Bento # 1

I have been slacking with the posting seriously this past week!!

This was my first attempt at a Bento style lunch from last Thursday. I've been fascinated with bento for years, but only recently discovered some bento pages in English, so now I've been finding all sorts of inspiration in lunchtime recipes =)

My most proud moment here was successfully making a Japanese rolled omelette... without a proper Japanese omelette pan even, or a sushi mat, I used a paper towel!! haha! =) Following a recipe I have in an old cookbook from the 60s I scored on Ebay about Japanese homestyle cooking, I beat 3 eggs with about a tbsp of soy sauce, a tabsp of dashi/water, and a tsp of sugar. The challenging part of making a Japanese omelette is the whole process of pouring a thin layer rolling it to one side, and pouring another thin layer UNDERNEATH that one rolled up on the side.. then rolling it again.. and repeating til all the egg mixture is gone. The effect is nice neat visable layers once sliced. In the center of the omelette I placed some leftover stir fried shitake and onions. I also made my first onigiri, rice balls filled with umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum), wrapped in nori. In this bento was also some marinated and fried tofu, some enokitake, terriyaki steak and udon noodles. YUM. =)