For Bento-enthusiasts and newbies! (kind of long + now with pics!)

[pinsNneedles]

This is all really interesting - thanks ProngsBaby for the intro.  I've been taking something that resembles a bento to work for lunch for a little while now.  I use a shallow tupperware tub and fill it with little bits of leftovers, salad, pickles, veg sticks, chopped fruit/berries, and so on (an example here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=258709.0).  I try to make it as colourful as possible, without taking up too much time.  I use silicon cupcake cases almost every day - they're brilliant!  I love the idea of using up leftovers, and filling in the gaps with cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks.  So it's helping me eat more healthily too, although a choccie biscuit does often slip in there too...  It sure beats the booooooring cheese sarnies I used to take to work! 

I'd love to create more authentic bento, but I don't have the time or enthusiasm to cook rice every day.  Also the size of bento boxes really puts me off.  I make lunch for my partner every day too and he needs a good meal, otherwise he goes out and buys cake.  Apparently, he let slip the other day, sometimes he buys a battenburg cake during his lunch break and eats the entire thing in one sitting!! 

I've spent far too many hours browsing Flikr photo galleries of bentos - I love getting inspiration and new ideas.  Right now I'm love love loving 'bento-ing' 

[OmJane]

...otherwise he goes out and buys cake.  Apparently, he let slip the other day, sometimes he buys a battenburg cake during his lunch break and eats the entire thing in one sitting!! 

that totally made me LOL. my fh use to eat candy bars and cola for breakfast, when i wasnt around. argh.

[Miss World]

thank you for the detailed info

[KawaiiKatie]

I haven't bought one yet! T_T
And I have been here for a month!!

Different priorities right now and such. :3


Very pretty.

[1born2knit]

I love bento! I have a hamburger bento box I bring to school:




I usually put rice or pasta in the main compartment, and then in the middle I put fruit of some type and then in the top there is a dessert. 

[Kimberly_Star]

I'd love to create more authentic bento, but I don't have the time or enthusiasm to cook rice every day. 

Most committed bento-ers make rice once a week and then freeze it in individual portions.  There are several tutorials out there.  I think "Lunch In a Box" has a pretty good one.  I'm not bento-ing yet, but when I do, I'll make my rice on Sunday and freeze portions for the rest of the week.

[stressedoutmamax3]

About the rice... if you're using a microwaveable bento box, you CAN refrigerate the rice. When you're ready to eat it, just sprinkle it with a little water, cover with a damp paper towel and nuke. I've been doing this for years, and it turns out ok.

If you have a programmable rice cooker, you can load it with water and rice the night before and wake up to fresh rice.

My rice cooker can make a couple of cups of rice in 15-20 minutes, and it's pretty ancient.

I have cute little bento boxes, and a knock off of the Mr. Bento, but I prefer Lock and Lock and Snapware for adult bentos.

[pinsNneedles]

Most committed bento-ers make rice once a week and then freeze it in individual portions.  There are several tutorials out there.

Ooooooh what a genius idea.  Heads off to Google...

Thank you   

[ProngsBaby]

Preparing the rice during the morning, how do you guys do that?
When we make sushi or anything, preparing the rice takes quite some time because the rice needs to settle a while after boiling and suck up some more of the water..

I use a rice cooker, which makes things easier because I can prep the rest of the meal while the rice cooks.

investing in a rice cooker is good if you eat a lot of rice. We have several at my house and I have an individual rice cooker I take to school with me.

I bought mine at Mitsuwa, the Japanese food store by me, but I've heard they sell them at Target too.

My mom loves her Zojirushi Zutto because it sings a little song when it starts and when the rice is done. It also cooks the rice BEAUTIFULLY. so good. Also there is a pre-set function on it so I can wash and prep the rice with water and set it to cook for the next day.

I have heard of people freezing rice, but I haven't done it myself. I enjoy the smell of high quality Japanese rice freshly cooked.

It sucks that the price of rice has gone up significantly. We bought some rice a few weeks back for $20.99 and the next week it was $29.99!

[empress_deva]

If you don't want to invest in a traditional rice cooker, you could always buy a microwave rice cooker.  I would use one of those when I was too lazy to wash the regular rice pot (doesn't happen now since my husband is pretty reliable about cooking rice every other day or so). Plus, they are super fast and cheap - a small one is around 5 bucks at walmart.
I also refrigerate my rice all the time.  In fact, every time I bring lunch to work it goes in the fridge and warms just fine in the microwave.  I am not sure about long term refrigeration as rice doesn't last too long around my house, it is cooked and eaten almost daily.
I also use the lock and lock containers - they usually have the mL listing on the bottom if you are really watching for amounts in your bento.  You can even find them with little dividers inside so you can keep your sweets (like fruit) from other things like rice and meats.  It also allows you to easily remove the items not to be nuked.
Try the Asian markets around you - I am not sure what is near by but I live outside of Dallas and have TONS of Asian markets around.