Pork and Rice Bento

Hello Bento People! I am sure you like a nice lunch. What is better than pork and rice with a side of KimChee? Well, I'm sure you will say "Nothing!"

Tater Tots and Homemade Ketchup Bento

Inspired by Sheri's lettuce wraps, I've sliced roasted pork really thin and wrapped it with Bibb lettuce leaves on one level. Store bought tater tots with homemade ketchup and one half of a tangerine on the other level.

The back story on the ketchup is I read the ingredients on the major ketchup company label and noticed it included High Fructose Corn Syrup. So I found a recipe in my make-it-from-scratch pantry book, and now I have 2 and a half quarts of ketchup in my freezer.

Please don't tell me what's in those tater tots.

Pork Two Ways Bento

I finally got around to using my Sushi Bento House. It looks a lot bigger than it is. I filled the bottom layer with pork, two ways. My cooked ahead chicken-fried pork and my cooked ahead curry pork.

I am currently reading (and will soon write a review) a book called Effortless Bento. Cooking ahead a variety of meals, freezing or not, is the main part of the book.

The rice I made in the morning with my little and dumb rice cooker.

Strawberries, orange wedges, and radishes make up the top box, and cool pack goes in the attic.

Of course the whole bento goes into an insulated bag with two small blue ices because it gets hot out here.

And this is where I had lunch last Thursday - a turn-out along the railroad tracks in the shade of an oak tree. This picture was taken when my Scion turned 20,000 ODO in September 2009.

Chicken Fried Pork Bento

Getting on the bento train. Woooo woot! Here's my Tuesday bento - Chicken-Fried Pork - panko crust, radishes, mustard, and cubes of rice  with a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds and watercress garnish.

All in my indigo rabbit box and eaten at the historic stage stop, Rios Caledonia Adobe in 100 degree heat.

Things That Go Together Bento

Leftover baby back ribs and fried potatoes. Chocolate and strawberries. And teeny tomatoes.

Pretty Pink Paris Bento

This bento was from last week and it has much of the same components as previous and future bentos. Such is life.

That is when the role of the bento box itself is important. It's makes the similar seem more fun.

It also helps to have friendly little sauce bottles to greet you at lunchtime.

Blue Cat Bento

Not much out there in the natural world that is blue. The sky, okay. Blueberries, yep. But what else?

That is why I'd like the thank the makers of Almond Joy's pieces for their blue candies. Nothing says I'm completely artificial like blue candy.

But does the blue cat care? No no. Giant radish mice burrow in the giant radish rose and le bleu chat would like to spring over the peanut butter and cream cheese wraps and dance on top of the luscious orange honeydew to get to the lovely candy coated milk chocolate almond flavor pieces.

Too bad kitty kitty meow meow you must hang out with my standard faire of double cream gouda, marinated olives, and black peppered baby backs.

Aww don't look so sad.

At least you got to ride in the strawberry box.

A couple of bentos I made this week

I made the pork curry the night before with sweet peppers and shiitake mushrooms and carrots. For some reason Thai spiciness does not bother me like some other spicy cuisines. 

I really wanted a warm lunch, so I separated the curry and rice from snacks and raw vegetables using my ecobox. I was going to separate the curry from the rice with a lettuce baran, but that would make the lettuce all wilty and really wouldn't work anyways. So I used a little glass bowl instead. 

This wasn't a very successful bento at work. The whole thing was a bit of a mess.

Wednesday I woke up late and didn't have time to make a bento much less photograph it, but Thursday I put together a Mio Mio bento with my big and little Mio boxes. There's a half of a pita filled with Seal Cove brie, and the other half is plain to go with my hummus. Some radishes, blueberries, and strawberries with a sweet pepper flower, and a flower rice ball with a bottle of soy sauce.

Cute little green-eyed kitty probably wanted tuna instead.

Botan Rice Candy Bento

"Each candy has an edible inner wrapper that melts in your mouth."

Like right now - Yum!

Also, "FREE CHILDREN'S STICKER INSIDE"  That would be the "HELP! VOOM" sticker shown in the lower left corner.

Another candy - Yum!

Okay. I made brown rice for that heart healthy month when we all see red. Orange bell peppers with Brussel sprouts leaves saute with pork strips on a bed of scrambled egg. Just one egg with the most orange yolk. (You can't see it.)

Cute as a button bunny pick with heart eyes and a "kiss" nose pokes strawberries.