Obsession: Bento Box Lunches

I have been a fan of the Japanese bento box lunch for quite some time, and I've decided to begin a new culinary adventure as a budding bentoist. While I love the traditional Japanese bento staples, I cannot possibly limit myself to one type of cuisine. I am, after all, an equal-opportunity eater! I love the idea of incorporating all kinds of foods in my creations, and look forward to posting about them here.

After trips to the bookstore, the craft shop, and, and the local Asian market (and a bit of online shopping), I have finally gathered everything I need to start bento-ing. Here's the scoop on my new goodies!

Book: Though totally not an essential, a book on bento boxes can be extremely helpful for a bento-making newbie like myself. I chose this one because it covers the basics (supplies, methods, etc.) and also features recipes for a variety of bento-friendly foods.

Bento Box: There is no need to purchase an "official" bento box, as any food-storage box will work just fine. Many commercial bento sets feature two stackable boxes, and sometimes each box is divided into two or more compartments. I chose my bento set because of its versatility. Each box has a removable divider, and the strap can be wrapped crosswise around both boxes, or lengthwise around one box. It also features a freezer pack that keeps the box cool. Oh yeah - and it's pink, which makes me very happy!

Dividing Cups: Silicone baking cups are definitely helpful to have on hand. Keeping food divided within a bento box is important. Crispy foods taste best when they are kept crispy - nobody likes a soggy tater tot. Keeping moist or juicy foods separate from dry or crunchy foods eliminates this problem. Silicone cups come in lots of fun shapes including the standard round, diamond, heart, triangular, and square. I like using these instead of paper ones, simply because they are reusable.

Food Picks: Bite-sized fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats are much more fun to eat when they are skewered on cute food picks. Again, I like the plastic ones because they can be washed and reused. However, decorated toothpicks (with frills or flags) can be used for the same purpose.

Miniature Cookie Cutters: These are great for adding visual appeal to any bento meal. Use them on vegetables, fruits, omelets, ham, cheese, nori, and more.

Sauce Containers: Sauces, dressings, and dips are often an important part of a bento lunch. Sauce bottles are best for liquid sauces like vinegar or soy sauce, while the lidded containers work well for thicker condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, or hummus.

Just for Fun: There are all kinds of tools for making food cute (Kawaii in Japanese). Egg molds shape a cooked hard-boiled egg into a bunny or bear, and onigiri (rice ball) molds form rice into hearts, stars, or other fun shapes.