The Just Bento Cookbook

by Makiko Itoh

Moose and I love ethnic foods. I guess I should have realized that by giving Moose ethnic cookbooks that I would be the one doing the ethnic cooking. I mean, I knew I would since I get home from work before Moose does, but it didn't really sink in. Every week Moose plans all the meals, comes up with the shopping list, and does the dishes. All I have to do is the cooking. Not a bad setup, really.

The cookbook I want to review is actually one of the ones I bought myself, and one that I plan from. It is THE JUST BENTO COOKBOOK: Everyday Lunches to Go. For those who don't know, bento is from Japan. It is a lunch packed into a box. It can be sandwiches, sushi, or stir-fry. This cookbook covers it all, including more American style meals. The idea is that they are healthy meals that you can make in fifteen minutes or less, with a little night before prepwork. Makiko Itoh explains how to make everything and all of the techniques. (The other week I make octopus cocktail sausages. Those who have watched anime may know what I am talking about.)

I bought this as a birthday present to myself. I also bought myself a really fancy rice cooker. The advantage is that I can set the timer so the rice is done in the morning when I make my bento. This cookbook is not for everyone, it is highly Japanese and has a different taste pallet. But if you are interested there is a website www.justbento.com that has a lot of the same information. I look forward to the days that I have bentos for lunch, and all of my co-workers are jealous.