Today’s bento called be called “The Morning After” Bento!
Last night the Missus and I had a long celebration and we had som ediggiculty to wake uo this morning…
At first the Missus told me she would not mind if I bought and ekiben/Railway Station Bento, but she changed her mind after having a look at the fridge.

In the end, it turned out to be an easy classical bento:

The rice balls/musubi were made of rice freshly steamed together with umeboshi/Japanese pickled plum and then mixed with white sesame seeds and topped by small shiso/perilla leaves we grow on our balcony.

Simple unadorned tamgoyaki/Japanese omelette and a salad made of beans, hijiki/sweet seaweed and cucumbers/mini tomatoes.

Not “savoury” was chicken ratatouille she had prepared the morning before (not bad at all, actually!).
For dessert I had some cheese that I keep in the fridge at work.
Healthy and plenty actually!

here is another pic of my “roots”:
My 85-year old Dad cooking his favourite turkey steaks!

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When I came back home last night the Missus’ first question (she alway starts conversations with questions, LOL):
-Wha did you have for lunch?
-Ekiben Bento!”
-You went all the way to the station to buy one?
-Yup!
-Which one did you buy?
-Shizuoka Monogatari!
-Hummm….
She didn’t ask me if I enjoyed it, but she was certainly busy in the kitchen in the mirning, grumbling all the time. Well, if she grumbles, so much the better! (she more she grumbles, the better the food, didn’t I say before?)

She was still grumbling at her own “mistakes” when the bento finally came up. Taking pity of her, I assured her that her mistakes were delicious, that she should not worry…

The steamed rice was “maze gohan” style/mixed rice, including beans and sweet seaweed/hijiri carrots and thinly sliced aburaage/fried tofu sheets.

Now, the fried chicken stuffed goya and chicken balls with black sesame seeds were really good. She also made sure I had my favourite tamagoyaki to which she added okra, red pimento, brocoli and lettuce.

The salad/dessert included cress, mini-tomatoes, cheese cubes and grapes.

I’ll have to find another reason to make her grumble!

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If I had to give a name to today’s lunch box, it would be”General Election Bento”.
The campaign for the Japanese Lower Chamber general elections has just kicked off, and that means that no less than five candidates (in our constituency) criss-crossing in front of my office blaring their inane messages over their campaign car loudspeakers all day long for the next two weeks.
Was this the reason why the Missus felt grumpy this morning? LOL

Today’s bento was (only) slightly bigger than yesterday’s. Tuesday is the day off for my (?) half and she tends to cook more than usual as she prepares her own lunch at the same time.

The musubi were made of fresh steamed rice mixed with home-made ginger pickles (sliced thin beforehand), chopped shiso/perilla leaves and white sesame seeds.

For the meat part I got large shrimps wrapped into bacon and deep-fried with lettuce to wrap them in. Mini-tomatoes and beans and hijiki/sweet seaweed salad made up for the rest of the first box.

As for the salad and dessert: baby leaves for the greesn with boiled brocoli and gree asparaguses. Blueberries and fresh figs for dessert!

I suppose I’ll be able to ignore those silly politicians!

I take the opportunity of this bento to continue with “my roots pictures” started last week.
This particular picture was taken inside the Hospice de Beaune, a French National Monument in Beaune, Bourgogne. The big boy in the middle is our favourite nephew, Maxime (21), and you probably have guessed that the lady on the right is Mitsuko a.k.a. The Missus!

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Well, today we did not have to worry about typhoons or earthquakes, although the heat is becoming really severe.
The 20 minutes bicycle ride to work leaves in a pool of sweat.

The Missus fortunately reduced the volume of today’s bento, as I feel quite bloated with all those drinks I guzzled down during my 10-hour cricket umpiring stint yesterday!

The Missus prepared my regular tamagoyaki “fix” with vegetables including pimento and edamame.

I got my other favourite: Karaage chicken/Japanese style deep-fried chicken, seasoned with black sesame seeds before deep-frying. Some lemon for more seasoning.

The three musubi/rice balls containg white sesame seeds were wrapped in shiso/perilla leaves.

A very simple salad with “mixed baby leaves”, peach wedges, blueberries and walnuts.

Back to normal!

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August 11th, 2009, Shizuoka City, 05:13 a.m.
6.2~6.5 tremor with its epicentre bang in the middle of Shizuoka Prefecture.
Positives: Occured at the “best” time of the day when people wake up and react quickly, no one is cooking yet, and no communal transport is moving.
Negatives: some stupid “specialists” take the opportunity to announce this is still not the “Big Tokai Earthquake that we (?) are all expecting anytime!”
That did not prevent the Missus to prepare my (and her) bento!

So, this time it is not “Typhoon Bento”, but “Earthquake Bento”!

She used that bamboo box again with its soft lid.
She put in 4 musubi/rice balls instead of the usual 3. She probably though I needed some comfort! LOL

4 musubi then:
Top left: dried shirasu/sardine whitings
Top right: konbu/sweet seaweed
Bottom left: umeboshi/pickled Japanese plum
Bottom right: pickled cucumber

Tamagoyaki. Very simple and sweet. “Nashi”/Japanese pears from Yaizu which was hit by a mini tsunami at 5:30.

The side dish was one of the Missus specialties: Deep-fried chicken marinated with vegetables. She deep-fries the chicken first. Then she fries some thinly cut vegetables lightly. She dropped both into a large plate with rich vinegar, mirin, ponzu and I don’t know what and let the lot marinate for at least 30 minutes before transfering it into a tupperware.

A side view of the garnish!

Looking at, and eating this bento, I might be tempted to wish for a few more (very small) earthquakes!

Here is another picture of my “roots” taken outside my Dad’s house:

Myself (61 this month), my sister Laure (60), my brother Jean-Jacques (the chef, 59) my Dad Andre (85) and my other brother Francois (the one who works for AREVA and spends half of his time in Florida, 52).

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Today’s bento was “Typhoon Bento”! Not the one that crashed on Taiwan last week, but the next one which veered onto Japan today!
I can assure you that the Missus was “pretty” grumpy!

In Summer I very often get these cold noodles/”men-ramen-soba” bentoes. I can keep the in the fridge at the office and eat them chilled.
Very much appreciated in these hot days!

Today’s was mad of ramen first boiled then cooled under running cold water. They were topped with finely choppe veg, pieces of lettuce, boiled shrimp, home-made chicken ham, Soft boiled egg seasoned withblack sesame seeds and steamed edamame.

Here’s a side view!

I was provided with “men tsuyu/cold noodles stock soup) to add to the noodles. I added some dressing from the bottle kept in the fridge.

Great dessert for once: Fresh “nashi/Japanese pears”, figs and blueberries!

I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my origins and family recently.
I will include a few pics of the (surviving) family from time to time to give you an idea of my (very normal) roots!

The Tricolour (unintended!) Picture taken inside my Dad’s (big) home in Givry, Bourgogne, France:
Andre, my Dad (86 years old)
Myself (60 years old)
Francois, my second younger brother (52 years old)

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Today was clear and bleeding hot, but contrary to Jenn might think, the Missus came up with the comment this morning: “Kyo wa, te-nuki bento da!/Today, lazy bento!”
I know better than to argue. It is the best way to provoke the Missus into a little more work she had intended first!

She boiled potatoes, cool then under running cold water and drained them before adding dressing, beans salad and choppes veg to them.
She added red and yellow mini tomatoes from Shizuoka, soft boiled egg, lettuce and olives before closing the box.

For extra garnish, she deep-fried chicken, one plain and the other with black sesame seeds. Lemon for extra seasoning and lettuce to wrap them in.
Red cheddar cheese and red grapefruit for dessert.

Not bad for a lazy bento!

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Monday!
For once it was not raining this morning, meaning that the Missus was in a fairly good mood and accepted my requests for today’s bento!

“Today’s bento might be a bit small. Is that ok?”
“No problem!”. Actually it looked as there was plenty.

“How many musubi/rice balls do you want?”
“Three will be enough!” (I know how big they come…)
“I include dry nori/seaweed in a separate pack for you to wrap them in!”
“Fine!”
“Three different kinds: one with sweet seaweed, one with minced red cucumber pickles and one with salmon furikake/seasoning powder!”
“Very fine!”

“As you requested, I put edamame tamagoyaki! Is that enough?”
“Sure, as I have already eaten two pieces!”

“As for the garnish, gyuniku saikoro/beef dices, beans salad, mini-tomatoes and celery!”
“Perfect!”
“For dessert, nectarine!”
“Thank you so much, dear!”

I wonder how long this fine weather will hold,…

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Since my new Friend Marya has decided to try and make bento for her husband, expect Japanese bentos from two different Foodbuzz members in Shizuoka!

The Missus came up a totally different type of bento today: “Hiyajiru/冷汁/Cold Soup”!

She first prepared a soup with konbu/seaweed stock to which she added Japanese spices and all kind of fresh vegetables including tomatoes, okra, cucumbers and so on. To coll it down quickly she added ice and let chill while she prepared the rest.

She prepared two large musubi/rice balls seasoned with sesame and I on’t know what (secret) and let these cool down two.

She then steamed goya stuffed with chicken paste.

I put the whole bento in the office fridge first thing.
When I took it out for lunch, I first open the cold soup box which was perfectly chilled by then.

I put the rice balls in the soup. With a spoon I broke them and ate them with the soup.

As for the “salad” I used the miso-pickled soft boiled egg to seaon the chicken-stuffed goya the Missus had cut into slices.

Very good cold bento for this very sultry summer!

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It has been raining for a full week now, and apparently we are in for another week of it.
That certainly does not put the Missus into the right mood, but she somehow managed to prepare my bento this morning after a lot of grumbling!

It was simple but healthu and plentiful (actually she had warned me not to take pics….):
The musubi/rice balls wer mixed with “ume kake/pickle plum seasoning powder and wrapped into fresh shiso/perilla leaves.
The Missus added “chikuwa/fis paste rolls stuffed withe fresh cucumber, fried kinpira including konyaky, carrots, beans and seaweed, and som Renaissance tomatoes grown in Kakegawa City.

As for the salad, it consisted of a bed of chopped veg, some home^made pickles onions, smoked salmon and a soft-boiled egg.

I must admit it was very satisfied in spite of all the grumbles!

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Yesterday’s bento was typically Japanese in concept and ingredients.
The Missus tried to make it more “stamina-like” as they say in Japan, but at the same time, keeping the calories in check.

The “musubi/rice balls” were of two types: one with sweet konbu/seaweed” the other with “sweet umeboshi/pickled Japanese plums”. All balls were wrapped in “shiso/perilla” leaves.

As for the garnish, the Missus aded “chikuwa/fish paste tubes” filled with fresh cucumber.
Home-made cucumber pickles were also included.

Sweet and sour chicken “dango/balls” she had coated with black sesame seeds beforehand.

And of course “tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette”!
Mini tomatoes for the Vitamin C and plums (not pictured) for dessert.

Bewteen you and me, I felt pretty satisfied!

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When the very hot days of summer come, the Japanese consume a lot of eel for the stamina they are losing through the enormous amount of sweat.
The Missus thought it was about time to take care of my stamina!

The accompaniment cosisted of boiled egg later marinated in soy sauce and sprinkled with black sesame seeds, home-made pickled mini-melons and local tomatoes (the yellow ones from Shizuoka City, and the red ones from Kakegawa City)

The Missus had bought the broiled eels the day before. The technique is to “soften” them with tea, before putting on top of steamed rice with chopped shiso/perilla leaves, home-made cucumber pickles and white sesame seeds.

The salad was marinated vegetables. The Missus first grilled the aubergines/egg plants, sof red pimento and okra and the marinated them (secret…) in the fridge overnight.
As I know that she has made a big batch them, I’ looking forward to eat more tonight with some cold sake!

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