Bento prep

Candy Penny and I both bought bento boxes last week, and have been dying to begin practicing what is basically the Japanese art of packing a beautiful and delicious lunch. I bought two bento boxes from these brilliant people: one for me and one for Ben, who responded positively to my inquiry into whether or not he would be interested in eating something other than a peanut butter sandwich and a Fuji for apple for lunch every day. He said he was game, but pointed out that he doesn't mind the sandwich and peanut butter, either. He is so gentle and undemanding!

Anyway, they arrived in the mail yesterday and they seem just right. The boxes are Americanized (i. e. bigger), which is why I chose them, and they have four compartments in bright, simple colors (because I'll be goddamned if I'm going to send my husband to work with a Hello Kitty lunchbox), and come with a fork, a spoon, and an itty-bitty dressing container.

I've been brainstorming satisfying foods that taste good cold or at room temperature, because even though the boxes are microwaveable, who wants to concern oneself with that? I've also baked a couple batches of muffins and mini-loaves (like the chocolate one pictured above), because they're so easy to freeze and then stick in one of the bento compartments when packing the lunches the night before. They thaw overnight in the fridge, and in the morning. Part of my developing theory of bento is that if I'm going to pack a lunch with several elements, one of those elements might just as well be a bit of cake.