Effortless Bento: 300 Japanese Box Lunch Recipes

I bought several Bento items for my daughter for Christmas, including Totoro-themed Bento Boxes, sauce containers, bento bags, recipe books,etc.. She's having a lot of fun creating lunches for her Bento box. And her dad is also reaping the benefit. :) I'll share all the items we bought as we launched wholesale into the Bento adventure. We've cooked many interesting meals - no misses yet! And everyone's had fun with their Bento boxes. Even my husband is enjoying his, which was a surprise.Since we were starting Bento from scratch, we bought some Bento cookbooks, even though we have some Japanese cookbooks already:The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches To Gohttp://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1568363931?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageYummy Kawaii Bento: Preparing Adorable Meals for Adorable Kidshttp://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1634504240?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageEffortless Bento: 300 Japanese Box Lunch Recipeshttp://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1939130379?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageThe Manga Cookbookhttp://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/4921205078?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0and several Bento items to accommodate lunches with and without soup, etc.Her main bento box (she never microwaves it, and she washes it by hand). It came with chopsticks, but she also wanted the Totoro utensil set listed below which fits in her bag nicely with this box.Bento: Studio Ghibli Totoro Design 2-tier Microwavable Bento Lunch Box (Volume: 380ml + 250ml)http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B006YG0BU8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageMy Neighbor Totoro Stainless Steel Lunch Box LJF3 - great for soups and other items with liquids. Has a folding spoon in the lid, so you can carry just it if you want.http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B009N6E5TE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageChopsticks Spoon Fork Trio Set My Neighbor Totoro Garden - cute! What else is there to say?http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S0E7V4G?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageMy Neighbor Totoro Skater Insulated Lunch Cooler Bag, Clover (UBC1) Fits everything nicely, except the extra soup container.http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AYQQ8Y2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageMy Neighbor Totoro Skater Insulated Lunch Cooler Bag, Clover (UBC1) (A bit taller than the bag above, so accommodates differently shaped items. Accepts her Totoro Bento box and the Totoro stainless steel soup container at the same time.)http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AYQQ8Y2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageKOUZINA 36 Baking Cups - Freshware Silicone Molds - to keep items separate in the boxes when needed. Glad we got these! A nice touch!http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B016APXXJ8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageTupperware Smidget Container 1oz Set of 5 Blue - we bought a couple of sets of these tiny containers for dipping sauces, etc., since the reviews on some of the more eco-freindly choices of sauce containers had a lot of complaints about leakage. These are SO water-tight, it's awesome. They're tiny and perfect for a little terriyaki sauce, egg roll dip, etc. We got one color for my daughter (green ones off of eBay to match her Totoro bento box) and another color for her dad here on Amazon (blue for the win!). Helps keep things sorted.http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/710105482X?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageWe also had mercy on my husband and bought him a non-anime Bento Box. It's probably one of the best Bento boxes ever. Very nice design; nice size. Keeps liquids in, etc. If I get a bento box of my own, I'll probably get another one of these. Yes, stainless steel is more eco-friendly, but I'm gonna have to err on the side of leak-free products.Bento Box Lunch Box by GRUB2GO - Premium Lunch Boxes for Adults and Kids + FREE Utensils -http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B014EX3672?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageFor the Kawaii factor, we had to have cutouts for lunch meats and cheese (we have yet to see how they work with home-made lunch meat, but I expect they'll work well):Yunko Bento Accessories Bears Seals Bunny Chick Bear Shape DIY Rice Ball Mould Korean Laver Take Boarder Sushi Mold Sandwich Mold Mould Cutter Stamphttp://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017JMUU88?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageCuteZCute Robo Bread Bento Sandwich Stamping Cutter, Red/Black - geeks have to have robots! Ego saving for the man in your Bento Life also!http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QOJGYGK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpageWell, that's about it. I think we'll be using all these things for quite a while. It was great to find them on Amazon. Some items come from Japan, but it was worth the wait. :)

This is an excellent bento guidebook. It is packed with super tasty ideas that are not complicated or time-consuming to make. It is jam-packed with all kinds of different lunchbox recipes that you can mix and match to your taste. Like me, you may find something new every time you read it. A great resource.

I love this book. It has a bunch of tips and tricks. Example bentos for different food categories before listing recipes. Pictures with every dish. Includes frozen and refrigeration dishes. Even has a section in the back of different pickled veggies and onigiri you can make.

A person will never run out of bentou recipes and ideas with this book. Covering a wide range of main dishes and side dishes that draw from not only Japanese cuisine by cuisines from a variety of cultures, there is no end to recipes that one could use as they are or also modify to suit one's tastes or the ingredients available.The instructions are clear and easy to understand. The photographs are gorgeous. And, there are many informative and pragmatic details, such as explanations for the preparation of commonly used ingredients or dividing recipes into those that can be refrigerated and those that can be frozen.For those unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine or unable to easily acquire Japanese ingredients, this is a very modern bentou cookbook that includes a great variety of 'international' recipes. Without a doubt, there will be something in here for everyone to make, eat, and enjoy.My only disappointment is in the lack of Japanese names for the various recipes and ingredients. Given the density of information and the tight spaces into which the text had to be squeezed, perhaps including the original Japanese names for various things along the English translations provided was not possible. Still, this is something I find useful to have, especially when looking up related recipes or ingredients in other sources, and their absence is felt keenly.This one disappointment aside (however strongly I may feel about it), this is an amazing cookbook and resource for anyone seeking to add to their bentou repertoire.

What I appreciate the most about this book is that it doesn't waste time: no life story nonsense, just ingredients, instructions, and advice. Pictures are available for each dish, guidance is provided for organizing the bento, and useful tips for making things ahead of time all combine to form a cohesive, convenient book.

I saw this book at Japan Centre and flicked through in person before purchasing on Amazon. It has over 300 recipes, tried and test a few dishes. The recipes are easy to follow and taste delicious. I've brought many bento books in the past, but keep going back to this one.It is a comprehensive guide to get you started in making your own bento boxes at home.

Jag köpte boken mycket för att få idéer till sidorätter och tillbehör. Jag hittade intressant information, som känns mycket inspirerande.

It's a very nice compactly book stuffed with tasty looking recipes.I'm stunned by how detailed the recipes are in this book.The texts are a bit small, but for 300 recipes with beautiful photos, it's worth it.I look forward to start cooking!

Súper completo, repleto de recetas útiles y muy fáciles de preparar, incluso compre otro para regalo. Me encantó

Il libro è esattamente come lo descrivono. È ben scritto, con parecchie ricette semplici da eseguire e con delle istruzioni chiare ed accessibili a chi ha un discreto inglese. Sono molto soddisfatta dell’acquisto, lo consiglio.