flower onigiri bento

This bento features a flower-shaped onigiri made using a Japanese wooden onigiri mold, one of several sent by a lovely bento friend--many thanks, you know who! Looking forward to trying the other interesting shapes including a graceful gourd. I've filled today's onigiri with spicy crab salad: red chili flavors and crab have a special affinity, especially with a touch of mayo. Ebi fumi furikake for soft color and sesame-shrimp savor on sprinkled on top.

Baby lettuce, colorful edible petals of marigold and snapdragon, avocado with more spicy crab, a mini onigiri topped with salmon roe, mint, kiwi, cherries and fresh figs also for lunch...all watched over by a happy animal quartet. Happy Tuesday, bento pals!

Yum-Yum Bento Box Review and Kitty Cat Bento

The subtitle of this wonderful guide to bento by Crystal Wantanabe and Maki Ogawa is a perfect summary of its contents, as fresh recipes abound within its pages and adorable lunches a sure result for readers who try its rich trove of bento suggestions.

Crystal and Maki bring a playful and creative spirit to bento that radiates from their happy creations and  cheerful, encouraging text. Bento instructions are detailed, practical and adaptable. As a fanatic for bento accessories of all kinds, I was quite taken with the pages devoted to bright and beautifully photographed bento tools.

Accessible and friendly, Yum-Yum Bento Box invites us have fun while creating sweet and balanced lunches...I will refer to it often for ideas, inspirations, and how-to's!

This Kitty in Summer Garden bento is a variation on the Kitty Cat and Goldfish Bento on page 35. Inside the nori-covered onigiri kitty is spicy salmon and eggplant with ginger:

Shrimp and salmon roe, broccolini, plum-garlic pickles, radish sprouts, cherries and edible flowers including marigold and pansy keep kitty company, reflecting the bright summer colors of July.

Have a good week, bento pals!

cool froggie bento

Summer is truly upon us here on the East Coast of the US--we are riding out a week-long heat wave. A fiery sun as the day begins:

So today's bento features the cool green company of a little froggie from Kyoto, found on my recent visit to NYC. He relaxes here on a sandwich filled with salmon salad (made with scallions, artichoke heart salad, mayo and Dijon mustard) and avocado slices. Baby romaine and ripe cherries are inside, too.

In fleeting bloom, the first violet and white morning glory...

Happy Friday, bento friends!