The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches To Go Paperback – Illustrated, December 9, 2011

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!

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.

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 proteinNutritious food suitable for children and adultsA time-scale to let you know when to begin preparing and how long it will takeBento tips, tricks, and how-tosClassic Japanese recipes and Non-Japanese recipesA glossaryEmphasis on health rather than decorationA practical guide to creating easy, balanced meals