12 February 2011

bitty bentos

Living in close proximity to Japantown, I am continuously charmed by the wealth of visual and edible inspiration that the culture has to offer. And when I purchased the precious little book (above) at Kinokuniya Bookstore last Fall, I paged through it obsessively, trying to decipher in pictures what I could not in words. 

Since then, I've had bento on the brain, and after recently purchasing this book (in English), and a few fun supplies from here and here, I embarked on a bento adventure of my own, resulting in a snack of seaweed salad, sweet potato turkey nuggets, and tamari-glazed squash and shiitake skewers, all topped off by a happy bear egg! 

Truth be told, beautiful bitty bentos are a lot harder to pull off than they look, but at least my first attempt was delightful and delicious. And it certainly is a great way to convince children (and adults) to eat their vegetables! Or, as the Japanese saying goes, "Eat with your eyes," not just your mouth.

Get more information here, and here