we're going for a bit of a ride! (To reduce loading time, I'm going to split this into more than one post. Watch for another of these ketchup posts soon).

Notre Dame Bento (made for the plane ride to ND - 3/26 or 27?):
Main container: egg salad sandwiches, peppermint tea for my tummy (i get airsick), individually-packaged walnut cookie (in foil packet), spicy pumpkin seeds (in orange packet with spots), mini custard, ginger candy, clementine. Sidecar: Diced honeydew melon.

3/29 (I cooked dinner for myself one night while I was at home for Spring Break because my parents were out with guests and I was tired from my flight back from South Bend):

From top, clockwise: Slices of leftover lamb, a red French rice whose name I can't remember (my grandparents received a package as a gift and didn't like it - but I absolutely loved it for its texture and nuttiness, so I helped them make a dip into it) seasoned with butter and salt and pepper, a spiced-up variation on apples n'onions "hash" (carrots, apples, shallots, slices of leftover baked potato, fried together and seasoned with thyme, cilantro, lemon juice, and some apple juice and raw sugar). I was quite proud of this dinner - it was very very yummy and when my parents came home, the house smelled so good, apparently, that my Dad (who normally won't eat anything I've cooked since he's such a good cook himself and he's almost as picky about quality of food as me) asked me how to make it...

And this was my bedtime snack - chamomile tea with lemon (I added milk and sugar to it after I took the picture), and two digestive biscuits. Mmmm.

3/31 (for the flight back to California):

Main container: lox and cream cheese sandwiches, mixed-rice onigiri (with leftover boiled mustard greens as filling), cherry tomatoes, ginger candy, mini-custard, spiced pumpkin seeds (hidden beneath the other food), peppermint tea (tucked in with the napkin); Sidecar: tropical fruit salad (fresh papaya mixed with canned pineapple and juice). Not pictured: Apple (see photo at the top of this post).

That's it for now. Part II will have three bentos that I've made since the beginning of the quarter (there were actually more, but I didn't have a camera lens for about three weeks, and my phone's camera really didn't do anything justice, so those poor bentos in the middle just didn't get documented).

- s.

Shrimp Balls

Caramel marble Pocky

*I made this dinner so that a co-worker could sample sushi (specifically with eel). She had never tried it. She ended up hating it, but at least she attempted to taste it!

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Originally uploaded by mosli

Monkeys make me happy, for some reason. They aren't my favourite animal, but they make me smile. Maybe that's because "Monkey" is the name I gave my little sister because she'd climb and hang all over me.

This one is a new bento box for me! This side car box is from my Bento Crazy ecrater order. Its the perfect size for fruit or side dish for with a microwaveable main dish. Here my lunch is leftover broccoli beer cheese soup with orange slices and kiwi flowers.

Leftover shredded North Carolina BBQ Pork - why left over? Turns out with some guys at least that the easiest way to their hearts IS through their stomachs. :) Actually I made this for my boyfriend and he loved it!

Frozen carrots

Mandarin oranges

Marble Pocky - Kaoru Rum Raisin flavored

Hmm... no more night pictures. Today's bento is for S-chan. When this bento was made (a year ago today...), he worked as a manager at BlockBuster until midnight, and needed snacks~! Inside are two peanut butter and jelly stars, red beans and rice, and star shaped chipotle chese on honey smoked turky with crackers, and some extra crackers for eating with the rice. Nothing really fancy.

I did find out that the stars alone weren't enough for S-chan, even as snacks! For being so skinny, he sure eats a lot.

Kebiasaan bikin "Bento"... jadi lebih seru...
(Bento itu... bahasa Jepangnya... "Bekal Makan Siang dari rumah")
Pagi-pagi diatas meja... sudah ada... paket makan siang masing-masing (semua bawa bento, kecuali putra tengah yang ada program makan siang dari sekolah...., jadi putraku hanya akan bawa bento kalau menu disekolah tidak disukai - red : menu seminggu digantung di papan ruang guru sekolahnya)

Awalnya dulu... si pengen "hemat"...
Jatah makan siang diluar.waktu itu.... (mulainya kebiasaan ini 3 tahun yang lalu) antara Rp 5.000,- s/d Rp 10.000,- perorang untuk sekali makan... Hmmm terbayangkan untuk 4 orang... dalam sebulan.
Lama... lama... (walaupun sekarang keuangan sudah membaik...) semuanya menikmati.... bahkan.. makan siang ini jadi makan siang yang "mewah"... Karena... seringkali dibuat berdasarkan... "permintaan" dan menunya selalu 4 sehat lima sempurna + kadang-kadang (kalau saya lagi baik hati ni... he he he) ada tambahkan snack...

Alasan lain yang bikin kebiasaan ini tetap berjalan adalah... keluargaku... tidak perlu antri 2 kali disaat istirahat siang (antri...beli makan siang dan antri kedua... antri sholat dzuhur) dan tidak perlu berpindah dari tempat duduk dikantor/ disekolah... Nyaman kan? Ini adalah salah satu contoh "kemewahan" hidup di Jakarta... Gak perlu antri !!!

Adalagi... menu makan jadi lebih terkontrol... terutama Aini... yang banyak pantangan makanan

Hmmm saya ingat dengan film serial dari Korea... "Jung-Gem". Saya memang belum sehebat dia untuk memilih menu makanan yang sesuai dengan kesehatan dan kebutuhan tubuh... Tapi sungguh ia adalah inspirasi saya tentang... "How smart a woman can be...." dengan tanpa meninggalkan kodratnya sebagai wanita.

Ya... kadang kala... kalau sudah bosan... (kadangkala jenuh kan kalau makan makanan dari satu "rumah produksi" terus-menerus) perlu juga si... "selingan" beli jajanan... Cuman... biasanya saya gak tega banget... jadi tetap saja... bawanya kotak bento cuman,... isinya bukan masakan saya.

Hmmm seandainya... kebiasaan para ibu-ibu di Jepang ini... juga dilakukan oleh ibu-ibu di Indonesia... Mungkin kita tidak terlalu pusing dengan segala macam bentuk zat aditif... (pewarna. perasa. pemutih, pemanis... dsbnya) yang banyak terdapat pada jajanan anak-anak sekolah... Atau...paling tidak masih bisa mengurangi..... (Insya Allah)

Ni... gambar-gambar bento....

Bisa dicontoh ya....
Oya ada lagi...bisa dilihat disini kotak bentonya...

All first posted bentos should start with a bang! I made this in May 2007 (heheh ^^*) but didn't consider blogging my bentos until recently. So here it is.

The kitty sandwhich is full of yummy turky salad bought at the grocery store, two chopotle cheese on smoked honey turky slices on crackers with black sesame seed accents (whew), carrots chopped and mixed with itallian dressing (super yummy!), two sticks of chocolate Pocky, blueberry fruit snacks, and my favorite, Green Tea Cake with balck sesame seeds on top.  The recepie is just below! You'll need a bamboo steamer, but they aren't very expensive to pick up.

- Green Tea Cakes -

Directions:

1) Set a bamboo steamer large enough to contain a 9x9 inch pan over simmering water. For bento sized cakes, you can pick up some reusable foil containers at your local grocery store. They are about 3x3" diamater. Or use whatever you please!

2) Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and green tea powder. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, water and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until mixture has tripled in volume. Fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

4) Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold whites into the egg yolk mixture. Pour batter into the cake pan.

5) Place cake pan in steamer. Stretch a kitchen towel over the cake pan without touching the surface, then cover with steamer lid. Steam cake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and cut into pieces before serving.

Originally uploaded by mosli

D's little blue bento box was stolen! I've never heard of anyone stealing a lunch box before, but I guess when the box in question is a cute, slightly irreverent bento box, it could be tempting. Thankfully I got a lovely new bento courtesy of Bento Crazy's ecrater shop, so I sent D with my bento as his snack pack.
In the utensil layer are homemade candied orange. In the bottom tier are orange slices and kiwi stars. In the top tier is a black bean and plantain empanada with a little dish of sour cream. I made the empanadas this weekend to the rave review of "you could sell these." That's how I know I have a real winner that I'll be making again. Well, that and the happy noises that go with it.

I used this recipe for the empanadas, using filo dough instead of puff pastry, and chilli powder instead of cayenne pepper. I also skipped the milk, butter and queso fresco.

So, as my lovely title says, I have a new obsession: bento boxes! What is a bento box, you may ask? Well, in Japan people pack their lunches in adorable little containers, while filling every possible space with nutricious goodies. There are some really cool links out there on bento:

http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/2006/10/vegan-bento.html

http://www.cookingcute.com/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/veganbento/

So, I decided to start making my own Bento lunches as a way to help save money at work and to make something yummy, and healthy for lunch. I promise I will keep you guys updated as to how it goes, along with pictures and hopefully tutorials!

Lots fruit in this lunch today. Tangerines hearken back to the peak citrus season while the apricots herald the new season.

Gifted my friend A a new bento box of the 'Leaflet Tight' variety. She got uber excited and went to town, emailing me a picture of her first ever bento.

My favorite quote from her:

"And you know what? It was easy. It was not time consuming. If it weren't for the fact that I decided to make a pie, I would have been out of the kitchen in no time. And everything is ready for me put in my lunch or use for dinner."

Which is what I try to tell everyone who says, "GOSHURGENIUS!!!"  Seriously.  Not genius.  So easy.  Just takes time.  Not even a lot of it.  I gave her a box and she took it from there.

Starting at the top: Tamagoyaki, a bottle with spicy soy and vinegar and one with fizz (another bento'er uses them for sauces but I have to eat the fizz first!), 3 inarizushi, 4 dumplings on salad and 3-color bell pepper and sugar snap pea stirfry.

BF gets the same plus half a donut. I ate the other half for breakfast right now :D

Its just rice with with Katsuo Fumi furikake (bonito & sesame seeds furikake), imitation crab meat and frozen green beans. I also tossed in some marble Pocky - Kaoru Rum Raisin. I ended up not eating them, there was plenty of cheesecake to consume.

Worth every penny of the dollar I spent!

bento14

Originally uploaded by mosli

Its really easier to eat vegetarian or vegan than non-veggies think. So many people don't even realize that a dish they ate was vegan. No, seriously - all you non-veggies think about it: your peanut butter and jelly sandwich? vegan. Your morning oatmeal? vegan (or veggie, depending on how you made it). That pasta salad?
This is another vegan bento of mine, that I didn't even think about being vegan until after I opened it up at lunch! In the bottom tier is Italian pasta salad. In the top tier are two veggie gyoza with a soy sauce hamster, Thai cucumber salad, kiwi flowers and sliced strawberry.

See mom, no animal products!

Caramel marble Pocky (it was a "chocolate needed" kinda day)

Dried apricots, slice of butter, strawberry preserves (I prefer to melt it and put it on my waffles as opposed to using syrup), frozen Belgian waffles

What a week. Here's yesterday's lunch. Kind of just threw it together. I was in no mood to be all that crafty with it. I'm going to start changing stuff up a bit soon.

Today, I wandered over to the local burrito stand in honor of a little si se puedeness. My coworkers were shocked. "Where are your sugar snap peas?!" What can I say? I like me some 'rito. No taco trucks near by so I couldn't support our local mobile taco vendors. Remember, carne asada is not a sin. Ms. Molina, what were you thinking?

On Monday, I went out to Los Feliz and had lunch with my brother at Niko Niko on Vermont.

The lighting was a bit infuriating, but no doubt about it, the seaweed was delish. Thank goodness for Photoshop.

And going even further back in time...

I went out for Fosselman's with some friends on Sunday night. I had an olde tyme soda and 'scream. A had the choc. dipped strawberry. And T, bless him, tore through the monster pictured above. Hot fudgey boat of happiness.

bento13

Originally uploaded by mosli

Last night I made a quick thai yellow curry (Trader Joe's sauce - not too shabby) with steamed veggies and tofu. Now, I can't just leave dinner at one dish, what about a salad? So, in my family's grand tradition of making things up (crafts, stories, recipies...) I improvised a Thai cucumber salad. Yes, I could have gone to the Thai cuisine cookbook staring at me on the bookshelf, but were's the adventure in that? Thankfully, it tasted great, and left pleanty for lunch! So here in D's side bento is a swirl of thai cucmber sald, veggie gyoza, shumai, and kiwi flowers with strawberries. The little green hamster bottle has soy sauce for the gyoza and shumai.

Improvised Thai Cucumber Salad

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (veggie version)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp rice vinnegar
• 1/2 clove crushed or finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flake

In a cup, mix fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, and pepper flake.  Peel the cucumber and remove the ends. Slice the cucumber into long, thin ribbons. I find that cutting the cucumber in half long ways, then in slices makes it much easier to handle. Put cucumber slices in a bowl and toss with the dressing mixture. You can eat it right away, but the longer you let it sit, the more the flavours will combine.

普段木曜日は"弁当の日）ではないけれども妻が主張のため造ってくれた。今晩一緒に映画館へ行く予定ですから夜まで我慢するために比較的に大きい弁当になりました。

実際お腹が空いている高校生弁当と同じぐらい量だった。
メーンはドライかリーでした。缶詰のシーチキンと豆に玉ねぎとガラムマサラ等を加えて炒めた。ご飯の上に伸ばして後は茹で卵と家のヴェランダーのイタリアンパセリーで飾りました。

サラダとしてクレソンのうえにチコリとハム＋ミニトマト＋人参;蜜柑
職場に有る静岡産の山葵ドレシングを描けた。
晩まで他のものをまったく必要になりませんでした！

Shizuoka Sake
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Please check the new postings at:
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Thursday is not a usual day for my Bento Lunch as this is the Missus' free day of the week. But as she had to visit the family, she asked me to eat the office. Mind you, I don't complain as it in fact allows more time for my own.

As we have planned to go to the movies this evening, she prepared a hearty lunch to last me until after the flicks (I wonder where she plans to go after that?). Even a hungry high school kid should have been satisfied with it!
The main dish is "dry curry" (a Japanese misnomer if there was one!) made up with canned tuna and beans enhanced by onions, all fried together with curry paste and what else. On top she "sprinkled" some soft-boiled egg with Italian parsley from our balcony (the parsley, not the egg!). Very tasty, actually.

As for "salad", on a bed of cress she placed chicory leaves with ham, mini tomatoes, carrots and orange.
I used the wasabi dressing in the office fridge for seasoning.
I surely need no more food until after the movie theatre!

Check out my Bento Box Wishlist :D

bento11

Originally uploaded by mosli

I love spring because of all the great fruits and vegetables the come in season. Plus, inseason means that i'm more likely to find said produce at my local 99Cent only store! You can't beat cheap food. D's bentos are usually a microwaveable main meal and a side "snack pack" for when ever its wanted. I put this together for him in the morning, and watched in envy, wishing it was my lunch (with small alteration). Clockwise from the top is sliced mango and strawberry, edamame, carrot and cucumber salad, and pork shumai. He had leftover peanut noodles for main dish.

Fried wholewheat pasta (was a leftover from dinner) with some leek, cabbage and chili, tamagoyaki, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, Thai basil, some salad leaves, a piece of rhubarb cake and some grapes.
The BF gets the same. He doesn't technically need to pack a cake because he's at home and can steal as much cake as he likes, but he asked me to pack one anyway because his scatterbrain will forget. Can't argue with that...

I made a bento in my new box today :D

Sausage and onigiri, watermelon, yogurt and celery with peanut butter. It's a pretty random mish-mash of stuff, but I didn't plan any lunches this week and kind of just threw together what I could find. Works for me, it smells good!

I was so excited that this recipe worked out! It's more of a technique, at least the way I did it. The original recipe (from Naomi Kijima) used gobo, string beans, and other veggies I didn't have on hand, so I just used carrots. I simmered them (already cut) in a little water with soy sauce and mirin, while I pounded some thin slices of beef even thinner. I sprinkled the beef slices with a little flour, then rolled up the carrot pieces in the beef. Place seam side down in a hot skillet, and brown all the way round. Then add some sugar, more soy and mirin, and a little sake to make a glaze. Roll the rolls in this until completed glazed. YUM!

And then I made some couscous stuffed tomatoes (with my favorite couscous fixings, artichoke hearts and kalamata olives). Some premade mashed potato mounds and orange wedges completed this very filling lunch.

I am SO excited that the beef rolls worked! They look so cool . . . And tasted so good . . . :)

Check out the recipes (or ones that are close) at my new Bento menu on Recipezaar.

Fusilli with roasted pine nuts, broccoli & cauliflower for lunch . Green apple for dessert !