Bento Boxes

[Damien]

I really should try to make them.. I do have to hit up the market for some Jerk Marinade, Sriracha sauce and Dashi stock so it's a good time to grab some.. Never been a fan of mushrooms myself so I may just go with something simple like carrot and rice.. Maybe some leeks.. hmmmm.. any ideas?

-Damien

 

[Damien]

Spork,

It might be a while before chef-san is back making videos.. From what I understand, she was involved in a pretty nasty bicycle accident and is currently recovering and in rehab..

-Damien

 

[blissful]

There are two camps of sukiyaki eaters, bliss -- those who dip or don't in raw egg. Pick whatever you want from the pot, dip in a transitional bowl of beaten egg, then eat. My live slug reference is two-fold: a raw egg is slimy, and eating raw egg is an exercise in Russian Roulette. But a raw egg in a lunch box is like loading a roulette gun that does not have blanks in all but one chamber, each is live.

Really?......I had no idea, thank you for the information. I learn new things everyday with you.

 

[spork]

It might be a while before chef-san is back making videos.. From what I understand, she was involved in a pretty nasty bicycle accident and is currently recovering and in rehab..

So I've heard. I'm looking forward to see whether head-chef Francis can actually cook without her...

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Good stuff, Damien! Thanks for the recipe & video.

The fried tofu pockets also come cut, cooked and packaged for inarizushi. I've bought them refrigerated in a plastic pouch, bathed in its cooking juice. They're also available canned, preserved. They're a bit delicate, and should be stuffed with a gentle hand. Fun to make, fun to eat!

The carrot, shiitake and hijiki seaweed combination is common enough that I've seen all three shredded together in a dried package. Other creative ingredients in an inari will work, too.

I'm not a big youtuber, but when I was introduced to "cooking with dog" here at DC, I signed up so that I could subscribe to it.

Is there someplace I can order the tofu pouches. I checked my go to place here (they don't carry and looked at me fish-eyed when I asked), haven't made it to International Foods, yet to see if he can get them for me.

 

[spork]

Here's the canned version, PF: MARUKAI e-STORE - INARIZUSHI NO MOTO NET WT. 10 OZ.

If you ask your local storekeeper to look for some on his next run, be aware that fried tofu is packaged in two forms: blocks or sheets. You want the latter kind to make them yourself into inari pockets, though the blocks are good in stir-fries and braises, too.

As for other ingredient ideas in an inarisushi, anything you favorably associate with sushi rice will work well, and beyond that, I'd try to think of ingredients as bits of texture. Cousin to the inarizushi is rolled futomaki ("fat roll"), and some ingredients common to it are: lotus root, re-hydrated kanpyo gourd, spinach, and pickled daikon radish.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Here's the canned version, PF: MARUKAI e-STORE - INARIZUSHI NO MOTO NET WT. 10 OZ.

If you ask your local storekeeper to look for some on his next run, be aware that fried tofu is packaged in two forms: blocks or sheets. You want the latter kind to make them yourself into inari pockets, though the blocks are good in stir-fries and braises, too.

As for other ingredient ideas in an inarisushi, anything you favorably associate with sushi rice will work well, and beyond that, I'd try to think of ingredients as bits of texture. Cousin to the inarizushi is rolled futomaki ("fat roll"), and some ingredients common to it are: lotus root, re-hydrated kanpyo gourd, spinach, and pickled daikon radish.

Thank you Spork-san! I can see lots of things at that site I could save some money on, even with shipping.

 

[spork]

1. cream of chicken soup
2. pasta, coated with spicy cod roe
3. 3-2-1 cake
4. raw cauliflower florets
5. ice coffee

Nothing fancy to the cream of chicken soup; I like my ingredients in small bites. I had a packet of this spaghetti sauce left, packaged by S&B. It's very fishy, briny, as much as anchiovies and not to everyone's taste. There was a discussion thread some time ago started by someone asking why the Japanese like to top spaghetti with some weird stuff. My pasta is also topped with small slices of octopus tentacle. The 3-2-1 cake mix has chocolate chips and a tablespoon of instant cocoa. The packet of ranch dressing for the cauliflower is leftover from recently trying KFC's hot wings.

I'm almost afraid to say it... this was a yummy bento lunch.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Good use of packets on hand! Looks really good!

 

[Damien]

Fifichan.. I'll keep an eye out for the inarizushi pouches for you when I run out to the Asian market on Saturday morning.
-Damien

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Fifichan.. I'll keep an eye out for the inarizushi pouches for you when I run out to the Asian market on Saturday morning.
-Damien

Thank you Damien, you are too kind. I did just order two cans from the link Spork-san sent me.

 

[Damien]

If what you ordered isn't what you were looking for, let me know.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

If what you ordered isn't what you were looking for, let me know.

I will! Thank you, again!

 

[spork]

As I recall, FiFi, the fried tofu pouches in the can are flavored quite strongly compared to the refrigerated type. Give them a quick rinse, pat dry, and then fill. With either type, you can also reserve some of the juice in them, to both flavor the sushi rice or cook any filling ingredients.

The most common side dish to a bowl of ramen in Japan is gyoza, but in Osaka and the Kansai region, it is ramen and 2 inarizushi.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Since my favorite dish at The Mustard Seed is Chicken Osaka...sounds appropriate!

"Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast sautéed in butter, ginger sauce, and lemons. Served with a tangy mustard sauce."

Thank you for the additional tips on making the inarizushi.

 

[Damien]

That sounds good, Fifichan...

-Damien

 

[PrincessFiona60]

That sounds good, Fifichan...

-Damien

I eat it every other week. About 6 of us order take out at work, it is my go to with fried rice and Asian slaw. I also go nuts for the fried green beans. Takes me two days to eat the whole meal and it is wonderfully lemony!

 

[spork]

After wearing myself out and working up an appetite through the morning hours with table tennis today, I went to hang out at an Aloha Festival being held this weekend. I spotted the booth of one of the few Hawaiian restaurants in our city. It's owned by the scariest-looking Samoan twin brothers I've ever seen, but they're friendly and funny. And they grub it real good. I bought a standard lunch plate.

2 scoops rice (with black sesame seed furikake) and 1 scoop macaroni salad. Kalua pig, chicken katsu, and a wedge of pineapple. I also bought a paper bag with half a dozen malasadas. To kick back on a lawn to watch hula dancers on stage, I had a bowl of shaved ice with raspberry and watermelon syrup.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

That looks good.

We ended up with fish and chips, dessert was Cambazola Cheese with lightly sugared strawberries.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

New Bento Box!!

I broke down and bought a wooden bento box: