Bento

Twinkie sushi!

i'm getting a mr. bento. very excited about it.

ps AiLien, can't wait to see you at a Seattle FAP! I hope the weather is as lovely as it was this weekend when you visit - sunny, 70s, bright blue skies, nice breeze most days with some overcast but still pleasant days tossed in for variety.

mozzarella sticks * buffalo wings * cheetos * cupcake * gummi bears

that's for birthdays!

i'm getting a mr. bento. very excited about it.

I realize that when I i.m. my sister all day at work, we discuss food -- how we like it, what's for lunch, what's for dinner, here check out this recipe, etc. etc. when I have conversations with co-workers, same thing. When I'm with friends, same.

I love getting excited about a meal!

When you are in Seattle, you should really plan to spend some time at Uwajimaya in the International District - it's a huge Asian grocery store/market with food court, gift shop, and food court. Also, if you guys end up needing to ship anything back home, I'll be glad to help out.

Also, the absolute best chinese barbequed pork (duck/chicken/side pork/etc) is about 3 blocks from there, at Kau Kau.

Haha - also, book/dvd store! Not 2 food courts. But you can tell I'm thinking about lunch.

I have Uwajimaya on my list! We were thinking about shipping back home. Do you have resources?

also, you may have to fill me in on the FAP. i'm slow.

I live just a block from a post office, and have a business Fed Ex account. I also live about 6 blocks from Uwajimaya :) (we actually had thought seriously about living in the apartments that are above the store, but the rental lady was really too pushy)

We can wait until you guys know more what your schedule is for FAP stuff, though I think I saw some stuff mentioned for a June 4 possibility in Fremont?

okay, yes! andrew m., ilxor/my bf, is working on that! should be fun! we don't leave until saturday, but all i can think about is seattle! and vancouver! we'll be staying at my uncle's in renton and my cousin's in capitol hill. probably mostly in renton, as he's out of town (boeing stuff) and he's giving us the car.

here's one of my standby recipes. it will definitely be going into the bento:

1lb pickles, ideally kirbys
1T coarse salt
1T grated ginger (i am occasionally too lazy to deal with it and use ground; just use a bit less)
2T rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
2t sesame oil
1/2 t sugar
1t dried chili flakes

chop the cucumbers (any way is fine - dice, rounds, whatever), then put in a colander/strainer and sprinkle with salt. mix to ensure the salt is spread around and drain for about 20 minutes, then rinse off and pat the pieces somewhat dry.

while the cucumbers are draining, mix the ginger, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar together. toss with the cucumbers, mix everything up, and sprinkle with the chili flakes. best eaten within two days. the dressing is also good with raw chopped bok choy or choi sum.

i got some little tiny pig-shaped sauce dispensers to use in my new bento and some ideas of what to put in there, but would welcome any successful bento ideas because this thing is really tiny!

currently enjoying spicy tofu with spinach and ponzu/chili oil
need to buy or make some pickles too

what else is small enough to fit in here?!

I came across this site a couple of weeks ago:
http://justbento.com/recipes

and I think I will be trying some of the recipes, not necessarily for bento...

that and justhungry are good sources imo -- i have read them a lot, but not tried a lot of the ideas. maybe it's time for that.
i need to make a trip to the japanese grocery.