Book Review: Kawaii Bento Boxes

There aren’t many bento cookbooks written in English, so of course I’m curious when a new one comes out. I’m a big fan of Japanese-language cookbooks for their glanceable step-by-step photos and intuitive graphic presentation of complex material. Kawaii Bento Boxes: Cute and Convenient Japanese Meals on the Go, newly published by Japan Publications Trading’s Boutique-Sha, really captures the essence of fun, kids-oriented Japanese bento cookbooks.

As I was leafing through it, though, something started to seem oddly familiar. A quick browse through my kitchen bookshelf revealed why I was experiencing deja vu: it’s a straight translation of the same publisher’s Japanese-language cookbook Ichinenju Yakudatsu Tsuen Obento: Daisukina Kondate ga Ippai: (“Children’s Bentos that are Helpful Year-round: Lots of Favorite Menus”), with identical photos, layout, and text.

Now, there are both good and bad aspects to a straight translation of a bento cookbook written for the Japanese market. It’s extremely well suited for bento enthusiasts or Japanophiles already familiar with Japanese food, but may miss the mark for others…

Like Hawaii’s Bento Box Cookbook (see my full review here), Kawaii Bento Boxes is aimed at parents of young children who want to add playfulness to packed lunches, with simple recipes for very Japanese bentos that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less. You can browse the inside of the book at Amazon, and view the full table of contents and sample pages. The US$18.95 book (currently $12.89 on Amazon) is 82 pages long and in soft-cover magazine-book (“mook”) format.

1. The Book Structure

Kawaii Bento Boxes opens with some brief but solid introductory material about bento basics, including an overview of bento gear and how to pack a bento (browsable in full on Amazon).

Most of the book consists of photos of cute sample lunches with short recipes and a time estimate of how long it will take to prepare the bento (usually 15-20 minutes, assuming you’ve got staples like cooked rice already made, fresh or frozen). Every other page has an abbreviated step-by-step tutorial with photos, like the section on how to make rolled pancakes below (very helpful). These lunches are further divided into types, such as rice, sushi, bread, pasta, warm-weather, cold-weather, favorites, and picnic bentos. Here’s the pancake page:

Throughout the book are a number of sections showing variations on a theme, that may inspire readers to think outside the box with their own creations. Here’s a page with differently decorated onigiri rice balls (see below) and a sample lunch.

Here’s the same page in the Japanese original, so you can see they’re identical.

And a few pages of food art accents made with eggs, sausages, fruits and vegetables.

Note the classic apple rabbits! (See my apple rabbit tutorial for detailed directions.)

At the end of the book is a visual, color-coded index of additional recipes, organized by the main color of the dish: brown/black, white, yellow, red, or green. This makes sense when you think of the five-color rule of thumb for bento composition. You know how a colorful meal is a healthy meal? Including a variety of different colored foods in a bento helps ensure a balance of nutrients, so it’s handy to have a glanceable index of recipes sorted by color. Staring into the fridge and can’t think of, say, a red/orange dish? Leaf through some cookbooks organized like this and you might get some quick ideas.

2. The Nitty Gritty

My main hesitation about recommending this book for everyone is the food itself and the lack of background information for those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of Japanese food. It includes unusual ingredients that may not appeal to the average American child, like gobo (burdock root), natto (fermented soy beans), ume (sour plum), and eel.

To get some perspective, I showed this book to a couple of mom friends (American and English) who pack lunches for their kindergarten-aged children. Their take was that they might use it for inspiration and general ideas for ways to pack bentos and what to include, but that it looks time-consuming so they’d probably apply their own food. The dishes seemed unusual to them and geared toward a Japanese audience (yakisoba sandwich, anyone?), and they didn’t always understand what some of the bento accessories like sauce containers were, mistaking them for actual food. Japanese readers wouldn’t necessarily need an explanation, but non-Japanese would definitely benefit from more background information or the inclusion of slightly different dishes that are more common here.

Overall, Kawaii Bento Boxes is quite professionally done, but with some omissions that may make it a little confusing to a Western audience looking to quickly prepare recipes with ingredients already in the kitchen. Look at it as inspiration, though, and you’ll come away with a lot of fresh new ideas for lunches you’d like to prepare using foods your family already enjoys.

If you’re already familiar with bento lunches and Japanese food, however, I think you’ll really enjoy this little gem. The Japanese version has been one of my favorites for a while now, so I’m pleased that it’s now accessible to English-readers.

FURTHER READING:

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Poll: How long does your schoolkid have for lunch?

One issue we’ve run into since my son started kindergarten is the shorter time available for him to eat his lunch.

At preschool the children sat three to a table, and the teachers circulated, encouraging everyone to finish their entire meals during the leisurely lunch period. But now at kindergarten the children sit at one long table together, which has got to be more fun but distracting. Couple that with a shorter time to eat, and more bentos are coming back unfinished. (At least they have recess first, and then eat! If it were reversed I think a lot more would go uneaten.)

I look at this as even more reason to pack a bento lunch, so Bug isn’t wasting time waiting in line for cafeteria food and can just dig right in in the short time available. I’ve also been steering away from packing food that I know takes Bug longer to eat, like soup. I can only imagine the challenges for parents of picky eaters!

What about you? How long do your schoolkids have to eat lunch? (If you have multiple kids, go ahead and take the poll multiple times, answering once for each child.) What kind of issues have you had with the time allotted for school lunch, and how have you adjusted your lunch-packing accordingly? Let us know in comments!

How long is your child's lunch period at school?

26-30 minutes (27%, 215 Votes) 16-20 minutes (22%, 178 Votes) 21-25 minutes (16%, 126 Votes) 15 minutes or less (10%, 83 Votes) 41-45 minutes (6%, 52 Votes) 46 minutes or longer (6%, 49 Votes) 31-35 minutes (6%, 46 Votes) 36-40 minutes (5%, 37 Votes) no set time limit (2%, 19 Votes)

Total Voters: 805

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Poll voting closes at midnight Pacific on April 2, 2010. Bento-themed merchandise like the “got bento?” wall clock are available at the Lunch in a Box store on CafePress.

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Poll: How many American bento-makers are men?

A Japanese radio station asked me to do an on-air interview about bento lunches in the United States, and they seem to think that there’s a growing trend of American men who pack bentos. This may be because of a recent trend in Japan of “bento danshi“, or men making bentos for themselves or their families, often as a way to cut food bills in rough economic times. (See the recent Guardian article and video on the subject, or a Japanese TV clip about bento men.)

Although I know of a few men who make bento lunches (Mr. T on the Lunch in a Box forum, A Man’s Bento blog), my impression has been that the vast majority of U.S. bento-makers are women. If you’re a bento-packer in the U.S., weigh in via the poll so we can either prove or debunk this theory!

Do you know of other men who pack bentos in the U.S.? Bento blogs or Flickr streams by men? Are you a man who packs bento lunches? Feel free to weigh in or share links in comments. The radio interview is slated to air in Tokyo late this week, and I’ll provide a link to the podcast afterwards. UPDATE: The bento segment aired on J-Wave Friday morning Japan time, with a Japanese write-up in the Global Frontline section of the station’s blog.

If you're a bento-maker in the U.S., are you male or female?

Female (82%, 874 Votes) Male (18%, 196 Votes)

Total Voters: 1,070

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Poll voting closes at midnight Pacific on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

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Spicy Wok-Fried Chicken with Chilis (Chongqing Chicken)

I had been meaning to update this recipe for a while. Whenever I teach Intro to Sichuan cooking classes, we focus on simple and easy-to-love stir-fry dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, and Dan Dan Noodles. But anyone who has spent enough time in good Sichuan restaurants is bound to eventually try a dish listed as Chongqing chicken, Sichuan chicken with chilis, wok-fried chicken, or a number of similar names. (Lazi jiding is the name in Mandarin.) And inevitably in every class, when I go around the room during the intro ice-breaker and have students list their favorite Sichuan dish of all time, at least one or two will mention this dish.

When a student in a private class I recently taught requested we work on this dish, it reminded me of how long it has been since I made it at home. And so I decided to update this, making it extra crunchy with the method I developed for dishes like General Tso's Chicken and Chinese Lemon Chicken in my cookbook.

Lazi jiding (????) is like a more sophisticated version of kung pao chicken. It's smokier, spicier (a lot spicier if you chop up the chilis), and only a bit more complex in its preparation. (The way I make it is more like shallow-frying. I use about 3 cups of oil, and dredge the chicken in a cornstarch-salt-pepper mixture beforehand.) Few fried chicken entrees are enveloped by such a succulent tongue-tingling sauce.

Give this one a try, especially if you've already tried your hand at some of the more basic Sichuan dishes and want to up the ante!

________________________________________________________

Serves 4

1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes1 1/2 cups cornstarch2 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper3 cups peanut or vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon for stir-frying8 to 10 dried red chilis1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn3 garlic cloves, minced1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced1 small piece ginger, minced

Marinade:

2 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry2 egg whites

Sauce:

2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon chicken stock or water1 teaspoon cornstarchPrepare the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, and egg whites. Coat the chicken with the marinade mixture and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix together the ingredients for the sauce: chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock or water, and cornstarch. Set aside.In a large bowl or plate, mix together the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken in cornstarch mixture and shake off the excess cornstarch. Heat the 3 cups of peanut or vegetable oil in your wok until it registers 350°F on an instant-read oil thermometer. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the first batch of chicken cubes and fry until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.Drain the oil into a heatproof container and save for discarding. Wipe the wok with a paper towel to remove any brown bits, but don’t wash.Reheat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Add the dried chilis to the wok and and stir-fry until just they start to blister, about 30 to 60 seconds. Add the leeks, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in sauce mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add the fried chicken, toss to combine, and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

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Khanom Sen Paa Net/ขนมเส้นป้าเนตร (เก๋ากึ๊ก)

Most Thais are familiar with khanom jeen nam ngiaw (???????????????), the northern Thai staple of a pork- and tomato-based broth served over thin, fresh rice noodles. Yet few are aware of the variations the dish can take across the region. In Chiang Mai, nam ngiaw is often rich and oily, and is supplemented with the dried flowers of the cotton tree; in Chiang Rai the dish is hearty and meaty, and there’s even a variant made with beef; and in Mae Hong Son, khao sen, as it’s known there, tends to be thin and tart with very little meat.

Even Phrae, a relatively obscure province in northern Thailand, has its own version. On the surface, khanom sen nam muu (?????????????), as the dish is known there, appears deceptively simple. But as served at Khanom Sen Paa Net, a 60 year-old restaurant in the eponymous provincial capital, it might be the most interesting and delicious version I’ve encountered — largely due to the broth:

This is made by simmering a shocking amount of pork bones with coriander root, garlic, salt and a bit of fish sauce over very low coals for as long as six hours (allegedly they start making the dish at 3am). The result is one of the most amazing broths I’ve encountered in Thailand — virtually clear yet profoundly meaty without any of the funky “porky” odour that pork-based broths tend to have. Towards the end of the cooking process, they toss in a few halved plum tomatoes and cubes of steamed blood; the broth is served over khanom jeen noodles, drizzled with a mixture of crispy deep-fried pork fat and garlic. The tomatoes offer barely enough acidic tartness to counter the rich meatiness, and the dish is served with optional sides of ground chilies toasted in oil, lime slices, chopped coriander, shredded cabbage and bean sprouts.

Given the work that goes into the dish, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the folks here — the third generation to run the restaurant — are extremely proud of the food they serve, using the best ingredients and taking great care with them — practices one doesn’t always encounter in Thailand. I was told repeatedly that no MSG or stock powder were used in the broth; even the chili condiment is made from chilies sourced from Ubon Ratchathani (“They’re better than the local chilies,” I was told).

Typically served alongside khanom sen in Phrae is khao som, tomato-tinted rice topped with a mixture of deep-fried crispy pork fat and garlic:

The tomatoes are steamed before being lightly fried with the rice and a bit of salt. The dish has a slightly sour (the som in the name) flavour, and upon request, they’ll scoop up some of the simmered pork bones to accompany it.

Other than som tam, Thai-style papaya salad, the only other dish served at Paa Net is dessert, which on the day I visited took the form of sago pearls and corn in barely sweet/barely salty coconut milk:

which, like everything else, was utterly simple yet utterly delicious.

Khanom Sen Paa Net
Soi Muang Daeng, Phrae
054 620 056
9am-1.30pm

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NUTELLA: The 30 Best Recipes Giveaway

I am partnering with StyleVisa to give away NUTELLA: The 30 Best Recipes. There will be one (1) winner whom will each receive one (1) NUTELLA: The 30 Best Recipes. The suggested retail price of NUTELLA: The 30 Best Recipes is US$10.95.

Nutella is perhaps the world’s most famous chocolate and hazelnut spread. Sweet and rich, it is divine on toast for breakfast, in a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and as a topping to a favorite dessert. But Nutella, surprisingly versatile and easy to work with, can do even more than most realize.

The new book NUTELLA [Jacquie Small LLP, AUGUST 2013, $10.95 US / $11.99 CAN], explores new ways of using, baking with and enjoying Nutella with 30 mouth-watering recipes. These delicious recipes include irresistible macaroons and tasty cheesecakes, all in a handy, easy-to-use book for all the fans of the famous spread. Some of delectable recipes include:

Nutella and OrangeNutella Whoopie PiesNutella SoufflésNutella MousseNutella Mini Swiss RollsNutella Twelfth Night TartNutella CharlotteMango and Nutella Spring Rolls

The book is whimsically trimmed and bound in the shape of a jar of Nutella and is divided into sections such as little Nutella treats and Nutella for sharing that make it easy to find the perfect Nutella recipe for any occasion. Better yet, each recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous full-color photograph making the book even more mouth-watering and irresistible. NUTELLA: The 30 Best Recipes is the ideal recipe guide for fans of this most-loved of chocolate treats both near and far!

Eligibility: United States. No purchase necessary and subject to this official giveaway rules. Closing Date: June 1, 2014, 11:59 pm PST. Winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email on June 2, 2014. The prize is proudly sponsored by StyleVisa. To enter, please follow the steps below.

Fill in the form below. You can enter to win using this form every day.

You will be redirected to the “Thank You” page if your entry is successfully submitted.

ONE ENTRY PER DAY STRICTLY ENFORCED.

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Water Saving Cooking Strategies

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April 29, 2014Water Saving Cooking Strategies

The letter from the city arrived last week. We knew that it would but fantasized that it wouldn’t. The finality was clearly printed on paper: “Rationing will begin May 1st for all residential customers. You are receiving this letter because your average summer consumption is over your allotment, and steep penalties will applied to any water used in excess of your allotment.”

The City of Santa Cruz where I live relies up on a local water supply. We don’t tap into the California water supply system like many other municipalities in the state.  Striking a blow for water freedom and independence has its price and this was it.

The letter said that our average monthly summer use was more than double our allotment. Okay, we had a couple of leaks in our sprinkler system last year and got them fixed; we weren’t water wastrels as the city made us out to be. The allotment is not unrealistic and actually generous for our household of 2, but unless we conserve, we won’t be able to water our back and front yard plants at all. They’re drought tolerant but to a certain extent only.  Additionally, we hope to embark on a bathroom remodeling project that will likely use a fair amount of water. I don’t want to be a water Nazi to a contractor.

After digesting the reality of rationing, I got obsessed with replacing our home appliances with water- and energy-saving ones. Dishwashers, clothes washers, water heaters, toilets, faucets – I studied up on them. Turns out that replacing our appliances costs a bundle and figuring out what qualifies for energy saving rebates is no easy feat. (As a side note, peruse online sources but go to an old fashioned appliances sales places like Sears for consultation/reconnaissance on home appliances.)  

We haven’t decided on the appliance thing but my husband and I did come up with ideas to save water around the house. We’ll set a bucket in the shower to collect water as the shower water heats up, take shorter showers consecutively so we don’t waste hot water, and flush less (you know what I mean). In the kitchen, my drought tolerant cooking strategies include:

Wash vegetables in a bowl of water. This is something my family used to do: partially fill a bowl with water to wash vegetables during food prep. I’d gotten into the wasteful habit of holding individual leaves of lettuce under a stream of water instead of immersing all the leaves in water at once. The vegetables get washed in order of the relatively clean (tomato or green onion) to potentially super dirty (lettuce or spinach).Rau ram getting watered with broccoli washing water.

Repurpose water for plants. Instead of pouring the water used for washing vegetables down the drain, I water our plants with it. It’s not like that water is greywater that has to get fully recycled to be reused. Most of our produce comes from the local farm so heck, we’re helping to complete the circle. Leftover water in a pitcher, flower vase, and Mr. Spring Roll rice paper dipping bowl gets poured into garden beds too.

Rinse rice then rinse skin. We make rice 3 or 4 times a week and it seems wasteful to dump the rinsing water down the sink.  I collect it in a bowl and water plants with it. My mom told me that rice rinsing water is suppose to be good for the skin, so I occasionally wash my hands or face with it; the beige rice rinsing water is nice because it’s partially hulled. Because there’s starch in that water, you can use some of it to lightly thicken a soup or sauce (think of how you save pasta cooking water to use as a binder). See the comments below for Betty Ann Besa-Quirino's Filipino take on hugas bigas!

Spray versus stream of water. At a home builders convention in February, I asked a Kohler representative about whether the spray nozzle on the kitchen faucet used less water than the stream of water. The water flowed at the same rate so she wasn’t sure. I somehow think that you use less water with the spray as it seems to knock stuff off dirty dishes quickly. What do you think? I’m not about to put an aerator on my kitchen faucet to save water but I will use the spray more often.

Don't throw this murky rice rinsing water down the drain.Some times I spray as I fill a bowl with water to wash veggies.

Double duty dishwashing. If there’s a large pot that needs washing, I fill it with sudsy water to soak and while that’s happening, rinse my dishes in the pot before putting them in the dishwasher. I know that sounds kinda gross but it saves water.

Make a pot of water count. Cooking Asian food often involves blanching, parboiling or boiling several ingredients. To do that efficiently, I bring a 3 or 4-quart covered pot of water to a boil and use it to cook prepped ingredients. I order the ingredients from the benign (carrots or asparagus) to the potent (noodles or protein). Broccoli can turn the water smelly funky and affect other ingredients so I tend to cook it fast and last. This can be a little tricky at first so think about each ingredient and how it’ll affect the water it’s cooked in.

Use less water to boil pasta. Many pasta boxes and recipes say to boil noodles in an ample amount of boiling water but you can use a little less. In 2009 food scientist Harold McGee wrote a New York Times piece questioning the notion of cooking pasta in lots of boiling water. He suggested starting the noodles in cold salted water (say 1 pound plus 2 teaspoons salt in 2 quarts of water). It worked without lost of flavor or texture. Asian noodles cook quickly so I tend to use the 1 pot for many ingredients method above. But with pasta, I'd give Harold's method a try, especially on a relatively big burner on your stove.

May 1st is not far away and we’re hoping to do our part. We were stressed out about water rationing but then we came up with doable strategies to get us through the next several months. It’s a matter of being mindful about something we often take for granted.

What are your ideas for saving water? 

Relates VWK posts and links:

Mr. Spring Roll rice paper dipping bowlBeige Rice: The middle path between white and brown How much water does pasta really need?  (by Harold McGee in NYT)Posted in Cooking Tips & Tools, Gardening | Permalink

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His & her pasta frittata bento lunches

Once a year, volunteer language teachers come from Japan to help out at my son’s school, and do a month’s homestay with families from the school. Part of the homestay deal is that the host family is to pack the teacher a daily lunch to eat at school. So that means that I’m back to making adult and child versions of the same lunch while “A-sensei” is with us — I’m finding it stimulating.

It was initially a little weird to be making bentos for a Japanese person. (You know, will she like our food? I don’t want them to look so thrown-together that the other senseis at school wind up gossiping about it.) But we’ve gotten used to each other over the past couple weeks, so I’m less self-conscious now and am learning her food likes and dislikes. The result? I’ve slipped back into my regular old speed bento habits for both lunches.

For this meal I fell back on pasta frittata, a simple egg dish that incorporates leftover spaghetti from the night before. Now whenever I make pasta I just go ahead and make extra, knowing that leftovers will get remade into breakfast or lunch the next day.

Contents of adult bento lunch: Pasta frittata made with leftover spaghetti, shrimp & tomato sauce (see the full pasta frittata tutorial). Sauteed orange bell pepper with garlic & soy sauce, and green grapes.

Morning prep time: 20 minutes for the two bentos, using leftover pasta for the frittata and including prep/cooling time for the frittata and peppers. Thoroughly cooling all foods before closing them up inside a bento box reduces the amount of condensation inside of the box, improving food safety and making it easier to remove the lid of the bento box. (Click for lunch details and a kid-sized version of the same lunch.)

Packing: I cut the frittata into large bite-sized pieces to make it easy to eat on the go. The peppers are packed in a removable food cup that’s part of the bento box, keeping them separate from the grapes. The lunch is packed in a Hakoya 600ml two-tiered bento box (300ml lower tier, 300ml upper tier) that I picked up last year at Soko Hardware in San Francisco’s Japantown (see my bento gear shopping guide for the San Francisco Bay Area). This make it the right size box for an average adult woman, according to the bento box size guidelines.

Verdict: Well, the box came back empty and I got a thumbs up on the frittata as an interesting way to use up extra pasta. I hesitate to read too much into it, though — our teacher’s very polite.

* * * * *

Contents of kindergartener’s bento lunch: Same as the adult lunch above: pasta frittata, sauteed orange bell pepper, and green grapes.

Morning prep time: 20 minutes to make and pack the two bentos, which includes time to cook and cool both the pasta frittata and the peppers.

Packing: I cut the frittata into small pieces to make them easier to eat without struggling with a knife in a small container, and packed them in two layers inside the box. The peppers went into a reusable silicone baking cup, and I separated the frittata from the rest of the lunch with a removable divider that came with the bento box. The lunch is packed in a 450ml Disney Cars bento box: Bug’s favorite and the appropriate size for him according to the bento box size guidelines.

Verdict: Thumbs up. Got back an empty box.

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