NSR - Bento!

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:52 pm

I've recently gotten interested in bento lunches (japanese packed lunch). Extremely compact and perfectly suited for scooter travel.

Anyone else do this? I got introduced to it by a good friend here, but I'd love more people to bounce around ideas and the like with.

Queen · Post by **Queen** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:25 am

I've had bento lunches before but when I tried to find a decent bento box to buy, most were more decorative than functional...or made of plastic like mini tupperware?

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:22 am

I've been looking at jbox.com for stuff. This is the one I'm currently looking at.

I figure the checker pattern goes nicely with carrying it on my scooter.

Tried my hand at making onigiri a few days ago in preparation. I did okay, but I really appreciate the molds now!

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:28 am

You wrap the onigiri with nori? I grew up on that stuff as a child, we snacked on nori like it was potatoe chips. You can usually only find full big sheets of it in grocery stores, but in asian supermarkets and shops you can find small squares individually cut and packed for snacking. Sort of like a pack of crackers, but a pack of nori sheets.

Bento lunch boxes are very beauitful, here's one a girl in Japan did for the game littlebigplanet.

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:41 am

Nice!!

I didn't wrap mine last time, though I plan on it. Went looking yesterday for nori that was soy-free. Stupid food allergies...gonna make bentos a challenge.

I managed to find some, though. Yeah, it's in sheets. I plan on cutting them to shape as I need. Also managed to find some *looks for japanese word in vain, then gives up* onigiri sprinke-thingits that don't have soy and looked like I might like them, so I'm going to get those this week.

Not only is this going to help me save some money and get me eating healthier, I'm going to finally learn the secret art of food preparation on a time budget!

pineapplemice · Post by **pineapplemice** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 4:39 am

I loooove bento boxes!! I haven't had time to do them for a while now, but I have about 12 of them! They are so fun.

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 11:05 am

Cheshire wrote:I've been looking at jbox.com for stuff. This is the one I'm currently looking at. I figure the checker pattern goes nicely with carrying it on my scooter.

Tried my hand at making onigiri a few days ago in preparation. I did okay, but I really appreciate the molds now!

that box looks really cool. I'm a collector of stuff and I collect boxes to put the stuff in. I think this may be a sign that I'll be one of those old people with lots of cats when I retire, not sure. Anyway, are there specific foods that you put in these boxes? about what are the measurements of the box?

r0sa · Post by **r0sa** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:26 pm

i gotta get me some of these bento lunch boxes!

Post by **polianarchy** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:11 pm

I'm way too impatient to actually create bento, but I love looking at photos of super-kawaii food online! I <3 http://mmmbento.livejournal.com/. Their links page is especially useful.

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:57 pm

I've finally gotten pretty decent at making rice (and not burning it or letting it boil over...

) but discovered something about nori (seaweed) I just can't get around. Ah, well. I can still make onigiri!! (rice balls)

Lately I've been trying to figure out tamagoyaki (?)...egg rolls. I've almost, almost got it.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 11:36 pm

What's wrong with nori? Seaweed sounds pretty harmless.

Pardon the sidenote, but a Japanese restaurant sounds like a good Tag too!

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:25 am

Syd wrote:What's wrong with nori? Seaweed sounds pretty harmless.

Pardon the sidenote, but a Japanese restaurant sounds like a good Tag too!

It doesn't quite make me gag, it's more like my throat refuses to swallow it. I've tried, it just doesn't work.

That would make a good one. I grabbed another on my commute today, but if someone doesn't use it first, I might go for that!

n2tattoos · Post by **n2tattoos** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:55 am

being a jap, i've got quite a few bento boxes. not really all that decorative, mostly just useful. and i almost never make sushi...too time intensive for the reward (unless a girl is involved).

MAJensen · Post by **MAJensen** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:34 am

Justbento.com is a great web site for bento. The sister site justhungry also has great recipes. I love the Miso Marinated Pork (butaniku no misozuke). It is also great right off the grill.

alienmeatsack · Post by **alienmeatsack** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:21 pm

I've got a Mr. Bento and use it when I can. I love him, he is deceptively large inside and I can almost never eat all the food I put in.

I don't get crazy with my decoration, I'm more about eating the food, not looking at it.

But, there are all kinds of wierd gadgets to help make fun shapes of boiled eggs and such out there for Bento life. It's fun to look at the Flickr pics and such.

LisaLisa · Post by **LisaLisa** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:25 pm

Today's bento:

bunny · Post by **bunny** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:11 pm

I had no idea you could MAKE your own bento boxes.

I've only known it as something to order off the menu at sushi joints....

Woe has been my education. I must go learn about them...especially the food cutters and stuffs...

alienmeatsack · Post by **alienmeatsack** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:33 am

There's a whole cooking gear culture around it. THe little bottles with sauce in the photo above are one of the things that are popular, as are the silicon baking cups (i love these for sauce and compartmentalizing). My fave is the boiled egg presses. I had my eye on a Mario set for a while. I mean, who wouldnt love a hardboiled egg shaped like Mario, Toad or similar.

mandyscoots · Post by **mandyscoots** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:24 pm

LisaLisa wrote:Today's bento:

OMG I love this. Are those little sauce containers?
I have been looking into the metal version.
http://www.amazon.com/Utensil-Tiffin-Pa ... LDCGZ83AWQ

LisaLisa · Post by **LisaLisa** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 3:57 pm

I'm just waiting for this thread to get moved to gallery....
The little sauce containers are shaped like pigs.
I have my eye on egg molds. Want the rabbit/bear set.

What I like about the bento box is that it fits so nicely in the pet carrier.
It really does tie in with scooting, since the best thing in the world is to scoot out to some idyllic locale and eat a picnic lunch.
Wrap it up furoshiki style and you have a convenient carrier and lap cloth.