Bento Box Song: Sandwich Version
on Nov 16, 2009 in admin bento for kids While watching Shimajiro, a popular Japanese cartoon of a tiger cub that teaches kids little songs, manners and safety, I stumbled across an uncommon variation of the classic Bento Box Song (”Obento Bako no Uta”) that features more Wester...

Recipe: Fried Shrimp Sushi Rolls
on Nov 9, 2009 in decorative fish or seafood for kids onigiri or sushi recipe Making inside-out sushi rolls doesn’t have to be all that involved if you’ve got the basic materials and some plastic wrap on hand. Serve plain or decorated like fish to thrill your child (or your inner child), like I did with Bug’s...

Poll: How many American bento-makers are men?
on Sep 29, 2009 in poll 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 “...

Book Review: Kawaii Bento Boxes
on Sep 10, 2009 in bento decorative for kids review 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 com...

Fried Shrimp Bentos: Simple vs. Fancy
on Sep 9, 2009 in bento decorative fish or seafood for kids onigiri or sushi rice Today I’ve got two lunches that represent both ends of the bento spectrum: one is fast and simple, the other is time-consuming decorative food art. My usual preference is for the fast and easy bento made through speedy prep techniques and lefto...

RIP Ichiban Kan online
on Jul 17, 2009 in Amorette Laptop Lunchbox admin giveaway My apologies to everyone for dropping off the face of the earth lately — it’s been a weird time and I’ve been going through something of a crisis. (Arg.) Time to get back on the bento ball! Lots of updates today; with Ichiban Kan cl...

Bento bloggers: Know your worth!
on May 8, 2009 in admin tips Bento lunches are starting to attract a lot of mainstream attention outside of Japan, with bentos appearing more often in the popular media, new bento books and classes, panels at anime and blogging conferences, new and active bento forums, and an ex...

Rooster sausage bento from A to Z
on May 1, 2009 in for kids poultry sandwich case sandwich or wrap Today’s lunch uses sausages with a back story. A couple of weeks ago I had the rare opportunity to learn how to butcher roosters from an expert: Hank Shaw of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. You might remember Hank from the Food Blog Awards —...

Poll: How long does it take you to pack a lunch?
on Apr 27, 2009 in poll How long does it usually take you to prep and pack a single bento lunch? Unless it’s a special occasion like Valentine’s Day or Children’s Day, I usually avoid decorative food and go for the speed bento, taking about 10-15 minutes m...

Giveaway winner & Sacramento Bee article
on Apr 3, 2009 in equipment giveaway We’ve got a winner in the Kids Konserve metal lunch kit giveaway (see my full review), and some additional giveaways around the bento community. If you didn’t win this one, the company is giving away another of their metal lunch kits for...