Ashley's Japanese Bento Box

Hello Ladies! I would like to start by apologizing for not having tried any of your amazing recipes yet. I've been living in Tokyo for the past 6 months, and unfortunately my lack of both a kitchen and free time means that I've been surviving on take-aways and ready-to-eat convenience foods. Of course, because it's Japan, these are all super delicious. Recently, I've become addicted to Japanese bento, or as we know them, lunch boxes. Now, while I mostly rely on the premade sort, there is actually an entire culture in Japan centering around the homemade lunch box. In fact, there is almost a sort of competition amongst Japanese mothers over the "cuteness" of their children's lunch boxes (if you aren't sure what I mean, check out these photos http://www.squidoo.com/cute-food#module77030961)

Wackiness aside, bentos are also popular amongst adults for several reasons: eco-friendliness, cost effectiveness and they are healthy! But, really, with bento, it all comes down to how it looks. I think any voyage into the world of bento should begin with a visual introduction. Therefore, please find below a list of bento blogs and books that may be of interest, along with a recipe (well, not so much of a recipe, more of a guide) for a beginner bento. Although I can't upload any photos of this bento, I would love to see any photos of your bento. As soon as I have a kitchen (hopefully in a couple of weeks) I'll send you some photos of my bento creations.

Blogs

Just Bento - amazing, amazing site

http://justbento.com/

Bento Zen

http://bentozen.wordpress.com/

Anna the red - awesome site with lots of "how tos"

http://www.annathered.com/

Books

Yum Yum Bento Box - cute recipes, more for kids

http://www.amazon.com/Yum-Yum-Bento-Box-Recipes-Adorable/dp/1594744475/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286876264&sr=1-1

Just Bento Book - adult style bentos

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Bento-Cookbook-Everyday-Lunches/dp/4770031246/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286876264&sr=1-2

Beginner Bento Box Recipe - a classic

The idea is to take all of these elements and pack them together in a lunch box in a way that is both practical and appealing.

Rice

The standard bento has 1 cup of white rice. The best is to use Japanese rice and cook it in a rice cooker. This gives the rice a fluffy and sticky consistency that can easily be shaped or packed to one side of the bento.

Fish

Most bentos include at least a small piece of fish. I am not going to tell you what type to use, or how to cook it...be creative!

Egg

Add either a boiled egg or egg tamagoyaki (sweet Japanese folded omelette).

Here is a video where you can learn how to make egg tamagoyaki - I would just post the recipe, but you really need the video to get the method. Please enjoy the cheesy J-pop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3surzN68H0

Veggies

Add assorted raw veggies for color (and nutrition!). Think easy things like baby carrots and tomatoes or broccoli. Stick these in all the empty spaces that are left once you pack your bento. Or, cut them into cute and creative shapes.

Japanese pickles

These are usually added in a little side dish to add flavor, color and nutrition. There are many recipe variations and types of veggies you can use. Here is a recipe I like and have used before. You can leave out the seaweed if that's not your thing.

http://www.justhungry.com/sweet-and-sour-cucumber-and-wakame-pickles