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Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches
Discover how easy it is to make bento box lunches at home with these 60 simple recipes
Bento for Beginners is the perfect introduction to bento box lunches featuring creative recipes and helpful tips for getting started. This bento box cookbook is filled with easy-to-follow recipes and everything you need to create a bento-ready kitchen, including the best type of bento box to purchase, ingredients to keep on hand, and how to plan for the week ahead.
From Japanese classics to simple fusion and Western-inspired bento boxes, you’ll be eating variety-filled, home-cooked lunches in no time, with:
All the tips, tools, and ingredients you’ll needto get into a regular bento routine.
Step-by-step instructions for each recipe in a box,including a Timing and Prep guide that helps you plan ahead.
Delicious recipes and bento menu suggestions,including crispy Japanese-Style Fried Chicken and sweet-and-savory Pan-Fried Potato and Carrot, and Rice Croquettes with juicy Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with a crunchy Celery and Apple Salad.
Make bento part of your lunch routine with Bento for Beginners!
Bento for Beginners is the perfect introduction to bento box lunches featuring creative recipes and helpful tips for getting started. This bento box cookbook is filled with easy-to-follow recipes and everything you need to create a bento-ready kitchen, including the best type of bento box to purchase, ingredients to keep on hand, and how to plan for the week ahead.
From Japanese classics to simple fusion and Western-inspired bento boxes, you’ll be eating variety-filled, home-cooked lunches in no time, with:
All the tips, tools, and ingredients you’ll needto get into a regular bento routine.
Step-by-step instructions for each recipe in a box,including a Timing and Prep guide that helps you plan ahead.
Delicious recipes and bento menu suggestions,including crispy Japanese-Style Fried Chicken and sweet-and-savory Pan-Fried Potato and Carrot, and Rice Croquettes with juicy Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with a crunchy Celery and Apple Salad.
Make bento part of your lunch routine with Bento for Beginners!
164 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2020
205 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 12, 2020
A bento box is a wonderful thing. I have had the opportunity to travel to Japan several times, and all the convenience stores have bento boxes, which are boxes with little compartments of flavorful food, ready to eat. They almost always contain rice, possibly meat or fish, and then a variety of colorful side dishes and extras. This book teaches you how to prepare your own Bento box and gives you recipes and suggestions for side dishes and extras to fill up the compartments. There's something about the display of the boxes and the way the food is arranged in such an appealing fashion that makes your meal so much more enjoyable.
Bento for Beginners provides some authentic Japanese recipes as well as some Western recipes to fill your boxes. It also gives a short history of Bento boxes and makes suggestions for choosing the best bento container.
There is a section on traditional Japanese style bentos, a section on Western bentos, and a very interesting section on Fusion bentos, in which Japanese elements are added to the traditional dishes of other countries, or elements of other countries' cuisine are added to Japanese dishes. This is where I learned that the Japanese sometimes add ketchup to rice or noodle dishes. I did not know that.
The most interesting recipes for me are the traditional Japanese style bentos, such as the Japanese fried chicken (Karaage) Bento and the Miso Marinated Grilled Salmon Bento. Each main bento recipe is accompanied by recipes for the rice and vegetable side dishes and suggestions for extras.
The western section includes a simple tuna sandwich bento and the mini meatball bento, and the baked ziti bento, as well as many others. Again, all are accompanied by recipes for flavorful side dishes.
If you haven't had the bento box experience, please try it. If you are interested in Japanese food, you will enjoy this book. If you enjoy learning to make flavorful food that is pleasing to the eye, you will love this book.
The only thing I would have liked better about this book is if it had a lot more pictures.
I received a free copy of this book from Callisto media and Rockridge Press. My opinions are my own and are voluntary.
Bento for Beginners provides some authentic Japanese recipes as well as some Western recipes to fill your boxes. It also gives a short history of Bento boxes and makes suggestions for choosing the best bento container.
There is a section on traditional Japanese style bentos, a section on Western bentos, and a very interesting section on Fusion bentos, in which Japanese elements are added to the traditional dishes of other countries, or elements of other countries' cuisine are added to Japanese dishes. This is where I learned that the Japanese sometimes add ketchup to rice or noodle dishes. I did not know that.
The most interesting recipes for me are the traditional Japanese style bentos, such as the Japanese fried chicken (Karaage) Bento and the Miso Marinated Grilled Salmon Bento. Each main bento recipe is accompanied by recipes for the rice and vegetable side dishes and suggestions for extras.
The western section includes a simple tuna sandwich bento and the mini meatball bento, and the baked ziti bento, as well as many others. Again, all are accompanied by recipes for flavorful side dishes.
If you haven't had the bento box experience, please try it. If you are interested in Japanese food, you will enjoy this book. If you enjoy learning to make flavorful food that is pleasing to the eye, you will love this book.
The only thing I would have liked better about this book is if it had a lot more pictures.
I received a free copy of this book from Callisto media and Rockridge Press. My opinions are my own and are voluntary.
March 20, 2023
First disclosure and one I've often used:
I am notoriously hard on cookbooks. They start with three stars and either gain or lose from there depending on whether I learn anything, how much I think I'll use them, and how solid the information proves to be.
Second disclosure -- that this is a rare one for me:
I got a review copy of this book free from Callisto Media. They strongly hinted in the offer they'd like "an honest review."
They probably regret sending me that link now. Unlike some folks, I'm actually going to give an honest opinion. There's no point in any other kind.
In most ways, the book is OK. And I mean that sincerely. It's well organized. What few pictures there are are done well. It's a perfectly nice introduction to what bento boxes are and how to put one together that isn't so twee that you choke on the cuteness. The author isn't into contorting food to look like dolphins or Hello Kitty or Escher drawings. And for that, I say "Bless you." Making your kids' lunch competitive art on Instagram needs to stop.
It is definitely a book for beginners. It's not just beginners to bento, but beginner cooks. A recipe for buttered corn using frozen corn and...butter. That level. There's nothing in this I couldn't have cooked when I was eight or ten years old if I'd only had the ingredients. That doesn't mean the recipes aren't good. I never liked what we call teriyaki sauce in this country. It's cloyingly sweet. The version in this book, called Versatile Sauce, is quite tasty. Very simple, but tasty. Ditto the sesame dressing. The Ginger chicken is quick, easy, and good.
Then, there were recipes that just...weren't. There are three sections to this book: traditional Japanese bento, American bento, fusion bento. You can pretty much take the American section and half the fusion section and chuck it. There's nothing there that isn't either so simple that it doesn't require a full page of instructions or can't be found a thousand other places. It's not bad so much as just not worth the space. They are the kind of things one just doesn't need a recipe for, such as the aforementioned butter corn or a tuna sandwich.
Other things were confusing. in a lot of the recipes, the process goes like this:
1. Cook the item beforehand, portion it, and refrigerate.
2. In the morning, microwave the item for a minute or so. In some cases, cut/slice the item.
3. Pack the bento.
Why would I do that? In the case of meats like the chicken thighs, cold chicken is much easier to slice than warm/hot chicken. But mainly, why would I cook something, cool it, reheat it, cool it again while waiting to eat lunch, then potentially reheat it again just before eating? She doesn't say. Is she slightly under-cooking it to begin with to accommodate this process or does she think this morning nuking of the food makes it easier to handle or safer or??? She doesn't say. Seems like a sure fire way to have rubbery chicken to me. I didn't try it since I have no need to pack a lunch right now.
Some other things that I think need clarification are in the safety tips.
1. She says not to refrigerate rice because it will become dry, but to freeze it in individual portions. So what is an individual portion? If you look on-line, you'll find answers ranging anywhere from 1/3 cup to one cup. (The American Heart Association claims it is 1/2 cup. The American Diabetes Association says 1/3 cup. I'm betting most Americans think it is one cup.) The problem with freezing food while warm, especially grains or pasta is that they can self-incubate and retain warmth in the center even hours after placing them in the freezer. (This is why you don't put hot leftovers directly in the freezer.) So that single portion, whatever it is, needs to be in a shallow container so the temperature will reach freezing ASAP. It must reach below 40 F in less than two hours. Otherwise, bacteria breeds like crazy. Bacillus cereus LOVES to breed in rice and pasta kept too long, too warm, or too wet. You really don't want a bout of Bacillus cereus. Trust me on this one.
2. "To avoid bacteria growth, it is important to avoid moisture and warm temperatures. (85 F to 105 F), so always put a lid on the bento after its ingredients cool to room temperature." And then she goes on to make the same point I did above about self-incubating rice. So why would I put that moist, warm, self-incubating rice directly into the freezer again?
Speaking as someone who has taught food handling and safety classes, I have no idea where this 85-105 F range is coming from, and I think this section is dangerously misleading as written. The so-called "danger zone," which is the temperature range in which bacteria will rapidly multiply is 40 F- 140 F. Salmonella, e coli and other dangerous bacteria thrive in that danger zone and can double in less than twenty minutes in the range under optimal (for them) conditions. It used to be that the total time bacteria-hospitable foods could be left at room temperature was four hours. They've tightened that to two hours total danger zone temp exposure. (One hour at "room temperature" is over 80 F. Not sure where the FDA keeps its thermostats set, but room temp at my house is more like 70 F.)
3. A few pages later, "Always check the smell of your food before you eat. If anything smells different than it should, play it safe and skip it."
No. No. NO. Do not depend on "Smells ok to me" to decide if food is safe to eat. It's the decomposition of cells that causes a putrid smell, not necessarily the toxins and pathogens that cause food-bourne illness. Many of the microbes that cause foodbourne illness do not produce odors detectable by humans. You can't smell e colli or salmonella. In other words, if it smells putrid and isn't supposed to, yes, it's gone bod, but it could also smell just fine and be teeming with nasty bacteria. Your nose isn't always going to save you from worshiping the porcelain god.
IMHO, the food safety "tips" in this book need to be rewritten, preferably with input from someone trained in food safety. A local health department restaurant inspector could whip this section into shape in no time for probably little more than a cup of coffee and thanks.
Long story short: Nice concept. Needs another pass and some fine-tuning.
I am notoriously hard on cookbooks. They start with three stars and either gain or lose from there depending on whether I learn anything, how much I think I'll use them, and how solid the information proves to be.
Second disclosure -- that this is a rare one for me:
I got a review copy of this book free from Callisto Media. They strongly hinted in the offer they'd like "an honest review."
They probably regret sending me that link now. Unlike some folks, I'm actually going to give an honest opinion. There's no point in any other kind.
In most ways, the book is OK. And I mean that sincerely. It's well organized. What few pictures there are are done well. It's a perfectly nice introduction to what bento boxes are and how to put one together that isn't so twee that you choke on the cuteness. The author isn't into contorting food to look like dolphins or Hello Kitty or Escher drawings. And for that, I say "Bless you." Making your kids' lunch competitive art on Instagram needs to stop.
It is definitely a book for beginners. It's not just beginners to bento, but beginner cooks. A recipe for buttered corn using frozen corn and...butter. That level. There's nothing in this I couldn't have cooked when I was eight or ten years old if I'd only had the ingredients. That doesn't mean the recipes aren't good. I never liked what we call teriyaki sauce in this country. It's cloyingly sweet. The version in this book, called Versatile Sauce, is quite tasty. Very simple, but tasty. Ditto the sesame dressing. The Ginger chicken is quick, easy, and good.
Then, there were recipes that just...weren't. There are three sections to this book: traditional Japanese bento, American bento, fusion bento. You can pretty much take the American section and half the fusion section and chuck it. There's nothing there that isn't either so simple that it doesn't require a full page of instructions or can't be found a thousand other places. It's not bad so much as just not worth the space. They are the kind of things one just doesn't need a recipe for, such as the aforementioned butter corn or a tuna sandwich.
Other things were confusing. in a lot of the recipes, the process goes like this:
1. Cook the item beforehand, portion it, and refrigerate.
2. In the morning, microwave the item for a minute or so. In some cases, cut/slice the item.
3. Pack the bento.
Why would I do that? In the case of meats like the chicken thighs, cold chicken is much easier to slice than warm/hot chicken. But mainly, why would I cook something, cool it, reheat it, cool it again while waiting to eat lunch, then potentially reheat it again just before eating? She doesn't say. Is she slightly under-cooking it to begin with to accommodate this process or does she think this morning nuking of the food makes it easier to handle or safer or??? She doesn't say. Seems like a sure fire way to have rubbery chicken to me. I didn't try it since I have no need to pack a lunch right now.
Some other things that I think need clarification are in the safety tips.
1. She says not to refrigerate rice because it will become dry, but to freeze it in individual portions. So what is an individual portion? If you look on-line, you'll find answers ranging anywhere from 1/3 cup to one cup. (The American Heart Association claims it is 1/2 cup. The American Diabetes Association says 1/3 cup. I'm betting most Americans think it is one cup.) The problem with freezing food while warm, especially grains or pasta is that they can self-incubate and retain warmth in the center even hours after placing them in the freezer. (This is why you don't put hot leftovers directly in the freezer.) So that single portion, whatever it is, needs to be in a shallow container so the temperature will reach freezing ASAP. It must reach below 40 F in less than two hours. Otherwise, bacteria breeds like crazy. Bacillus cereus LOVES to breed in rice and pasta kept too long, too warm, or too wet. You really don't want a bout of Bacillus cereus. Trust me on this one.
2. "To avoid bacteria growth, it is important to avoid moisture and warm temperatures. (85 F to 105 F), so always put a lid on the bento after its ingredients cool to room temperature." And then she goes on to make the same point I did above about self-incubating rice. So why would I put that moist, warm, self-incubating rice directly into the freezer again?
Speaking as someone who has taught food handling and safety classes, I have no idea where this 85-105 F range is coming from, and I think this section is dangerously misleading as written. The so-called "danger zone," which is the temperature range in which bacteria will rapidly multiply is 40 F- 140 F. Salmonella, e coli and other dangerous bacteria thrive in that danger zone and can double in less than twenty minutes in the range under optimal (for them) conditions. It used to be that the total time bacteria-hospitable foods could be left at room temperature was four hours. They've tightened that to two hours total danger zone temp exposure. (One hour at "room temperature" is over 80 F. Not sure where the FDA keeps its thermostats set, but room temp at my house is more like 70 F.)
3. A few pages later, "Always check the smell of your food before you eat. If anything smells different than it should, play it safe and skip it."
No. No. NO. Do not depend on "Smells ok to me" to decide if food is safe to eat. It's the decomposition of cells that causes a putrid smell, not necessarily the toxins and pathogens that cause food-bourne illness. Many of the microbes that cause foodbourne illness do not produce odors detectable by humans. You can't smell e colli or salmonella. In other words, if it smells putrid and isn't supposed to, yes, it's gone bod, but it could also smell just fine and be teeming with nasty bacteria. Your nose isn't always going to save you from worshiping the porcelain god.
IMHO, the food safety "tips" in this book need to be rewritten, preferably with input from someone trained in food safety. A local health department restaurant inspector could whip this section into shape in no time for probably little more than a cup of coffee and thanks.
Long story short: Nice concept. Needs another pass and some fine-tuning.
January 28, 2020
*received from netgalley for free for honest review* This book has amazing photos, very vibrant and beautiful, definitely appetizing! There's certainly recipes i'd like to try in this book and then theres others like the "napolitan spaghetti" which I do not think I will ever try.... just cant get over the ketchup lmao, great book though, wouldn't mind owning a print copy!
January 13, 2020
This recipe book has all the instructions you need to start using Bento boxes for work or school lunches or dinners. It begins with the history of Bento and the traditions behind this style of food packing, then gives advice on using traditional Japanese recipes or using more Americanized versions of Bento.
I love that there are so many options for Bento-style lunches! The reader has the freedom to substitute favorite vegetables and dishes, mixing them with the recipes in this book.
The recipes are all simple and easy to cook, using basics like rice, beans, chicken, and veggies. Each recipe has substitutions and labels for vegan, pescatarian, nut-free, and gluten-free.
There are also instructions for how to plan your time, scheduling prep time in the morning or the day before to keep your Bento fresh, or freezing several Bento boxes at a time for later use.
I only wish this book had more photos of the recipes, and more tips about freezing bento boxes for longer storage. I can't wait to get started with some of these recipes and make some Bento-style lunches for myself!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
I love that there are so many options for Bento-style lunches! The reader has the freedom to substitute favorite vegetables and dishes, mixing them with the recipes in this book.
The recipes are all simple and easy to cook, using basics like rice, beans, chicken, and veggies. Each recipe has substitutions and labels for vegan, pescatarian, nut-free, and gluten-free.
There are also instructions for how to plan your time, scheduling prep time in the morning or the day before to keep your Bento fresh, or freezing several Bento boxes at a time for later use.
I only wish this book had more photos of the recipes, and more tips about freezing bento boxes for longer storage. I can't wait to get started with some of these recipes and make some Bento-style lunches for myself!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
January 17, 2020
This is a good resource for anyone packing meals to be eaten away from home, whether at work, at school, while traveling, or for a day out.
The author’s personal reminiscing and the history she gives of bento made the recipes more interesting. All are easy, with most ingredients readily available.
(Thanks to the publisher for an ARC.)
The author’s personal reminiscing and the history she gives of bento made the recipes more interesting. All are easy, with most ingredients readily available.
(Thanks to the publisher for an ARC.)
February 7, 2020
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog
This book lives up to the title: the recipes are easy to create, using very ordinary and easily-obtainable ingredients, but also have good flavor and interest. The cover photo gives an accurate image of what you're likely to be making - simple items that add up to a nicely presented lunch with welcome variety. The recipes are varied, with a mix of traditional and non tradition (Western) tastes to suit even the pickiest of eaters. The one downside is that there are no images of the recipes - so it can be hard to imagine the presentation (which is so important and intrinsic to bento lunches). As well, there are no presentation suggestions (such as the cute hot dog weiner octopuses, etc.) that could really have elevated the book.The book breaks down as follows: Bento basics, Japanese-style bentos, Western-style bentos, Fusion bentos, Staples & sauces, then the usual conversions and resources. There are 60 recipes, including mushroom pasta bento, chicken roll bento, chicken teriyaki bento, cucumber sushi rolls bento, mini meatball bento, rice omelet bento, and steamed rice, herb seasoning, versatile sauce, sesame dressing, pickling liquid and miso sauce.
In the beginning of the book, the author covers tools and pantry items. I really appreciated that the amounts were small - there were only 3 tools (freezer bags, skewers, rice cooker) and there are suggestions for extras such as protein (cheese, eggs), snacks, and fruits/vegetables with low water content. There is a page of items that are a good idea to keep stocked - very simple items and nothing fancy. Many of the meals are cooked the night before, frozen, and then heated up in the morning before leaving. All of the images for the book are in the opening pages - none for the recipes.
Each recipe has serving size and allergy info at the top. A large blue font covers the title. Beneath is a short paragraph of info about the dish. Storage time, prep time and cooking time follow. The ingredients are in red and stand out. The steps are short, numbered, one-sentence steps for the most part. Most recipes are broken down by 'the night before' and 'in the morning.' There are safety tips at the bottom and then nutritional info: calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol, carbs, fiber, sugar, protein.
There is a nice variety and I really like that there are Western and Eastern options. You can have a very Japanese themed bento lunch or you can have one that is much more Western - a nice feature for picky eating kids.
In all, the book lives up to the promise of being VERY easy and perfect for beginners. The one detraction is the lack of images for any of the recipes. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
January 17, 2020
Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches
This book got my attention just from the cover, so appealing and healthy looking.
The book includes a lot of photographs and it also includes a table of contents where there are recipes.
There is a lot of introductory material that includes not only about the Bento Basics but about the history from Japan, the benefits of eating this lifestyle, and flavor.
There are also sections on the formula to make sure you get it just right and to make sure that your kitchen is ready. There is a section on the containers, storage and safety and troubleshooting with tips on things to keep in mind the tools and equipment. Everyone should have these items already in their house along with extras. There is a list showing ingredients that you can keep on hand that will freeze good or refrigerate well. There is also a section on prepping and organizing that will cut down on the time that it takes you to put all these together.
There is a section on how to use the book as well, a lot of common sense things that you probably already are doing.
Each of the recipes start with the title, a brief summary of the dish, information about the storage and how long it will keep for and in what appliance as in the refrigerator or the freezer.
It also lists prep time and the cook time along with the ingredients which I would substitute for my healthier lifestyle: low sodium, low sugar, low fat products, fresh vs canned or processed.
Some of the recipes have a big color photograph on one page and some also include other notes.
A sauce is listed and gives you a reference page where you can find that recipe at the end of the book.
Directions are given how to make the dish the night before - very easy directions and it also has directions for in the morning and what you need to do to get it ready for the lunchbox.
It also includes some nutritional information per serving for calories, total fat - not broken up by good or bad, sodium, cholesterol, total carbs, fiber, sugar and protein.
Also at the very top of each recipe it states how many Bento servings each recipe includes it and a listing of gluten-free, nut-free, vegan and other food allergy categories, vegetarian, and kid friendly.
What I really like about this book is that there are many super healthy dishes to make that hardly take any time at all and you can put them in either the fridge or the freezer and save them for another day or for your lunch the next day or for a week later.
I do make a lot of extra food per meal and store it much like this book describes.
I don't like that the print is not really that dark - I wish it was darker but otherwise it has a lot more information than most of the recipes I've seen.
In the back of the book is a section called staples and sauces which are easy things to make that you could prepare ahead of time and always have them on hand, like condiments.
One of them is for the steamed rice with a short summary and it also tells you how to make it in the saucepan but I have also made it in a pressure cooker and in a steam pot for the microwave so it doesn't take any time at all.
There's also a lot of things on seasoning and again it lists the nutritional information by servings or tablespoon and it also lists which allergy category it fits into.
There are no pictures for this section.
At the very end there's also a measurement conversion chart and there is also a listing of resources available.
An index of everything that is in this book is included at the end.
It ends with the section on acknowledgements and about the author with her picture.
I really like this book and I'm going to keep it handy especially just for the nutritional information and there are 60 recipes in here.
There are many varieties to choose from.
I received this book via CALLISTO PUBLISHER'S CLUB and this is my honest opinion.
This book got my attention just from the cover, so appealing and healthy looking.
The book includes a lot of photographs and it also includes a table of contents where there are recipes.
There is a lot of introductory material that includes not only about the Bento Basics but about the history from Japan, the benefits of eating this lifestyle, and flavor.
There are also sections on the formula to make sure you get it just right and to make sure that your kitchen is ready. There is a section on the containers, storage and safety and troubleshooting with tips on things to keep in mind the tools and equipment. Everyone should have these items already in their house along with extras. There is a list showing ingredients that you can keep on hand that will freeze good or refrigerate well. There is also a section on prepping and organizing that will cut down on the time that it takes you to put all these together.
There is a section on how to use the book as well, a lot of common sense things that you probably already are doing.
Each of the recipes start with the title, a brief summary of the dish, information about the storage and how long it will keep for and in what appliance as in the refrigerator or the freezer.
It also lists prep time and the cook time along with the ingredients which I would substitute for my healthier lifestyle: low sodium, low sugar, low fat products, fresh vs canned or processed.
Some of the recipes have a big color photograph on one page and some also include other notes.
A sauce is listed and gives you a reference page where you can find that recipe at the end of the book.
Directions are given how to make the dish the night before - very easy directions and it also has directions for in the morning and what you need to do to get it ready for the lunchbox.
It also includes some nutritional information per serving for calories, total fat - not broken up by good or bad, sodium, cholesterol, total carbs, fiber, sugar and protein.
Also at the very top of each recipe it states how many Bento servings each recipe includes it and a listing of gluten-free, nut-free, vegan and other food allergy categories, vegetarian, and kid friendly.
What I really like about this book is that there are many super healthy dishes to make that hardly take any time at all and you can put them in either the fridge or the freezer and save them for another day or for your lunch the next day or for a week later.
I do make a lot of extra food per meal and store it much like this book describes.
I don't like that the print is not really that dark - I wish it was darker but otherwise it has a lot more information than most of the recipes I've seen.
In the back of the book is a section called staples and sauces which are easy things to make that you could prepare ahead of time and always have them on hand, like condiments.
One of them is for the steamed rice with a short summary and it also tells you how to make it in the saucepan but I have also made it in a pressure cooker and in a steam pot for the microwave so it doesn't take any time at all.
There's also a lot of things on seasoning and again it lists the nutritional information by servings or tablespoon and it also lists which allergy category it fits into.
There are no pictures for this section.
At the very end there's also a measurement conversion chart and there is also a listing of resources available.
An index of everything that is in this book is included at the end.
It ends with the section on acknowledgements and about the author with her picture.
I really like this book and I'm going to keep it handy especially just for the nutritional information and there are 60 recipes in here.
There are many varieties to choose from.
I received this book via CALLISTO PUBLISHER'S CLUB and this is my honest opinion.
January 26, 2020
Originally published on my blog: .
Bento for Beginners is a tutorial and recipe collection by . Due out 4th Feb 2020 from Callisto on their imprint, it's 164 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook available now). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Bento can be healthy and appealing with eye appeal, organization, variety, and portion control in one package. This collection also shows that it doesn't need to be very time consuming or difficult.
The introduction includes suggestions and tutorials for basic bento followed by chapters with 7 Japanese style bentos, 7 western style meals, and 7 fusion style. These are complete meals with the base recipes and ingredients included.
Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (only US measurements given, with a metric conversion chart in the appendix), and step by step instructions. The nutritional info provided includes calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol, carbs, fiber, sugar, and protein . Very few of the recipes are photographed, but the completed boxes are illustrated very well and clearly. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. There are some vegan friendly recipes. Special notes about the recipes (nut free, gluten free, vegan, etc) are listed in the header bars at the beginning of each individual recipe. The book does include a solid cross referenced index which includes ingredients.
The recipe ingredients themselves are easily sourced and will be available at most well stocked grocery stores.
Well written and organized, this could be a fun addition to the lunchbox repertoire. It would also lend itself very well to fans of meal planning or once-a-week-cooking. Most of these recipes make several servings which could easily be used for a week's lunch planning.
Four stars. I received both the electronic and print ARCs of this book and found no errors and generally very high quality with both.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Bento for Beginners is a tutorial and recipe collection by . Due out 4th Feb 2020 from Callisto on their imprint, it's 164 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats (ebook available now). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Bento can be healthy and appealing with eye appeal, organization, variety, and portion control in one package. This collection also shows that it doesn't need to be very time consuming or difficult.
The introduction includes suggestions and tutorials for basic bento followed by chapters with 7 Japanese style bentos, 7 western style meals, and 7 fusion style. These are complete meals with the base recipes and ingredients included.
Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (only US measurements given, with a metric conversion chart in the appendix), and step by step instructions. The nutritional info provided includes calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol, carbs, fiber, sugar, and protein . Very few of the recipes are photographed, but the completed boxes are illustrated very well and clearly. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. There are some vegan friendly recipes. Special notes about the recipes (nut free, gluten free, vegan, etc) are listed in the header bars at the beginning of each individual recipe. The book does include a solid cross referenced index which includes ingredients.
The recipe ingredients themselves are easily sourced and will be available at most well stocked grocery stores.
Well written and organized, this could be a fun addition to the lunchbox repertoire. It would also lend itself very well to fans of meal planning or once-a-week-cooking. Most of these recipes make several servings which could easily be used for a week's lunch planning.
Four stars. I received both the electronic and print ARCs of this book and found no errors and generally very high quality with both.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
January 30, 2020
When my kids were younger, I got a lot of supplies to make the cutesy Bento boxes you see all over Pinterest with the cute character shapes made of food, but I think I only ever got around to doing a Bento like that one time. It is just too much work. My kids are older now, and my oldest who is in 6th grade is completely obsessed with all things Asian. She loves k-pop, and anime and pretty much any variation on Asian food she can try. These Bento ideas are simple and healthy and they all sound incredibly delicious. These are meals my husband would probably eat too at work so I will probably get a few Bento boxes for our three kids and a couple of more for us. I love the ideas in here and I am also happy that nutrition facts are included and ideas for extras to go with the particular main protein are included. The sky is the limit really. There is a focus on Japanese food with Bento boxes, of course, but in this book there are also fusion meals and American comfort food, giving us even more variety in the dishes we can make. I absolutely love it. I recommend this to any parent looking to make their kids healthier lunches for school.
February 18, 2020
The recipes really are easy and the directions are strait forward. There's also lots of good tips in the book too. I just wish there were more pictures in the ebook.
March 22, 2020
I received a complimentary print copy of this book from Callisto Publishing. My unbiased review is unbiased and voluntary.
This is a unique book providing easy lunch box ideas for bento users. Bento boxes are essentially boxed lunches popular in Japan. The author provides some history and benefits of using bento boxes which include reducing food waste, money saving and healthy eating.
After choosing your bento box preference, there are important safety and storage considerations. There are several recipes that are Japanese inspired but others that will appeal to kids and those on special diets.
This is a unique book providing easy lunch box ideas for bento users. Bento boxes are essentially boxed lunches popular in Japan. The author provides some history and benefits of using bento boxes which include reducing food waste, money saving and healthy eating.
After choosing your bento box preference, there are important safety and storage considerations. There are several recipes that are Japanese inspired but others that will appeal to kids and those on special diets.
February 1, 2020
Bento for Beginners is a treasure box indeed! Chika Ravitch designed it as a box of culture, memories, and well-being, summarizing years of blogging about Japanese food.
For those who are new with the concept, there is a historical stop, just at the beginning, to geographically and culturally coin the term. Knitting history with modern issues, the author underlines the benefits of Bentos, in terms of environmentally friendly food, money and time saving, gluten-free diet, and along with Marija Vidal's photographs, you can see for yourself the esthetics of it! So it is not only healthy, but it is also eye-catching, connected to the Buddhist notion of a five-color meal for a good fortune and healthy life!
In a personal and straightforward approach, the author advises us on how to organize the storage of ingredients and gives us tips on how to ensure food safety, based on everyday real-life challenges and on specific examples. The layout is also beautifully designed, like a Bento box you may say, with notes regarding the different types of diet, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian pescatarian and kid-friendly, easy steps to follow to get everything ready in time, in plain language, like the night before, in the morning. What I like the most is the bridge built between traditional Bento and nowadays Western adaption, it is like rereading an ancient book through modern lengths. The chapter Japanese-Style Bentos brings you the taste of history while in the chapter Western-Style Bentos you will recognize pieces of the everyday meal, presented in a Bento pattern that will inspire you. I loved the Tuna Salad Sandvich Bento and the Marinated Radishes. Fusion Bentos are savory translations of globalization and culture melting pot, bringing together different tastes and cuisines and, probably, paving the future for Bentos.
It is much more than a recipe book, it is a balanced lifestyle concept about us understanding the world, rooted in thousands of years of history.
For those who are new with the concept, there is a historical stop, just at the beginning, to geographically and culturally coin the term. Knitting history with modern issues, the author underlines the benefits of Bentos, in terms of environmentally friendly food, money and time saving, gluten-free diet, and along with Marija Vidal's photographs, you can see for yourself the esthetics of it! So it is not only healthy, but it is also eye-catching, connected to the Buddhist notion of a five-color meal for a good fortune and healthy life!
In a personal and straightforward approach, the author advises us on how to organize the storage of ingredients and gives us tips on how to ensure food safety, based on everyday real-life challenges and on specific examples. The layout is also beautifully designed, like a Bento box you may say, with notes regarding the different types of diet, gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian pescatarian and kid-friendly, easy steps to follow to get everything ready in time, in plain language, like the night before, in the morning. What I like the most is the bridge built between traditional Bento and nowadays Western adaption, it is like rereading an ancient book through modern lengths. The chapter Japanese-Style Bentos brings you the taste of history while in the chapter Western-Style Bentos you will recognize pieces of the everyday meal, presented in a Bento pattern that will inspire you. I loved the Tuna Salad Sandvich Bento and the Marinated Radishes. Fusion Bentos are savory translations of globalization and culture melting pot, bringing together different tastes and cuisines and, probably, paving the future for Bentos.
It is much more than a recipe book, it is a balanced lifestyle concept about us understanding the world, rooted in thousands of years of history.
January 21, 2023
I always wonder how one can really classify a cookbook as "read"? Like reading it cover to cover? That doesn't really seem like enough. So for me, I think it should be after you've made at least one dish from each section of the book. Then you can say with a certain amount of confidence if the meals were easy to prepare, affordable, or delicious. And yeah, this one ticks off most of those boxes.
For a while now I've been a bento box fan. I like to have something easy to pack for lunch that's more than just a sandwich or frozen dinner.
The book is broken up into three recipe sections: traditional Japanese bentos, western style bentos, and fusion bentos. I made one bento box from each section trying to follow as closely to the recipes as possible. I will admit that the grocery store was out of short-grain rice so I subbed with long grain rice I already had on hand but I was able to find all the other ingredients really easily. I like how each bento box has the recipes needed for each component directly afterwards so I'm not flipping back and forth a lot. Everything was easy to prepare and the book even gives reheating instructions.
I will say that if you are not a fan of prepping/reheating food then this book will not be for you. Also the book suggest that all the foods can be reheated in the morning and would keep fine without being stored in the refrigerator. I don't know if that would be strictly true for items like the egg salad. It may be fine but I wasn't going to risk it. Luckily my office has both a refrigerator and a microwave and if yours doesn't then your mileage may vary.
For a while now I've been a bento box fan. I like to have something easy to pack for lunch that's more than just a sandwich or frozen dinner.
The book is broken up into three recipe sections: traditional Japanese bentos, western style bentos, and fusion bentos. I made one bento box from each section trying to follow as closely to the recipes as possible. I will admit that the grocery store was out of short-grain rice so I subbed with long grain rice I already had on hand but I was able to find all the other ingredients really easily. I like how each bento box has the recipes needed for each component directly afterwards so I'm not flipping back and forth a lot. Everything was easy to prepare and the book even gives reheating instructions.
I will say that if you are not a fan of prepping/reheating food then this book will not be for you. Also the book suggest that all the foods can be reheated in the morning and would keep fine without being stored in the refrigerator. I don't know if that would be strictly true for items like the egg salad. It may be fine but I wasn't going to risk it. Luckily my office has both a refrigerator and a microwave and if yours doesn't then your mileage may vary.
February 2, 2020
I loved reading Bento for Beginners by Chika Ravitch as she has written an approachable cookbook that allows newbies, like me, the ability to try preparing Bento boxes. Her cookbook starts of with discussing Bento basics followed by menu-themed chapters. At the end of her book the author includes a chapter called Staples & Sauces which can be used to prepare Bento recipes.
Here's a sample Bento menu found in the Japanese-style bento portion of her book:
Chicken Teriyaki Bento (Menu heading)
Corn Rice
Chicken Teriyaki
Broccoli with Sesame Dressing
Here's a sample Bento menu found in the Western-style bento portion of her book:
Tuna Salad Sandwich(Bento (Menu heading)
Simple Tuna Sandwich
Buttered Corn
Marinated Radishes and Bell Peppers
Here's a sample found in the Fusion Bentos portion of her book:
Rice Omelet Bento (Menu heading)
Rice Omelet
Stir-Fried Potato and Green Bell Pepper with Miso
Chika offers tips on how to prepare the needed Bento ingredients in advanced along with nutritional information with her recipes. Throughout her cookbook you will find numerous color photographs illustrating the recipes.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a PDF galley from NetGalley.
Here's a sample Bento menu found in the Japanese-style bento portion of her book:
Chicken Teriyaki Bento (Menu heading)
Corn Rice
Chicken Teriyaki
Broccoli with Sesame Dressing
Here's a sample Bento menu found in the Western-style bento portion of her book:
Tuna Salad Sandwich(Bento (Menu heading)
Simple Tuna Sandwich
Buttered Corn
Marinated Radishes and Bell Peppers
Here's a sample found in the Fusion Bentos portion of her book:
Rice Omelet Bento (Menu heading)
Rice Omelet
Stir-Fried Potato and Green Bell Pepper with Miso
Chika offers tips on how to prepare the needed Bento ingredients in advanced along with nutritional information with her recipes. Throughout her cookbook you will find numerous color photographs illustrating the recipes.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a PDF galley from NetGalley.
February 3, 2020
I find this book really interesting as this is the first time I have heard of Bento Boxes. While this book says to use glass Bento boxes or microwave safe dishes I didn't worry about it too much as I don't have a microwave. When I received this book I was potty training my, almost, two year old. I needed to prep a few days of tasty meals that my older kids and husband could just grab out of the fridge and eat. This book has so many tasty recipes that were perfect for this especially since my family doesn't mind cold chicken haha. The book is labeled in sections, Bento Basics, Japanese-style, Western-style, Fusion, Staples and sauces. I made the Chicken Teriyaki, Ginger Chicken, Quinoa Salad, minus the Tofu, simple egg salad, and the Honey Glazed sweet potato. All of these were really good and I plan on making them again as well as more of the tasty recipes in this book.
I received a free copy of this product from Callisto Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
I received a free copy of this product from Callisto Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
February 3, 2020
*** I received this Arc in exchange for an honest review ***
I was a bit hesitant to request this cookbook, but seriously happy when I opened it up and started going through the recipes. The author grew up with bento � not like kyara/chars bento but actual bento � and it really shows. The ideas behind bento are clearly explained and make sense.
Onto the actual food: the recipes are made of ingredients that are easy to access, and there’s seriously a wide variety of recipes in here. I love the inclusion of different types of mixed rice, and all the notes about how to safely store the food for longevity. These are big points especially since it’s always hard to know how long these recipes are good for.
My only issue is that the gluten free notes aren’t consistent throughout the book - there are points where soy sauce has notes to switch for GF if needed and other times where it’s not. I’d also like to point out that some of the non gluten free recipes can be made gf with the switching of ingredients, eg wheat bread for gf bread.
I was a bit hesitant to request this cookbook, but seriously happy when I opened it up and started going through the recipes. The author grew up with bento � not like kyara/chars bento but actual bento � and it really shows. The ideas behind bento are clearly explained and make sense.
Onto the actual food: the recipes are made of ingredients that are easy to access, and there’s seriously a wide variety of recipes in here. I love the inclusion of different types of mixed rice, and all the notes about how to safely store the food for longevity. These are big points especially since it’s always hard to know how long these recipes are good for.
My only issue is that the gluten free notes aren’t consistent throughout the book - there are points where soy sauce has notes to switch for GF if needed and other times where it’s not. I’d also like to point out that some of the non gluten free recipes can be made gf with the switching of ingredients, eg wheat bread for gf bread.
January 25, 2020
First let me say that I was sent this book by the publisher with the expectation that I would give an honest review of its content. Second, let me tell you my rule of thumb on rating a cookbook: The stars a based on the number of recipes my family and I will eat - 1 star is less than 1/4 of the recipes, 2 stars 1/4 to less than 1/2 of the recipes, 3 stars 1/2 to 3/4, 4 stars for 3/4 to less than all the recipes, 5 stars for all recipes. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in this book. I have heard so much about Bento Boxes and have friends that pack Bento lunches for themselves and their kids and was looking forward to purchasing some Bento boxes and trying som of the recipes in the book. I found that I was not thrilled with the majority of the recipes. The history of Bento boxes is the only reason the review was not lower than it is.
January 29, 2020
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and here is my honest review.
First of all, I'm not a bento beginner. I lived in Japan for many years and I've made many bento, have copies of bento cookbooks in Japanese and English. This book is very simple and appropriate for beginners in that it offers a solid range of recipes and ideas. It is also useful in that it explains what you can do ahead of time, how long you can freeze or refrigerate items, and the ingredients are accessible for those of us in the US. The staples and sauces section at the end is succinct and indeed useful.
This would make a nice present for someone just starting out with bento or who wanted to learn more. It will become a cookbook that you really use rather than one that just sits on the shelf.
First of all, I'm not a bento beginner. I lived in Japan for many years and I've made many bento, have copies of bento cookbooks in Japanese and English. This book is very simple and appropriate for beginners in that it offers a solid range of recipes and ideas. It is also useful in that it explains what you can do ahead of time, how long you can freeze or refrigerate items, and the ingredients are accessible for those of us in the US. The staples and sauces section at the end is succinct and indeed useful.
This would make a nice present for someone just starting out with bento or who wanted to learn more. It will become a cookbook that you really use rather than one that just sits on the shelf.
February 23, 2020
BENTO FOR BEGINNERS is a great book for making bento boxes the way they were intended to be made. There is a trend these days to see the cutesy, Instagram-ready ones online, but they take a lot of time and are not particularly realistic for daily usage. This book helps with all of the basics.
There are nutritional breakdowns for each recipe/box, which is a huge plus for me. I wish there were more photos of each box. There was some interesting tips to storage of certain pre-prepped foods that I had never heard before, but that we tried and found super helpful overall (freeze steamed rice instead of refrigerate it, for example). Another plus is that each recipe is marked with helpful labels like “gluten free�, “nut free�, “pescatarian�, etc.
There are nutritional breakdowns for each recipe/box, which is a huge plus for me. I wish there were more photos of each box. There was some interesting tips to storage of certain pre-prepped foods that I had never heard before, but that we tried and found super helpful overall (freeze steamed rice instead of refrigerate it, for example). Another plus is that each recipe is marked with helpful labels like “gluten free�, “nut free�, “pescatarian�, etc.
February 4, 2020
Bento for Beginners by Chika Ravitch is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late January.
Understandably compartmentalized ingredients and finished dishes set against black, steel, or slate backgrounds, these are recipes for finished Asian, Western or fusion boxes containing a hot, cold, fresh, rice/starch, and perhaps pickled element. It comes off as clean-cut, emotion-free, just-the-facts instruction on pre-prep, storage, nutrition, tips for adjusting flavor, and re-heating, so it's a well-put-together book on a fun, restauranty concept, but it’s hard to get excited about with the tone that Ravitch takes.
Understandably compartmentalized ingredients and finished dishes set against black, steel, or slate backgrounds, these are recipes for finished Asian, Western or fusion boxes containing a hot, cold, fresh, rice/starch, and perhaps pickled element. It comes off as clean-cut, emotion-free, just-the-facts instruction on pre-prep, storage, nutrition, tips for adjusting flavor, and re-heating, so it's a well-put-together book on a fun, restauranty concept, but it’s hard to get excited about with the tone that Ravitch takes.
January 15, 2020
Thank you Callisto Publisher's Club and Rockridge Press for this free ARC cookbook! The following review contains my honest opinions.
This was a fascinating and inspiring read! This book is full of interesting information about the art and history of Bento. Chika Ravitch has done a marvelous job of making bento meals accessible. I love the organization of this cookbook and the overall design makes this a very easy and quick reference.
I highly recommend this book to parents packing school lunches and to anyone who takes a lunch to work on a regular basis!
This was a fascinating and inspiring read! This book is full of interesting information about the art and history of Bento. Chika Ravitch has done a marvelous job of making bento meals accessible. I love the organization of this cookbook and the overall design makes this a very easy and quick reference.
I highly recommend this book to parents packing school lunches and to anyone who takes a lunch to work on a regular basis!
August 8, 2023
Great reference book for recipes, but lacks the details about the rules of bento other than a cursory mention of goshiki (5 colors). There are 4-5 other "rules" that are used for making appealing, balanced bento that aren't even mentioned before jumping into recipes. That said, I did copy a bunch of recipes for both American style and Japanese style bento sets and individual side dishes that sounded tasty. I'd definitely recommend it as a first step into the world of bento, but know that there is so much more to learn if you want to dive deeper.
January 24, 2020
Yum! What a great book. I’ve been interested in making bento boxes because they’re healthier and smaller portions but I had a hard time finding recipes for it until now! I personally have plans to try the chicken teriyaki bento. I loved how she used basic ingredients that I can find in my typical grocery store. I also was surprised how many little facts she added above the recipes. I just wish each bento box had a photo for it.
Read
January 31, 2020I have loved Japanese food my entire adult life but always enjoyed it out at restaurants etc. I have never had the confidence to cook it at home. After reading Bento for Beginners I am now ready to try several of the recipes. I have already purchased the ingredients and am feeling confident that I can do it. I actually read this book from cover to cover and really enjoyed it. I so appreciate being introduced to Bento for Beginners. Thank You, Lyn
February 5, 2020
(got this book as an ark, here's my review!!!)
Good cookbook. I appreciated the fun, innovative ideas it brought to my table and my lunches will definitely benefit from this book. I enjoyed that the author explored both Japanese style Bentos, and slightly Americanized Bentos along with it. There is something for everyone in this Bento cookbook. I hope you give it a try and find something you like. Happy reading!!!!!!!
Good cookbook. I appreciated the fun, innovative ideas it brought to my table and my lunches will definitely benefit from this book. I enjoyed that the author explored both Japanese style Bentos, and slightly Americanized Bentos along with it. There is something for everyone in this Bento cookbook. I hope you give it a try and find something you like. Happy reading!!!!!!!
February 7, 2020
I have been wanting to jump on the Bento bandwagon, but have hesitated due to not knowing what to prepare. This book is filled with so many easy to prepare and yummy ideas that I cannot wait to continue using! I look forward to my lunch break now because I know that I am going to be enjoying something delicious versus a frozen meal or sandwich. I highly recommend this!
October 31, 2020
Enjoyable and delicious
I absolutely love this book. So many good recipes with a wide variety of meals to create for a bento box. Being my first Japanese bento cook book, I was delighted to have bought this and use it for a long time. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to making Bento Box Meals.
I absolutely love this book. So many good recipes with a wide variety of meals to create for a bento box. Being my first Japanese bento cook book, I was delighted to have bought this and use it for a long time. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to making Bento Box Meals.
January 28, 2021
I was looking forward to this cookbook because I’m in need of lunch ideas to get out of a rut. Unfortunately, not many ideas for me in this book. However, the recipes are interesting! I will likely use this book more for dinner ideas than bento boxes. My thanks to the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 22, 2021
I admit I only leafed through this book - just not able to be trying new recipes just now. From what I read, this book seems like it provides just the right amount of information to get a good feeling for what bento is about. I plan to look it up again.
March 28, 2022
It is an okay book
The book is packed with recipes. However they're not staple recipes most would eat. Using ketchup as a "sauce" isn't MY jam. I was hoping for more recipes that are healthy and meals that are applicable . There's also no pictures.
The book is packed with recipes. However they're not staple recipes most would eat. Using ketchup as a "sauce" isn't MY jam. I was hoping for more recipes that are healthy and meals that are applicable . There's also no pictures.
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