The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches To Go

I recently purchased a bento ( Zojirushi SL-JAE14 Mr. Bento Stainless Steel Lunch Jar, Silver ) and my search for easy to make and healthy recipes brought me to this book. At first glance it is a little intimidating but once you read it, you realize that it is very easy and uses a wide range of ingredients backed with great instructions to help you. It also offers great time lines so you know what you need to make in order to save you a lot of time. What this book is: It is a great recipe book that focuses on the food and offers useful tips on fresh items as well as leftovers as bento fare. It also includes a lit of foods that should not be included in the bento as well as ideas for which bento would be right for you (all of which are available on Amazon). The author uses a mix of Asian and American ingredients to make the recipes included. The book also offers substitutes should some of the ingredients used prove impossible to find in your area. Beautiful photos and instructions on how to pack each bento are included so you don't have to panic to make everything fit in your bento. I've found all the recipes easy to follow and not that intimidating. The website addresses included inside the book lead to very helpful sites geared towards bento enthusiasts and have given me many great ideas on new foods to try for my bento. What this book isn't: This book is not geared to making cute character bento that are famous overseas. While a few ideas are given on how to use color and simple shapes to make the meal look better, this book focuses more on the food and preparation and less on the looks. Some of the ingredients may prove a little hard to find but one of the ideas behind the use of bento is improvisation. I've been able to find most of the ingredients used in this book at the grocery store as well as health food stores. Note: Most, if not all of the ingredients are available on Amazon at very good prices. Overall: I would highly suggest this book to anyone who is getting into the idea of using a bento and looking for great meal ideas. My family quickly adopted the bento and has enjoyed may great foods from this book.

I have always loved Japanese things. Their toys, their food, their culture, their language, everything held a certain charm for me. So upon landing my first post-college job and moving out of my parents' house and in with my already employed boyfriend, my first order of business was experimenting with Japanese foods, particularly in my attempts to get my boyfriend and myself to both eat better and stop going out to lunch so often to save money. This book has been a godsend. Not only does it clearly explain each and every step of the preparation, it has a multitude of tips and advice for simplifying the preparation process. I just finished making a batch of rice for the coming week in fact, and have some Miso Marinated eggs sitting in the fridge, some salted salmon frozen and ready to go for Tuesday's lunch or something, and plenty of ingredients to whip up whatever I want to try for lunch. The best part is that it is super easy to expand upon the recipes; it takes no more effort to make enough for my lunch and my boyfriend's as well, and so we both get to enjoy delicious lunches freshly made every morning. In fact, his coworkers can't believe I manage to come up with new dishes and have the time to cook them every morning fresh! Guess I'd better keep this book a secret. ;) The best part of the book has to be the suggestions for variations after every single recipe. The variations allow for so much creativity and mixing and matching so you will never get bored or used to a dish. The recipes are very simple to make, and always have turned out scrumptious. Limiting myself to bento boxes for lunch has also helped me manage my low blood sugar--I make sure to pack plenty of filler vegetables, and my blood sugar has yet to be a problem! This was a wonderful investment, and I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking to spice up their lunch routine. You don't need a fancy bento box; I pack my boyfriend's into a largeish tupperware, and it is just as good as my bento box. Don't hesitate to purchase this book, and make sure to check out the website as well for even more ideas and recipes!

This is a wonderful book for beginners! It includes wonderful tips on how to safely and quickly pack a proper bento, how to cook rice, different types of Onigiri, and rules for this such as salads and weight loss. With 25 delicious recipes (using multiple types of protein, including chicken, pork, shrimp, salmon, and tofu), this book offers great options for a changing and delicious meal every day of the week. Child-friendly recipes that are filling for adults as well fill this book, and the recipes are easy to follow and prepare the night before or the morning of. With the safety tips, you don't have to worry about how to care for the food you've made, you just have to eat it! I've tried most of the recipes in here over the 3 years I've owned this book, and I have to say that every one I've tried is just as delicious as the first. The recipes are also forgiving. If you don't have one thing, you can always swap it for something else, and I've often swapped the ingredients to make the meal vegetarian or vegan when the mood strikes. With variations offered by the recipes, and creativity of your own, you have a never-ending source of knowledge for delicious bentos! This book offers: 25 savory recipes using different types of protein Nutritious food suitable for children and adults A time-scale to let you know when to begin preparing and how long it will take Bento tips, tricks, and how-tos Classic Japanese recipes and Non-Japanese recipes A glossary Emphasis on health rather than decoration A practical guide to creating easy, balanced meals

"The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches to Go" is not your typical cookbook. It is sectioned off mostly into meals, which at first takes some adjusting to navigate efficiently. While I get the intent of putting full meal examples together (with great alternatives for both main and side item variations and options), I feel a bit jumbled when trying to find a recipe for the cabbage I want to use, or just looking for a small side to add to an almost complete meal. The flip side to that is great examples of how to organize full meals, including morning scheduled time charts to efficiently put them together in 15 minutes before rushing off to work! The book contains a lot of bento recipes, tips, and ideas. For the bento newbie (like me), it is a nice intro/launching guide to preparing great bentos. The information on what can be made in advanced, and how long certain items will last in the fridge or freezer makes it very easy to start planning your bentos out. As a cookbook, I feel it lacks a bit in recipes overall. As a reference for ideas and meals (especially packed lunches for work), I think it will inspire a few more creations and occasionally be thumbed through for a recipe. It is in no way a `go to' reference cookbook, but it does not seem to be the intention. The general feel of this book makes the thought of preparing bentos far less intimidating, which I would assume is the goal. For that reason I would say I am overall happy with the purchase, but I wouldn't likely replace my copy again.

I can't say enough about this book; it's absolutely everything you need to get into making and enjoying bento lunches. I was looking for something alternative to bring in my everyday work lunches and have been a longtime fan of Japanese culture. I stumbled upon Makiko's blog about a year ago and, after trying several of the recipes she has posted there and being very satisfied with them, I decided to purchase her book. I have never been more satisfied with a cookbook in my 20+ years of cooking! The recipes are straight forward, easy to follow and incredibly good. What I liked most about this book was that the author kept the Western cook in mind and gave helpful tips throughout the recipes regarding where best to find specific ingredients or, if necessary, the author also tell you how to make or where to buy a substitute. I can't honestly think of one American cookbook that does that well! Another thing that really impressed me is that the author included sections on how to select the right bento box to meet your needs, what accessories (silicone dividers/cups, vegetable cutters, etc.) she found useful, and even takes the time to discuss how to properly prepare your rice. She also includes a really helpful section on food safety and a section on bento meal planning. I have been extremely satisfied with each recipe that I've tried and each one was a truly flavorful, thoughtful pairing of delicious and very attractive food. I really, really liked how each entree was broken down into it's component dishes and how there's a quick but informative write-up of what the dish is (how it tastes, why it's popular/liked in Japan, etc.) paired with the instructions to make that particular component of the entree. Finally, I highly recommend the ginger pork and new potatoes recipe! I loved it so much I quadrupled the recipe and now serve it at home for dinner. My kids devour this dish and ask for seconds! I'm completely "converted" - no more boring sandwich lunches again for me. In my opinion, there's no greater joy than opening your lunch box to a meal you prepared yourself that looks as beautiful as it is satisfying and nutritious! And this book will help you do it!

I bought a bento box with the idea of portion control and needed help on how to use it. This book offered more than I expected in the following ways. First of all the pictured ideas are so appealing I couldn't wait to pack my first lunch. I was delighted that some ideas are things I wouldn't have thought of and that while visually attractive, are not labor intensive. You do have to prepare the food of course, but the included timelines and tips for make-ahead items seem to simplify the process considerably. The foods to include and recipes in the book were really a springboard for me. Once I started thinking outside the box (or inside :), I could see a whole range of things that would work and give me lots of variety. Although my first attempts included a chopped salad in the largest tray of my box, I did pack some rice, which I usually don't include in my meals all that much. What a pleasant surprise to find it so filling and satisfying in this context. Seeing how the boxes were packed was another eye-opener. I really liked the little silicone cups to divide the space and the containers to hold sauce. I couldn't find the ones pictured but did find a couple of others that are working well. The frilly lettuce dividers explained those little green pointy papers in sushi packs from the store. There is no question that the quantities are smaller than many Americans are accustomed to, but that in itself was a good lesson for me, and in my first few days of eating my bento lunch, I find I am completely satisfied. I think it is partly because of the variety of tastes and textures of foods included. The bright flavors make a few bites seem like more and each item is savored and appreciated from the first view upon opening the box to the last tasty morsel. I felt I'd had a more complete meal than the standard American box lunch of a sandwich, piece of fruit and chips. Speaking of sandwiches, I'm trying to cut down on gluten too and the rice works well instead of bread. When I choose to include a sandwich in the future, I'll put in just one trimmed half as it fits the theme better and already a full sandwich seems like too much. Another thing I really liked about this book was that a variety of bento boxes are shown as containers so regardless of which kind you have you can see the possibilities. I bought a Lock & Lock set--plebeian compared to the graceful Japanese boxes, but functional and I'm pleased with it. I'm so happy with this book, I immediately bought another for my daughter for her family. Highly recommended.

I've barely made any of the recipes in this book, but I'm already happy I bought it; it's exactly what I was looking for in a book about bento. I was not looking for a book to teach me how to spend hours making cute manga charaben lunches for kids (though I appreciate the artistry), I wasn't looking for a book to suggest ridiculously, inaccessibly gourmet dishes, or dishes with ingredients I can't easily find...I was looking for a book that had quick, healthy, balanced, tasty meal suggestions, with some Japanese influence, but with non-Japanese dishes as well. This is it. It has great tips about what kind of food to look for for a particular dish, which parts to make when, planning ahead, food safety, which parts are optional, and little details that many cookbooks seem to assume you may know, without getting all fussy (the explanations about how to make good, basic white rice were great). The photographs are nicely done, though I do wish more of them were in color (I know, color printing is expensive), but the presentations were simple, elegant and visually appealing, the format of the book is easy to parse, and the glossary of Japanese ingredients she mentions in recipes is helpful. The one gripe I have (and it's certainly not enough to deduct a star) is that some of the ingredients use weight instead of volume measurements--most people use cups and tablespoons where she suggests grams. I've checked out several bento books from the library, and while some had useful suggestions, I wouldn't bother owning any--I'm glad I own this one, I'll be gleefully trying most of these recipes.

After reading all the great 5-star review of this book, I just had to buy this book to see what the rave was about. I have lived in Japan for more than 10 years and attended a few Japanese Culinary Schools, I agree that this book is worthy of it's many 5-star reviews. I liked the short intro-paragraph at the at the beginning of some of the recipes that gives the reader some background of the dish as eaten or prepared in Japan and the reasons for preparing or cooking it in the "Japanese way". Instructions are easy to follow and not intimidating even for the beginner Japanese Bento maker. And remember Practice makes Perfect especially for making Tamagoyaki (pg 19) Overall the recipes are easy to follow and quick to prepare as illustrated by the timeline guides. The ingredients she uses are easily found at Asian Grocery Stores. This shows the author has given much thought to the availability of Japanese ingredients used in her recipes and made this book practical for those residing outside Japan. But if you are looking for a book with fancy beautiful pictures for each recipe, this is not the book for you. There are only 25 full-page photos and a measly 4 step-by-step photos for this 127-page book. This is not a step-by-step kind of cookbook and some of the cooking instructions are somewhat vague eg "saute till onions are translucent, till meat is browned, massage till vegetable are limp, de-seed cucumber, cut out tough vein of cabbage leave" that left my non-cooking American friend scratching her head. Some reviewers liked the "Variation Recipes" section at the end of each bento menu eg Pan-fried Chicken Nuggets & Ground Chicken Nuggets. I would have preferred "new" recipes as I rather have 150 totally "different" recipes than "repeats" of same dish. The author's blog site is also good - you can find many bento recipes there as well. But at only 7 cents a recipe, this 150-recipe book is good value for money. It's a keeper!

J'ai acheté ce livre car je suivais déjà les blogs de Makiko Itoh sur Internet, c'est d'ailleurs en tombant sur Just Bento, en 2008, que j'ai découvert le bento japonais, ainsi que des dizaines de recettes qui ont complètement changé ma façon de cuisiner pour ma famille. Ce livre explique les fondamentaux du bento, il reprend les bases de la cuisine japonaise authentique, dans une optique "à emporter" : les éléments principaux du repas (riz, légumes et viande/protéines) sont bien expliqués, et ce qui est très appréciable, pour chaque recette, l'auteur vous montrera des variantes pour que vous puissiez varier les menus de façon simple ! Il y a également une sorte de frise chronologique qui vous aidera à prévoir le temps qu'il vous faut pour préparer chaque élément de votre bento. Vous y trouverez aussi des idées simples pour que vos bentos soient jolis, sans tomber dans le charaben (bentos très décorés), car ici la priorité est : bon, sain, et harmonieux ! La préoccupation nutritionnelle est toujours présente, les repas sont équilibrés. Il y a pas mal de recettes non-japonaises, car ce n'est pas parce qu'on est Japonais qu'on ne mange QUE japonais, tout comme on ne mange pas que des blanquettes et des cassoulets quand on est Français, et parce qu'il y a de nombreux plats dans le monde qui se prêtent bien à être emportés dans des boîtes :) Les recettes sont délicieuses, les sushis enveloppés dans des crêpes à l'omelette et le potimarron mijoté sont devenus des classiques chez nous. Ce livre est vite devenu indispensable dans ma cuisine, je le consulte lorsque je dois préparer les déjeuners à emporter et que je n'ai pas d'idées. Vous vous approprierez vite les méthodes et les grandes lignes, ce qui vous permettra de voler de vos propres ailes et d'aller encore plus loin dans l'art culinaire japonais. Le seul hic est qu'il n'existe qu'en anglais, donc si vous n'êtes pas anglophone, il sera peut-être un peu difficile à aborder. Mais pas besoin d'être parfaitement bilingue pour comprendre. Un super livre, très utile pour ceux et celles qui veulent manger sainement au bureau, ainsi que pour celles et ceux qui veulent mettre un pied dans la cuisine japonaise.

Adoro la cultura del bento. Mangiare dentro una scatola di plastica, magari rovinata da anni di lavastoviglie, penso non piaccia a nessuno. Pur di mangiare sano l'ho fatto per molto tempo, fino a quando, un giorno, mi sono trovata a buttare pranzo e contenitore nel cestino perchè davvero non ce la facevo a mangiare quello che vedevo. Ho poi comprato un bento per me e uno per il mio compagno. Spesso ci portiamo da mangiare in questi contenitori molto carini. Questo libro è perfetto perchè l'autrice riesce a fare bento super sani e molto carini usando ingredienti semplici, sani e che richiedono poca preparazione, magari un po' di fantasia e qualche accessorio Consigliato per chi mangia con gli occhi e per chi ha bambini che mangiano fuori casa

英語が読めなくても、写真だけで十分楽しい一冊。異国の方が日本の中学生のお弁当に感動……という動画サイトもみたことがあるのですが、『お弁当』は日本のかあちゃんたちが誇れる文化だと思います。

Me encanta este libro. Tiene un montón de recetas y como además incluye variaciones no acabas aburrirte nunca. Las recetas son sencillas, rápidas y fáciles de seguir. Incluye una tabla para organizarte en las elaboraciones para que tardes el mínimo tiempo posible. Te aconseja sobre lo que puedes dejarte preparado de antemano, para facilitarte las cosas. También incluye ayuda para la decoración y que el montaje del bento quede bonito.

For years, I'd taken the same old boring lunch to work - ham sandwich, crisps, yoghurt, maybe some fruit. I knew that Japanese bento lunches were fare more exciting than my usual midday fare, but like many other people, I'd always been daunted by the effort. Looking online seemed to justify my fears - if I tried this, would I spend my days decorating rice balls with faces and cutting out sandwiches in animal shapes? Nonetheless, I decided to give it a go, and it was fortunate that I took a chance on Makiko Itoh's Just Bento Cookbook. Ms Itoh's philosophy is that you shouldn't spend hours on the presentation - what you really want is something that tastes delicious. Which is not to say that the bentos presented in this book don't look great, but that the focus is quite rightly on a selection of recipes that aren't too hard to make. Yes, there is some startup cost involved in buying a few bits of equipment and sourcing Japanese ingredients (although over the past couple of years more supermarkets have begun stocking the essentials), but once you taste a few of the recipes, you'll realise that it's worth the effort. The book offers a range of both Japanese and non-Japanese bentos, usually consisting of several components. There are plenty of variants to try out, and having worked my way through the book, there were only a couple of recipes that I really didn't get on with. In fact, for the most part, it's taught me new dishes that I don't just rely on for lunch - I've served them to friends for dinner as well. Of course, preparing a bento is always going to be more effort than making a sandwich, but none of the recipes in this book are particularly long or complicated, and most of them can be made a night or two in advance, or even put in the freezer so you have a ready supply of bento dishes for busy weeks. And don't worry if you feel like you've done the book to death - Makiko Itoh also runs a Just Bento website packed with even more recipes to try. All in all, this is probably my most-used recipe book, and certainly one of the best investments I've made. If you're considering trying out bento, or even if you just want to try a few easy Japanese recipes, this is definitely the place to start.