Li Ming Lee - Yummy kawaii bento : preparing adorable meals for adorable kids

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Cover design by Brian Peterson Cover photo credit by Li Ming Lee Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-424-9 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-0045-1 Printed in China Contents Introduction I started making character bentos when my firstborn began elementary school in 2011. He had problems adapting to the longer hours at school. He missed me and cried when I sent him to school every day.

I started packing him character bentos, along with lunch notes, in order to cheer him up and let him feel my love and presence through them. I started my blog, www.bentomonsters.com, in August 2011 because I wanted a platform to journal down the character bentos I made for my boys. One day, when they are grown up, I hope that they will be able to look back on the blog and recall the fond memories they had of their character bentos when they were little. Over time, making character bentos has also become a personal hobby, which I enjoy whenever I have pockets of free time. I intend to continue to make character bentos for as long as my boys are willing to eat them. Ive always wanted to write a book as I thought it would be the perfect keepsake for my bento making journey.

In addition, when I first started making character bentos, most of the character bento making books available were written in Japanese. Id always felt that it would have been great to have one in English that would cover all the basic character bento making techniques. This is what Im trying to do now, even though Im no professional in this arena and am still learning every day! I hope to share with you everything Ive learnt through trial and error these few years. This book encompasses all the basic character making techniques needed to get you started, lots of bento designs, complete with step-by-step pictures, as well as bento food recipes to guide you along. Ive tried to keep most of the designs simple, so its easy for you to recreate them. What Is Bento? B ento simply means meal packed in a box. What Is Bento? B ento simply means meal packed in a box.

It is very popular in Japan and is in fact an integral part of the culture. Bentos can be bought in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops, railway stations, and department stores. Bentos can also be homemade. In Japan, it is common for children to bring bentos to school and for adults to bring bentos to work for lunch. Over the past few years, bento culture has gained popularity worldwide and there has been a global spread of bento to different parts of the world. It is especially interesting to see how bentos have evolved and adapted in different countries, cultures, and communities.

Character bento, or charaben, is a type of bento that features food decorated and styled to look like people, animals, characters from cartoons, etc. Character bentos started as a way for parents to encourage their picky kids to eat a wider range of foods, especially healthy food. Mothers in Japan often pack character bentos for their children who go to kindergarten. I believe that in making a character bento, the taste of the bento should not be compromised for its presentation. It is important to prepare a wholesome meal so that the bento tastes as good as it looks. I also believe that making a character bento should not take up too much of your time.

As a result, Ive simplified a majority of the character bentos Im sharing in this book so that they are quick and easy to create. Ive also included a recipe section in this book, so you can recreate the dishes that make up my bentos. With a little effort and some creativity, a bento will not only bring a smile to its recipients face, but will also become an enjoyable process for the maker. Whenever you prepare character bentos, it helps to plan in advance what you would like to make. This way, you can have all the ingredients ready beforehand, which will make the job much easier. Bento tools like a nori punch, cutters, or a rice mold are useful and will also save time in character bento making.

However, refrain from buying and overloading on too many tools if you are starting out on your bento making journey. Most of the basic tools needed to get you started can be found in your kitchen, such as cling wrap, scissors, knives, toothpicks, etc. Its better to try your hand at making character bentos first and slowly ascertain what tools you would need the most, before making your purchases. Bento Boxes B ento boxes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They are also made from different kinds of materials. In choosing a bento box, you will need to look at your meal serving requirements.

Generally speaking, for a tightly packed Japanese-style bento (following the rule of three parts grain dishes, one part protein dishes, and two parts vegetable dishes), the number of milliliters (ml) that a box can hold corresponds roughly to the number of calories it holds. As a guide, a child needs a 400600ml (13.520 oz) bento box. A female needs around 600ml (20 oz) and a male needs around 900ml (30.5 oz). This is just a rough guide, and you may need to add more food for those who engage in higher physical activity or reduce food for those with lower physical activity. The chart below shows a more detailed guide according to age. WOMEN

They allow you to choose the appropriate bento box size according to your dietary needs, and all you have to do is pack food in the bento box. Here is a guide to most of the bento boxes I used in this book: PLASTIC BENTO BOXES Plastic boxes should be BPA-free. If you need to reheat your bento box, make sure your bento box is microwave safe.