Bento du Jour

First, a word about the title. I have been having a hard time lately coming up with titles for my posts. I mean, how many times can I call it, essentially "My Lunch" before we are all bored to tears? I could go back to Bento #whatever - but I don't exactly know what number I'm on, to be honest.

I was chatting about this title quandry with my friend Andrea and she suggested I try something with an International flair. Since bento is quite the international phenomenon currently, I say, why not?

So without further ado, I present today's lunch:

Contents:

• Brown steamed rice
• Shake-n-bake chicken
• Carrot flowers
• Broccoli stems and grass
• Lettuce
• Grapes
• Tomatoes
  

The color in this tier was good - and the tomatoes continue to be tasty. I even ate my lettuce today, believe it or not!

This is the first time I've used this little flower cutter. It is much smaller than the stars I usually do, and it is a fondant cutter, so I wasn't sure it was going to be strong enough to cut through carrot. It had no problems.

Happy Bento!

Shooting Star Bento

Every day one of my students asks, "Did you decorate your lunch?"

Finally, today, I was able to answer, "A little."


Bento # 106 contains:

• salad
• cucumber
• carrot
  
• broccoli
  
• tri-tip steak
• brown rice

Although this isn't near as fancy as the last time I brought brown rice, my student seemed contented.

Already There

In two days we are flying out of town and will be taking a cruise of the Western Caribbean. So bentos and baking haven't exactly been the top things on my mind lately. Instead I have been thinking about food like this:

This:


And this:


In my head:


Therefore, in my lunch:

My favorite part is the palm tree (made of pea pods and beef brisket):

Here's the whole thing:

Bento # 96 contains:

• beef brisket
• pulled pork (under the beef)
• grapes
• white rice
• pea pods
• instant mashed potatoes colored with...
  

Thanks again, Mom and Dad, for the food coloring!

*cruise food photos by taminator, and cruise ship photo by nicolernorman

Bunny Bento

"What is that?" one of the boys from the table next to me in the cafeteria asked, watching, with furrowed brows as I raised the chopsticks to my mouth.

"What?" I glanced up to see a handful of pre-teen boys looking at me.

"That purple stuff... what is it?"

"Garlic mashed potatoes." I answered, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to be eating potatoes the hue of my utensils in the center of a middle school cafeteria.


I'm beginning to think that I may be developing an unhealthy bento obsession. I was almost late today because I felt I should add whiskers to my lunch bunny. I literally looked at the clock and thought, "It would be okay to be a little late... Wait, what am I thinking? I can make another bunny (with whiskers) some other day; I better get going!"

So here is a close-up of my bunny, sans whiskers:

Contents of bento #38:

• 3 rice onigiri hand formed into head and two ears.
• Nori eyes and nose
• "Hot Shot" seasoning mouth
• Garlic mashed potatoes tinted purple
• carrot made of, um... carrot
• carrot stem made of broccoli
• 3 ham slices, skewered on a toothpick

I have entered this bento in Feisty Bento's contest: Does this make my lunch look phat?

Turkey Bento

Ironically, bento #36 does not contain any turkey meat.


On the left I have pot roast forming the turkey's neck and head. Coriander is his eye. Nori is used for his little pilgrim hat and the letters. Tomato for the gobbler, and carrot for the beak. On the right I have pork chop skewers with pineapple and apple.

Happy Thanksgiving! (I'm celebrating a bit early since this will be my last packed lunch before then.)

Sunny Day Bento

Bento #35 actually got planned out last night in advance. I guess it must be wishful thinking as the dark, wet, cold winter sets in for me to doodle and create a summery bento. Here is the blueprint for today's bento:


And here is the final product:


On the left I have a bed of pearl rice that I cooked up this morning. The grass is made of steamed brocholi (steamed slightly too long, I'm afraid). The sun is made of carrot shavings. The stems are tiny peices of celery. The roses are made of tomatoes that I picked from my garden this morning.

For the record, I don't suggest that you try to craft any shape out of tomato. They are a very difficult and unforgiving medium.

On the right side of the divider are porkchop cubes and pineapple skewered onto toothpicks. Below that are some slices of apple.

Again, if you've never had pineapple pork chops, you should really check out this post which has step-by-step photos to go with the recipe.