Midnight Cocktail Hour at the bento box
Written by Anne Hawley on May 16, 2008 – 12:03 am -(Crossposted at The Breeze at Dawn, my personal blog on LJ)
Whoa. It went from winter to summer around here in one day, seems like. A couple of nights ago I was huddling under a down comforter. Tonight I’m sitting out on my porch barefoot, moonlight filtering in through the bamboo (though, honestly? It can’t really compete with the poetic glow of my computer screen), a light breeze stirring the leaves. And my potatoes have sprouted!
I’ve been bento-ing. It’s part of Project Empty, my big life-decluttering. Simplify, reduce, reuse, eat better, eat less, slow down: an attractive and reusable bento box containing a modest, well-balanced, home-prepared breakfast and lunch, wrapped in a pretty furoshiki, has turned out to be my newest obsession meet a number of criteria in my radically altered way of life.
On my honor, I promise to take this to one of the many, many bento forums online hereafter, but…pictures. Just this once.
Meet my new bento box, which I got off eBay. If anyone can tell me what the fish skeleton is thinking, I’d love to know.
My first go-to-work bento. Part Japanese, part Chinese, part West Coast. Breakfast, in the middle section, is yogurt and raspberries, and mung beans. Lunch includes small baozi–steamed buns– with sweet mung bean paste filling (needs work. Did I mention that I bought five pounds of mung beans the other day?), and tamagoyaki, a rolled Japanese-style omelette flavored with scallions, rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce–very tasty cold.
Now, as I learn to prepare new foods for a just-so bento box each workday, I need to stop myself from beginning a whole new clutter-collection: bento accessories.
*wanders off chanting “one bento box is enough…one bento box is enough…”*
Tags: , bento, lunch, slow food
Posted in Food, Frugality |
12 Comments
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I advise extreme caution regarding bacterial contamination. Those foods are easily infected unless you keep them cold. Warmest regards, Doc.
So far so good.
With me it’s either feast or famine..either I hoard or I order the skip and throw everything in that’s not nailed down..I have to say though once the old junk is gone I feel soo much better, even talking about it makes me want to phone the skip man… the bento box sounds like a great idea, am checking out ebay right away!
Yep, found loads. Ordered one from Japan.
You did? Cool! Google “bento” or search on it in Flickr, and you’ll get a bazillion ideas for how to proceed.
That is beautiful. And what a sensible idea. I’ve always had problems taking lunch to work because the typical American container only accomodates one element.But what if you typically need two - or three - that aren’t all mooshed together for a satisfying meal?
Great idea.
Many bento boxes come with two or even three tiers, of which or more has a divider of some sort. Many bento-ers favor the use of silicone muffin cups as flexible dividers, and I’m finding those indispensable.
Wow.
I need to check this idea out. Thanks!
Anne, I’ll post a diary on how to make sushi later.
I look forward to it. I’ve got the rice part figured out, but the rest is still a bit of a mystery.
That is beautiful! A feast for the eyes as well as the mouth. Have to get some for our picnic basket.
Spring rolls are really easy and would also be a nice addition to the overall meal.
Oh, please tell how you grow your potatoes. I have some German Golds that are sprouting now in my pantry.
I followed the instructions from this Politicook diary, actually.
So far, so good.