As weare going on a long holiday end of next week in the north of Japan (expect a long series of articles) I found mysel suddenly extremely busy to the point I cannot come back home for lunch or eat outside. The Missus being very busy at the orthondist she works at on Saturday I cajoled her into preparing a bento for both of us.
“Fine, but it will be a vey simple one!
This was said as opposed to the grand affairs she embarks on Mondays and Tuesdays! LOL

She had the plain rice steamed and made three triangular nigiri/rice balls in two types:
-One with shooga konbu/konbu seaweed marinated with ginger.
-The other two with umebshi/pickled Japanes plum flesh and roasted sesame seeds. She wrapped these in large shiso/perilla leaves.
She added pickled cucumber and ginger (her mother’s) for extra salt needed in these sweaty days.

For the main part, she fried chicken breast pieces with sliced goya and pimentoes with a dash black roasted sesame seeds.

And for the second part of the main dish (and also as dessert) she prepared some tamagoyaki/Jpaanese omelette that she cut square for easy placing inside the rectangular bamboo fiber box.

With instant miso made at the office, I had plenty to last the day!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:

Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK)

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Tuesday: Sushi Bento Day!
Did I say it was flaming hot outside?
I am certainly going to enjoy my day in my air-conditioned office!
“Shake or Sake/鮭”, although BG will come with another snide remark, means “Salmon”. Both words might turn a bit confusing for some when you write them! LOL

Salmon can easily be bought all year round at supermarkets as “Shiozake/Salted Salmon/塩鮭” and frozen when you have any left.
The Missus is always keen on using some, although I always ask her to discard the skin and fat after sauteing it.
She steamed some rice with a big piece of konbu/seaweed before seasoning it into sushi rice. She mixed it with sauteed salmon flakes, thinly cut pickled myoga ginger and cucumber and sesame seeds (these were not cut, BG!).

She lined the bento box with fresh lettuce before filling it with the sushi rice. She topped it plenty of thinly sliced fresh shiso/perilla leaves, home-pickled sansho/Japanese pepper and a piece of lemon for extra seasoning.

The Missus came up with a Salvador Dali (or is it a Picasso?) like side dish!

She came up with the interesting idea of including a half avocado pear inside its skin as a kind of vessel with its filling, the whole to be eaten with a spoon (I’ve got one at the office!). The semi-hard egg had been boiled in onsen tamago style with its yolk still running. The egg had furthermore been marinated in soy sauce and amazu/sweet vinegar, thus providing the seasoning to the avocado (you “crush” the egg into the avocado with your spoon when eating it!). Some more lettuce for the fiber and Vitamin C, and walnut for dessert.

The salad part was completed with raw sweet pimento sticks and home-pickled cucumber. Cream cheese dressing was provided as a dip sauce for the pimentoes.

I should have called that bento, Mexican Bento!

Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus;

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In these days of incessant weather change, one has to make sure of his/her sustainance. In winter, when they are in need of calories, the Japanese often visit the innumerable Korean restaurants in their cities.
I believe that the Korean are tempted with lighter fare such as sushi in summer (I’m only assuming!)!

That is why the Missus came up the idea last night to create a Korean sushi bento of her own for today, Tuesday sushi bento day!

That orange colour is definitively that of kimchi!
After steaming the rice and arranged it as sushi rice, the Missus mixed it with “golden” roasted sesame seeds.
Before spreading the rice on the seaweed, she brushed the inside of the nori/dry seaweed with sesame oil.
She then lined the sushi rice with 3 types of pimentoes she had cut into thin strips before frying them in sesame oil/namuru style.
On top of the vegetables she spread thin slices of pork she had fried Korean-style with spicy sauce and black roasted sesame seeds.

For a closer view of the sushi roll cross section!

The Koreans eat a lot of vegetables with their meat, so the Missus did likewise with a salad duo of freshly cut large plum tomatoes and a combo of cucumber, myoga ginger, shiso/perilla leaves, konbu/seaweed and sesame seeds.

Cherries from Yamagata Prefecture for dessert!

Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat

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We are going through a very trying period of theyear as far as the weather in Shizuoka is concerned. It is either torrential rains or infernal heat. A small earthquake last night added to the general grumpiness.
That is when you need good sustenance!

Colours are as important as nutrients, aren’t they?
The Missus steamed plain rice with shredded carrots and served it sprinkled with black roasted sesame seeds and topped with home-cooked-pickled edamame and cucumber pickled with ginger from her home.

Considering all the beer I guzzled after cycling out yesterday in unprotected heat, the Missus kept the calories to a minimum.

“You always make mistakes when you describe my bentoes, so listen carefully to my explanations!” grumbled the Missus as she gracefully shot the pics. Interestingly enough, I was not supposed to learn her little secrets until now…

She wrapped black tiger prawns in thin pork slices dipped in miso, then wrapped them again with shiso/perilla leaves before rolling them in breadcrumbs and deep-frying them. She placed them in the box with lettuce to wrap around the prawns and lemon for extra seasoning.

She prepared an Oknawan-style “chanpon” by sauteeing together thinly sliced goya and red pimentoes with eggs. The red mini-tomato provided extra vitamins on top of those found in the chanpon.

Japanese cherries for dessert!

Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat

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I called this bento, “Two-Box Bento” simply because the Missus has combined that faithful bamboo leaves/fibers box with half of the new cedar wood lunch box!

The weather has made a complete turnaraound from yesterday’s deluge to a balmy day with plenty of sunshine and heat. I will have to find many reasons to get out the office today!

Today’s bento was another hearty one. I love bentoes, but if I had one everyday I would be afraid to step on the scales every morning!

The “main dish” featured tuna fried with tomato sauce, boiled peas in their pods (they are caleed “snap endou” in Japanese), home-pickled myoga ginger (in sweet vinegar), mini tomatoes and home-pickled wasabi stems and leaves.

Rice consisted of three musubi/rice balls containing umeboshi/Jpanese pickle plum. One ball was was seasoned with yuzu kosho furikake/lime pepper seasoning powder and “white” roasted sesame seeds, and the other with Yukari (red shiso powder seasoning) all were wrapped in green shiso leaves and lettuce.

The salad dish consisted of the Missus specialties, home-pickled carrot tagliatelle with black olives parsley, fried yam/nagai imo and sweet pimentoes, and her mother beans, vegetables and konbu seaweed “ni”/simmered food.

The dessert was a mixture of fresh Shizuoka orange, Chilean grapes and Chinese lychee.

Plenty for a long day!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
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After a very hot Sunday (I mean in April) when we got sunburnt playing (and winning!) cricket, this morning’s cold rain called for another hearty traditional Japanese bento!
The Missus being on holiday today cooked for the two of us, which is always a plus! LOL

The pictures I took this morning were too fuzzy because of the prevalent darkness and I had to take new pictures at the office!
The Missus used that beautiful Aomori Prefecture cedar wood box again!

The rice had been left to soak overnight with water to which she had added musshrooms cooked beforehand and their juices (konbu seaweed was also included).
Having steamed it, she mixed the whole (the mushrooms were left on top of the rice while being steamed) and added boiled broad beans for colour, texture and fibers!

The “side dish” was quite elaborate and the Missus had some difficulties fitting everything in!

She shallow deep-fried two types of chicken sasami/chicken “tenderloins”, one with “white” sesame seeds, the other with black ones. She also fitted in some (boiled) green asparaguses and lettuce.

Tamagoyaki! Plain one, this ime!

Extra vegetables included fried red sweet pimentoes and violet sweet potatoes/beni imo!

For dessert she gave me sliced green kiwi fruit and a new type of lemon/orange recently grown in our prefecture.

It is a very small type of orange or lemon (I will have to check the name) remiscent of a Meyer lemon, but deep yellw. The skin is quite thin and very fragrant (the latter wil go into the bath!) and the flesh very sweet and juicy!

It was certainly gratifying and bigger than it looked!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento

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The Missus at long last received the two cedar wood bento boxes she had ordered from Akita Prefecture in the far north of Japan!
The one she used today cost a whopping 90 US$ although she managed to buy it through the Internet for a little less than 60 US $.

The reason for such a cost is that all boxes are manually fabricated with the best cedar wood cut into very thin sheets to be later shaped with molds and then affixed to each other in painstaking process. Such boxes are washable, although they need some care then. The fact is that the cedar wood will add extra flavour to the food!

The box comes into two tiers with a lid, a small inner mobile partition and its own lacquered cedar wood chopsticks. A “belt” is also provided to secure the box before the Missus wraps it in napkin.
Traditional multi-tiered bento boxes used to be secured with bamboo twine or tightly wrapped into a large piece of cloth.

The boxes seem to be of small small size at first look but they contain more than one might think thanks to their depth.

Not only the box, but the meal too as very traditionla today!
The rice was plain rice steamed with konbu/seaweed and later mixed with home-pickled myoga ginger and sprinkled with roasted sesame nuts.

The Missus fried the salted salmon she bought at the local supermarket in a teriyaki sauce of her own.

The garnish box was filled to the brim!

The vegetables are separated with a small cedar wood partition:
on the right is mixture of yama imo/yam, red and green pimentoes and carrot strips fried together in spicy sauce with hijiki/sweet seaweed;
on the left salad of rapeseed flowers with their stwms and leaves seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing and sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds.
Note that the salads are placed inside paper cups to avoid too much direct contact with the wood.

As for dessert, The Missus included freshly fried plain tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette.
Tamgoyaki is readily available in supermarkets amd are tasty enough, but contains large amounts of sugar and preservatives. The Missus never touches them.
On the other hand the sweet beans were bought at the supermarket, although the Missus from time to time uses beans cooked by her mother.

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento

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The Missus and I went to this beautiful island called Kume Island off Okinawa main island last week, and we took the opportunity to visit the local supermarkets as these are the best places to learn what the local truly eat at home.
We found a special mix to add to rice when steaming it and it certainly for delicious musubi/rice balls!

The Missus seemed to really enjoy herself as she offered me a pe-tasting of her bento with breakfast! It certainly made for a very tradional and colourful bento again!

For a closer look of the musubi!

As for the garnish, she made tuna patties (secret recipe, sorry! I wasn’t told about it, either!) that she fried and served with lemon slices for extra seasoning and added some lightly fried sweet pimentoes for colour, fibers and vitamins. A feww slices of pickled daikon were also added later.

As for the salad/dessert: potato and vegetables salad, mini-tomatoes and plain (but delicious!) tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette.

Poor me, I will have to wait until next Tuesday till the next bento!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento

Please check the new postings at:
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