Category Archives: 弁当

Bento, 美食, 野菜, 金柑, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, sushi, 寿司, 弁当, 手丸り寿司

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/16): Vegetarian Te-mari Sushi. Bento!

April 4, 2012 dragonlife 8 Comments

Te-Mari Zushi/手丸り寿司 means hand-made sushi balls in a spherical shape originally designed for geishas to eat easily. Mine are a bit bigger than the ones found in Kyoto. After all I’m of the male gender!

The Missus made three types, all with local vegetables and rice:
From left to right: Home-pickled (amazu sweet vinegar) myoga on sushi rice seasoned with black sesame seeds, boiled stick broccoli on sushi rice seasoned with hijki sweet seaweed, minced pickled red cucumber and black sesame seeds and lotus root home-pickled in umeboshi amazu over plain sushi rice.

The side box contains at least three desserts:
Left to right: on top sweet Japanese-style candied green peas above home-made kumquat compote, boiled broccoli and mini tomatoes in the middle and tamagoyaki containing cheese and parsley!

Once a again a very colorful and really yummy bento!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/14): Irish Salmon & Shizuoka Dekopon Sushi Bento!

March 28, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

Using orange with the rice of sushi?
Yes, it is definitely a good idea when you consider it balances the saltiness of the fish so well!

It also makes for beautiful colors!
The Missus having prepared the sushi rice as usual mixed it with chopped parsley and shredded dekopon orange from Mr. Onuma’s Farm!

She then made a well in the middle to provide for a bed of lettuce on which she rested a couple of roses made up with smoked salmon just brought to us by an Irish friend decorated with pink pepper seeds and lemon.

As for the salad (no need for dessert with all the orange!) box, plenty of boiled of Brussels sprouts, boiled shrimps and cherry tomatoes with a little mayonnaise, and plenty of boiled black beans (for dessert?)

Very colorful and so tasty!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India
Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London
Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

Bento, Citrus, 美食, 農業, Food, Fruit, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当, 不知火

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/13): Chicken Wings, Broccolini & Dekopon Bento!

March 27, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

Chicken wings seem to be a universal favorite and I surely like them although they are prepared with a slight difference here in Japan!

Today’s main box certainly included quite a few specialties from the Missus!

Having steamed fresh rice, she filled the main box with it and topped with chicken wings leftovers from last night.
The Missus makes her chicken wings in two steps:
1) She fries them first in oil over a hot fire.
2) After having attained a nice brown color she simmers them with mirin, soy sauce, “something else”, hot chilies and Coca Cola!
The meat is so tender and juicy that you can detach it from the bones with your fingers!
What you see above is the meat without the bones!
The Missus added her special marinated boiled egg with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds for contrast.

She added plenty of lightly boiled broccolini (also called rape flowers) seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing and sesame seeds and a cup of home-made pickles: carrot. leaf ginger, cucumber and pimentoes.

For salad and dessert: lettuce and mini tomatoes and “dekopon” oranges. The latter come from Onuma Farm in Okitsu, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City (report coming soon!)! Incredibly sweet and fragrant!

Plentiful, tasty and colorful. The perfect lunch before going to interview a farmer all afternoon!

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Must-see tasting websites:

Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/12): Salmon and Smileys Bento!

March 8, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

I try to come up with a name for each bento the Missus concocts for me for the sake of variety.
I had a hard time finding one today! Well, the salmon is obvious and the smileys are to be found with the tamagoyaki!

This bento was made with whatever was found in the fridge and even includes some leftovers from the previous bento!
After having steamed the rice, filled the main box with it and sprinkled it with chopped red pickled cucumber, the Missus fried some slices of salmon and topped them with tartare sauce at the last moment before placing them on top of the rice.
She fried some boiled green cauliflower for yesterday’s bento for more colors and balance and put the finishing touch with some sliced black olive.

Can you see the smileys?
Well, two of them have slanted eyes while the third one is blowing me a kiss!

The Missus had prepared a batch of “kinpira” vegetables with hijiki/sweet seaweed, burdock root, carrot and green/red peppers and filled one end of the side box with it.

The smileys were made of tamagoyaki with apparent whites and filled with boiled black beans.
The Missus placed them on a bed of ice-plant with plum tomatoes and boiled peas in their pods.

Very colorful again, Spring is around the corner! Solid and yummy!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India
Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London
Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/11): Gyoza Meat Sauce Bento!

March 7, 2012 dragonlife 8 Comments

Now, why did I call this bento “Gyoza meat sauce bento”? There is no gyoza included, right?
Actually, the Missus helped herself with unused gyoza filling made the previous day!

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She steamed plain rice before filling the main box with it.
She then topped part of the rice with boiled carrots and green cauliflower (cauliflower, not romanesco or broccoli!).
I wonder what flag colors it would represent?

Don’t ask about the recipe, I just don’t know!
The Missus fried the gyoza filling left from overnight mixed with some tomato sauce before adding boiled taro/sato imo cut into pieces. Incidentally, the taro roots were boiled by your servant as the Missus does not care much for them! They were also leftovers!
Having fried the lot, she poured it over the rice and sprinkled it with plenty of black sesame seeds.

The side dish was both beautiful and healthy!
Boiled rape flowers/na no hana seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing.
Lotus root slices fried with yuzu koshio. Very piquant!
Yama imo/Japanese yam pickled with amazu and red cucumber pickles.
Boiled black beans.

Very solid, healthy and yummy!

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Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/10): Chirashizushi & Omelet Bento!

February 21, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

For once the Missus this morning combined Eastern and Western gastronomies in my bento!
Chirashizushi is probably the most popular form of sushi when it comes to bento in Japan, while omelets as their name indicates apparently originated in France (my home country)!

The ingredients found in the sushi box are basically the same inside and on top of the rice.
The Missus having prepared and let cool down the sushi rice mixed it with boiled shrimps, cheese, cut black olives, red sweet pimento slices and sliced Golden Ameera Rubbins Pearl Tomatoes.
She added walnut and red cabbage sprouts for the last touch.

For the side dish she prepared a plain omelet she seasoned with vegetable and tomato sauce on a bed of baby leaves and sprouts.
For added color and taste she added lemon and a red Ameera Rubbins Pearl Tomato.

Looks simple enough, but very tasty, healthy and appetizing!

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Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

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Japanese Traditional Local Festivals: 5th Annual Miwa Cherry Blossoms Festival in Shizuoka City!

February 20, 2012 dragonlife 19 Comments

Recent times have seen a revival of local festivals in Japan, especially in the rural areas, probably because people wanted to forget the sluggish economy and come back to more basic social gatherings after long years spent away in dehumanizing cities.
My good friend Neil had mentioned that his neighborhood in Miwa was organizing their 5th Annual Sakura Festival yesterday so I rode my bicycle for a good 45 minutes from home till the other side of the Abe River in Shizuoka City!

I left my bicycle at Neil’s place and walked till the Miwa Primary School where I found this banner announcing the Cherry Blossoms Festival!

For once that the weather was fine I walked on the causeway along the Abe River.

It is still winter and the water was pretty dry in all senses of the word!

I finally espied the site!

The Festival has been scheduled on the 3rd Sunday of February whatever the conditions or weather.
Unfortunately the last three weeks have witnessed unseasonal cold and the early-blooming Kawazu Cherry Trees had not blossomed yet!

For a closer view!

On the other hand the Japanese plum trees were still very much in flowers!

And the kumquats were everywhere for a picking!

We are full in leek season! Great to fight colds!

Plenty of beautiful colors to be found in private gardens!

But someone had made sure we had some cherry blossoms on site!

Neil had been designated as the sound engineer of the event!

You can’t have a festival in Japan without drums!

I wonder what those fox masks are for!

Robust ladies!

Oranges and tea on sale!
Notice the “dustbins”!

The site was small but certainly crowded!

Local bonsai on sale!

Local farmers selling their produce!

What are they preparing here?

Tonjiru soup for free!
Very thoughtful of the organizers!

Ashikubo Green Tea!

Sweet dango/balls!

Boxed lunches and wagashi cakes!

Chirashizushi bento!
All bentos are really home-made before put on sale!

Okonomiyaki!

Grilled sausages!

Deep-fried sweetmeat buns!

Yakisoba!

Candy Floss!

Grilled mochi cakes!

Local Benihoppe strawberries!

Home-made umeboshi!

They even had a small flea market!

Oden!

Dorayaki!

Very traditional dance!

Another very traditional dance!

And very traditional drinking!

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Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/07): Tuna Balls Bento!

February 2, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

The Missus (or Greenpeace…) will have mine for posting such a title…
But the Missus loves meat balls and tuna, so the combination was only natural!

For once I must say that the rice dish was more elaborate than all the rest!

Everything was laid on plain steamed rice.
The balls were made with “negitoro”/tuna flesh grated off the inside of the skin. I only know that the Missus seasoned it with mayonnaise, Japanese sake and wasabi dressing and what else before shaping small balls and stir-frying them in light sauce, probably ponzu, soy sauce and mirin.
She just placed them atop the rice beside opened snap peas in their pod. Interesting design!

She then added a typical Japanese garnish: hijiki/sweet seaweed, small pieces of carrot, red cabbage and aburage/deep-fried tofu pouches and peas all lightly fried and seasoned together. A vegan’s delight!

The salad dish consisted of a half-boiled egg, lightly marinated and seasoned with black sesame seeds, fresh buckwheat sprouts, lettuce and mini tomatoes!
Very colorful!

This picture will prove that the Missus enjoyed her own cooking as she had exactly the same for lunch!

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With a Glass, Einfach Bento,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
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); Ohayo Bento

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Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/06): Chicken & Burdock Rice Bento!

February 1, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

We eat a lot of burdock root/gobo/牛蒡 in season as this is not only a versatile vegetables but because it is also very healthy! It is even used as herbal medicine in some countries!

The Missus cooked/fried the cubed chicken and thinly cut burdock root separately in a sauce of her own (secret! Sorry) while the rice was being steamed.

Once the rice steamed she mixed with the cooked chicken and burdock root and their sauce for a very tasty mazegohan/混ぜご飯/mixed rice! She added the last touch with plenty of black roasted sesame seeds.

The side dish was a typical marriage of products from the land and the sea of Shizuoka Prefecture!

The tamagoyaki was done with cheese and parsley and placed inside the box beside boiled snap peas in their pods seasoned with crushed peanuts!

A product which made Shizuoka famous: kuro hanpen/黒はんぺん/dark sardine fish paste!
The Missus fried them before placing them on a bed of lettuce with local plum tomatoes!

Very satisfying and yummy!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/05): Tamago Chahan & Soft Ton Bento!

January 28, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

Soft ton stands for “soft” of course and ton is actually another way to pronounce Buta/豚/pork in Japanese! It is a very popular way of eating pork in Japan as it is very eclectic!

The Missus had plenty of plain cooked rice left from the night before and she made a simple and tasty Tamago Chahan/玉子チャハン/egg fried rice, Japanese style with it!
She next prepared soft ton in tonkatsu style (ton/pork being repeated as you can see!) she placed on top of the rice seasoned with tonkatsu sauce. For the finishing touch she added chopped parsley and home-pickled onions with amazu/sweet vinegar!

The Missus conceived a typical Japanese side box with a salad of boiled carrot sticks and string beans seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing resting on ice plants. Mini tomatoes for more design, colors and vitamins and Japanese pear/Nashi/梨 for dessert!

I know that this combination of fried rice and tonkatsu would appeal to a lot of people!
What with the side dish a perfectly balanced yummy bento!

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Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/04): Hambaagu Bento!

January 26, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

The Japanese make the difference between “hamburger” and “hamburger steak” by calling the normal hamburger with buns “hambaagaa” and hamburger steaks served without the buns “hambaagu”. The difference in pronunciation is minimal, while the difference in presentation is significant!

The Missus kept the rice box both simple and colorful.
Having steamed she rice she just mixed it with salad beans bought in packs at the local supermarket.

Talking of colors there were plenty more in side box!

The hambaagu/patties are another Missus’ secret although I know she includes crunchy red onion in them which makes for a very tasty bite.
Having seasoned them with her own tomato and vegetables sauce she placed them on lettuce with French pickles.

The salads consisted of one made with white and violet potatoes from her family’s garden topped with black olive and the other of fried green pepper and cabbage seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing.

For dessert she added local mini tomatoes and green kiwi fruit!

Very colorful, tasty and satisfying!
I could have called this Bento “Mini American Bento”?

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Bento, 美食, Ekiben, 観光, 駅弁, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Mishima City, Shizuoka, Tourism, 弁当

Ekiben/Railway lunch Box: Oku Suruga No Iso Chirashi in Mishima JR Station!

January 24, 2012 dragonlife 9 Comments

Yesterday I suddenly had to go all the way to Mishima City, about half an hour and two stations away by Shinkasen from Shizuoka City and just had the time on my way back to sample a new ekiben/駅弁/Railway Lunch Box (or boxed lunch)!

Nice packaging!
Oku Suruga No Iso Chirashi/奥駿河の磯ちらし basically means a chirashi/decoration-style sushi made with ingredients from the far corners of Suruga Bay!

Can you see the little sign in the left top corner?
It is the registration as a “True Japanese Ekiben”!

Tounakaken Co in Numazu City advertises precisely all the contents. And there certainly were a lot of ingredients!

A rigid transparent plastic cover protects the contents.

Now, what do we have?
Actually a lot!
As the ingredients are all a bit “mixed up” I’ll give them right away. Let’s see if we can distinguish them later:
Sushi rice, Nishiki ko Tamago/shredded omelette, octopus, simmered shiitake, Sakura Ebi/Cherry shrimps, crab, gari/pickled ginger, tobiuo tamago/flying fish roe, cucumber, ooba shiso/perilla, white sesame seeds and seaweed!

Cucumber, omelette, Flying fish roe, octopus,…

Pickled ginger, shiitake, omelette, flying fish roe,…

Omelette, crab, cucumber, sakura ebi, flying fish roe,…

Here you can see that the sushi rice was first topped with konbu seaweed and simmered shiitake!

Eating local sushi on a train! What more can you ask? LOL

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
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); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/03): Sushi Roll Feast Bento!

January 23, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

When you are short of ideas just keep rolling away!
The Missus was short of inspiration for today’s bento as she said, so I told her, “Why not making sushi rolls with whatever you can find in the fridge?”

Simple ideas are usually the best!

And here is the result!
The Missus and I wrap our rolls in lettuce instead of dry seaweed whenever possible for better colors, balance and taste.
Making the sushi rice was simple enough. The first roll includes carrot thinly cut lengthwise, the second tinned white tuna from Yui in Shizuoka City and thinly cut cucumber, and the third one soft ham from Sanoman Co. in Fujinomiya City and sliced black olives!

This side dish must have been one of the most colorful ever with no less than three different mini tomatoes from Fuji City, yellow, red and blackish red, boiled Brussels sprouts and a Missus’ boiled egg atop a tartare sauce bed and topped with a sliced olive!

A very solid bento, I guarantee you! And yummy!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/02): Nanbanzuke Aji/Sweet and Sour Horse Mackerel Bento!

January 22, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

We are very much in the season for Aji/鯵/Horse mackerel and since it is abundant in the Suruga Bay off the shores of Shizuoka Prefecture the Missus thought it was about time I had some fish for bento!

For the rice the Missus steamed it plain with hijiki/sweet seaweed and mixed the lot later with plenty of golden sesame seeds.
For a touch of design and balance she added some soft boiled egg of her own invention.

The side dish could be considered as the main dish, what with all the ingredients and colors!

Nanbanzuke means Japanese-style sweet and sour. The Missus prepares it spicier than usual with some sliced dry chillies and onion rings. It is a great way to season horse mackerel which already has a marked taste. The fish was placed over some lettuce to eat together.

No much need for a dessert with some many vegetables:
Carrot and walnut salad.
Boiled taro/satoimo seasoned with black sesame seeds.
Local mini tomato.

I took my time savoring the whole!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Bento, 美食, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Cuisine, 弁当

Today’s Bento/Lunch Box (12/01): Sakura Ebi Kakiage Bento!

January 18, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Kakiage is a kind of tempura in Japan. It is very popular when you need to accommodate small ingredients!
Shizuoka has arguably the most celebrated variety of kakiage: Sakura Ebi/Cherry Shrimps Kakiage!

The Missus kept things very simple: after steaming the rice she mixed it with golden sesame seeds and shredded na no hana/菜の花/rape flowers for plenty of colors and nutritious ingredients.
She made the kakiage in small batches with sakura ebi from Yui, a nearby harbor famous all over Japan for its Cherry shrimps.
The tempura were very crisp and tasty! Even if you don’t have cherry shrimps try it with any small shrimps!

The side dish featured all the Missus’ favorites:
Tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette with a white and yellow pattern.
Carrot and walnut salad in lieu of dessert.
Gobo kinpira/fried spicy burdock root.

Colorful and so tasty!

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