Sunday, February 7, 2010

My working definition of "bento"

I'm going to try to post some of the bento lunches I pack for my hubby. Keep in mind that he is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, so you won't see many of the foods traditionally associated with bento. When I say "bento," this is what I mean: The lunch is packed in a divided box that allows me to control portion size and pack a variety of items. I will attempt to pack a balanced meal within the constraints of his limited palate. I will try to make it somewhat presentable, but not so cute that a 30-year-old man would be embarrassed to take it to work (I may make an exception for special days :)). I realize that I'm playing fast and loose with the definition, but I am sick of using quotation marks, so I'm going to call it plain ole bento from now on. The one I made for today is a prime example:

Here we have leftover "gyros," which are pretty much small hamburgers seasoned with Greek-inspired spices and tucked into wheat pita pockets. He doesn't go for lettuce, tomato, onion, or tsatsiki, so I tucked a small piece of cheese into each pocket. Also included are a plain spinach salad and pumpkin mini muffins.

No comments: