I feel like the 2nd attempt at bento boxing was a bit more successful than the first. It could be because I went for a simpler approach, i.e. one more attainable at my skill level too. I found a site that showed an ‘easy bento box recipe’. It explained how to make the bear inari and octopus sausages above. And honestly, I really like the way they came out and they took a lot less time than my mashed potato ducks. Plus, there was no decapitation when I went to eat the bears the next day at lunch.

So the bears are made with 4 simple ingredients: sushi rice, inari wrappers, seaweed, and cheese. I make the sushi rice and get the inari wrappers in the refrigerated or frozen section of Asian markets. You can also get the wrappers in a can, but that leads to a very metallic taste which isn’t pleasing. For the features, I bought a round cheese called ‘cheese candy’ (you could also use string cheese) then just used a knife to cut slices. One slice for the nose and a slice cut in half for each ear. On the site with the original recipe, they used a slice of cheese and small round cutter. I don’t own a round cutter so I bought round cheese. Then just small strips of seaweed make the eyes and nose accent. I think they look sleepy. It’s cute.

Next, I made octopus shaped sausages. I found some fairly short spicy sausages at the Asian market (next to the Inari wrappers actually) and decided they would work better. I cut them in half. Then on the flat side, I cut midway up and turning to cut midway again until I had 8 ‘tentacles’. I then used the knife to carve out a happy face. At this point, it still looks kind of flat. But once I heated it in a skillet for a few minutes, the legs separated, and the facial features popped. It’s adorable, and again super easy.

For the lotus chips. I found them already sliced in a bag at the market. This made it easier since I don’t have a mandolin. I coated the slices in sesame chili oil, salt, and pepper. Then laid them flat on a baking sheet and baked them at 350 until they crisped up. They were so delicious. You should try them.

The edamame was just frozen and I boiled it. The seaweed salad and squid salads were premade, I just mixed them. No real skill needed, but they are delicious.

And of course, every well rounded meal needs desserts. My friend Lana and I took a mochi making class but a Japanese American lady and her emigrant mother. And that class so paid for itself. Mochi is delicious and so much cheaper to make yourself than to buy. Basically, you mix sweet glutinous rice flour, sugar, and water. Then you steam the mixture to get that classic mochi texture. At this point you sue cornstarch to prevent sticking to your hands or the counter. At this point you just tear of pieces and stuff. Chose strawberries and sweet red bean paste. It’s a delicious combination.

 With this bento, I feel like I achieved the level of adorableness I was looking for while also maintaining a better protein – carb – veggie ratio. I had enough veggies to keep everything fresh, but didn’t get hungry later either. This meal was definitely an improvement and took a lot less time to make. I wonder what I’ll try next.