Guest guest Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 So I have been doing a lot of research recently on the concept of bento boxes. A bento box is basically a Japanese lunch box. You see them in restaurants in gorgeous lacquered boxes with separate compartments inside and a different food in each one. Well more informal versions are making their way to the US and I have been enjoying reading about them. I love that they are food art, and that you can cram an entire meal into one beautiful box. And really, I am always looking for an excuse to play with my food LOL. So a few weeks ago I went to a website and bought a few supplies. I wasn't sure what size box to get so I got one that was stacked, with one compartment on top, and one on the bottom and held about 500 ml. Well when it got here I was shocked at how tiny it was. I thought I maybe could put my browns in the bottom and my cooked veggies in the top, but there was no way I was going to fit anything else, which left me without room for protein. So this week I took a trip to a local Asian market to view a few boxes in person. Their selection was very limited, but I found a great box that is 800 ml--typically a " male " sized box in the Asian stores. It isn't stacked like the other one, but it does have a sliding bar you can use to make a second compartment, and it looked like it would fit my food. Today I packed my very first lunch bento. First I put in buckwheat noodle salad, it filled 2/3 of the container, but the partition it came with helped me squeeze it tightly into 1/3 of the container. I added some tofu fingers, steamed broccoli, a few strawberries and a little silicon dish filled with mustard to dip the tofu in. I barely closed the lid, but it all fit! Of course my snack didn't fit at all LOL. But I found my tiny container fit a snack just fine, so now I have a use for that bento, too. Anyways, I put up a picture of the box in case you'd all like to see it. It's in the photos section, here's a direct link: /photos/album/1557984182/pic/lis\ t Hope you are all doing well! Heather There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. --Albert Einstein Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Too cool! I love your creativity. What will it take to get you to cook for me? LOLOL Tina On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 2:26 PM, Heather Butler <hawaiihmb wrote: > So I have been doing a lot of research recently on the concept of bento > boxes. A bento box is basically a Japanese lunch box. You see them in > restaurants in gorgeous lacquered boxes with separate compartments inside > and a different food in each one. Well more informal versions are making > their way to the US and I have been enjoying reading about them. I love that > they are food art, and that you can cram an entire meal into one beautiful > box. And really, I am always looking for an excuse to play with my food LOL. > So a few weeks ago I went to a website and bought a few supplies. I wasn't > sure what size box to get so I got one that was stacked, with one > compartment on top, and one on the bottom and held about 500 ml. Well when > it got here I was shocked at how tiny it was. I thought I maybe could put my > browns in the bottom and my cooked veggies in the top, but there was no way > I was going to fit anything else, which left me without room for protein. > So this week I took a trip to a local Asian market to view a few boxes in > person. Their selection was very limited, but I found a great box that is > 800 ml--typically a " male " sized box in the Asian stores. It isn't stacked > like the other one, but it does have a sliding bar you can use to make a > second compartment, and it looked like it would fit my food. > > Today I packed my very first lunch bento. First I put in buckwheat noodle > salad, it filled 2/3 of the container, but the partition it came with helped > me squeeze it tightly into 1/3 of the container. I added some tofu fingers, > steamed broccoli, a few strawberries and a little silicon dish filled with > mustard to dip the tofu in. I barely closed the lid, but it all fit! Of > course my snack didn't fit at all LOL. But I found my tiny container fit a > snack just fine, so now I have a use for that bento, too. Anyways, I put up > a picture of the box in case you'd all like to see it. It's in the photos > section, here's a direct link: > /photos/album/1557984182/pic/lis\ t > > Hope you are all doing well! > > Heather > > There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a > miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. > --Albert Einstein > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 I want to eat your lunch. kathleen On Nov 20, 2008, at 12:26 PM, Heather Butler wrote: > So I have been doing a lot of research recently on the concept of > bento boxes. A bento box is basically a Japanese lunch box. You > see them in restaurants in gorgeous lacquered boxes with separate > compartments inside and a different food in each one. Well more > informal versions are making their way to the US and I have been > enjoying reading about them. I love that they are food art, and > that you can cram an entire meal into one beautiful box. And > really, I am always looking for an excuse to play with my food LOL. > So a few weeks ago I went to a website and bought a few supplies. I > wasn't sure what size box to get so I got one that was stacked, with > one compartment on top, and one on the bottom and held about 500 > ml. Well when it got here I was shocked at how tiny it was. I > thought I maybe could put my browns in the bottom and my cooked > veggies in the top, but there was no way I was going to fit anything > else, which left me without room for protein. > So this week I took a trip to a local Asian market to view a few > boxes in person. Their selection was very limited, but I found a > great box that is 800 ml--typically a " male " sized box in the Asian > stores. It isn't stacked like the other one, but it does have a > sliding bar you can use to make a second compartment, and it looked > like it would fit my food. > > Today I packed my very first lunch bento. First I put in buckwheat > noodle salad, it filled 2/3 of the container, but the partition it > came with helped me squeeze it tightly into 1/3 of the container. I > added some tofu fingers, steamed broccoli, a few strawberries and a > little silicon dish filled with mustard to dip the tofu in. I > barely closed the lid, but it all fit! Of course my snack didn't > fit at all LOL. But I found my tiny container fit a snack just > fine, so now I have a use for that bento, too. Anyways, I put up a > picture of the box in case you'd all like to see it. It's in the > photos section, here's a direct link: /photos/album/1557984182/pic/lis\ t > > Hope you are all doing well! > > Heather > > There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a > miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. > --Albert Einstein > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Come on over, I'll cook for you anytime! Heather There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. --Albert Einstein ________________________________ Tina Castronovo <tinacastronovo Thursday, November 20, 2008 3:34:43 PM Re: bento boxes Too cool! I love your creativity. What will it take to get you to cook for me? LOLOL Tina On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 2:26 PM, Heather Butler <hawaiihmb > wrote: > So I have been doing a lot of research recently on the concept of bento > boxes. A bento box is basically a Japanese lunch box. You see them in > restaurants in gorgeous lacquered boxes with separate compartments inside > and a different food in each one. Well more informal versions are making > their way to the US and I have been enjoying reading about them. I love that > they are food art, and that you can cram an entire meal into one beautiful > box. And really, I am always looking for an excuse to play with my food LOL. > So a few weeks ago I went to a website and bought a few supplies. I wasn't > sure what size box to get so I got one that was stacked, with one > compartment on top, and one on the bottom and held about 500 ml. Well when > it got here I was shocked at how tiny it was. I thought I maybe could put my > browns in the bottom and my cooked veggies in the top, but there was no way > I was going to fit anything else, which left me without room for protein. > So this week I took a trip to a local Asian market to view a few boxes in > person. Their selection was very limited, but I found a great box that is > 800 ml--typically a " male " sized box in the Asian stores. It isn't stacked > like the other one, but it does have a sliding bar you can use to make a > second compartment, and it looked like it would fit my food. > > Today I packed my very first lunch bento. First I put in buckwheat noodle > salad, it filled 2/3 of the container, but the partition it came with helped > me squeeze it tightly into 1/3 of the container. I added some tofu fingers, > steamed broccoli, a few strawberries and a little silicon dish filled with > mustard to dip the tofu in. I barely closed the lid, but it all fit! Of > course my snack didn't fit at all LOL. But I found my tiny container fit a > snack just fine, so now I have a use for that bento, too. Anyways, I put up > a picture of the box in case you'd all like to see it. It's in the photos > section, here's a direct link: > http://groups. / group/radiantveg etarians/ photos/album/ 1557984182/ pic/list > > Hope you are all doing well! > > Heather > > There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a > miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. > --Albert Einstein > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Sweet!!!! Tina On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 3:59 PM, Heather Butler <hawaiihmb wrote: > Come on over, I'll cook for you anytime! > Heather > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Wow, this is faaaaabulous! I hadn't thought of bento boxes -- I carry an insulated lunch pail-style thingie. But that box is way more beautiful. What a BE-raiser! <smile> Thanks for sharing, Heather. Cinzia , Heather Butler <hawaiihmb wrote: > > Today I packed my very first lunch bento. First I put in buckwheat noodle salad, it filled 2/3 of the container, but the partition it came with helped me squeeze it tightly into 1/3 of the container. I added some tofu fingers, steamed broccoli, a few strawberries and a little silicon dish filled with mustard to dip the tofu in. I barely closed the lid, but it all fit! Of course my snack didn't fit at all LOL. But I found my tiny container fit a snack just fine, so now I have a use for that bento, too. Anyways, I put up a picture of the box in case you'd all like to see it. It's in the photos section, here's a direct link: /photos/album/15579841 82/pic/list > > Hope you are all doing well! > > Heather > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 Cinzia, do I remember correctly that you live in the San Fran area? If so there are a TON of places you can buy bento stuff in your area. There's even a bento box that is four circular dishes stacked on top of each other and in a thermos which keeps your food warm even when you are away from home. I'm so in love with bentos LOLOL. Heather There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. --Albert Einstein ________________________________ cinziatre <cmarchesani Thursday, November 20, 2008 5:54:52 PM Re: bento boxes Wow, this is faaaaabulous! I hadn't thought of bento boxes -- I carry an insulated lunch pail-style thingie. But that box is way more beautiful. What a BE-raiser! <smile> Thanks for sharing, Heather. Cinzia , Heather Butler <hawaiihmb@. ..> wrote: > > Today I packed my very first lunch bento. First I put in buckwheat noodle salad, it filled 2/3 of the container, but the partition it came with helped me squeeze it tightly into 1/3 of the container. I added some tofu fingers, steamed broccoli, a few strawberries and a little silicon dish filled with mustard to dip the tofu in. I barely closed the lid, but it all fit! Of course my snack didn't fit at all LOL. But I found my tiny container fit a snack just fine, so now I have a use for that bento, too. Anyways, I put up a picture of the box in case you'd all like to see it. It's in the photos section, here's a direct link: http://groups. / group/radiantveg etarians/ photos/album/ 15579841 82/pic/list > > Hope you are all doing well! > > Heather > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 I don't know if I have a bento, but a year ago I bought a Japanese Lunch box like you describe, 4 different boxes, stacked in a thermos, complete with a set of chopsticks. I love it because it's perfect for different portions of veg, browns and protein. Of course I have a western style one with a little sandwich pocket for days I eat more western food that requires more space. Maybe lunch boxes are like the office supply phenomenon - us SS people just love them! Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 Jess, I bet what you have is what I was describing. Interesting observation about the office supply phenomenon, I bet you are right! Heather There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. --Albert Einstein ________________________________ Jessica Vaughan <londonoctober Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:55:07 PM Re: Re: bento boxes I don't know if I have a bento, but a year ago I bought a Japanese Lunch box like you describe, 4 different boxes, stacked in a thermos, complete with a set of chopsticks. I love it because it's perfect for different portions of veg, browns and protein. Of course I have a western style one with a little sandwich pocket for days I eat more western food that requires more space. Maybe lunch boxes are like the office supply phenomenon - us SS people just love them! Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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