6/23/2015
How to Press and Drain Tofu
I used tofu a lot for cooking.
Most of recipes call for drained tofu. It tastes better too!
There are many ways to press and drain tofu, but this is what I usually do.
Use a Pickle Maker!
It works really well and super easy.
I got this at Daiso (http://www.daisojapan.com/)
Step
1. Open a package and wrap tofu with paper towel.
2. Place in a pickle maker and press,
That's it!
Drain water from time to time.
It's done when no more water coming out from tofu.
It depends, but it takes only an hour or two.
Or if you are in hurry, just cut tofu into big cubes and put them into boiling water.
Cook for about 5 mins and drain. Let them cool and use for cooking!
6/05/2015
Father's Day Lunch Box
I should have named this bento "kids doodle" or "drawing" bento!?
Anyway, how about give this bento to your dad on father's day his year!?
Class is at Tokyo Central West Covina
1420 S Azusa Ave., West Covina, CA 91791
http://www.tokyocentral.com/t-westcovina.aspx
6/01/2015
Spring Picnic Bento
My husband and I try to have a date night (or a day) at least once a week.
It was a couple of weeks ago that I made this bento for our beach picnic date day.
It was soooo windy out that ended up eating at a park though...
I got salt pickled cherry blossom when I went to Japan last February.
I mixed it with rice and made rice balls.
(You need to wash off salt well. Otherwise so salty)
I made some spring theme animals and flowers with vegetables.
Clover& bees: Green & yellow peppers pickled with shio koji (what is shio koji )
Ladybug: Cherry tomatoes
If you have a seaweed puncher, you can make these characters without spending a lot of time!
You can find them at some Japanese grocery stores or Daiso,
It was a couple of weeks ago that I made this bento for our beach picnic date day.
It was soooo windy out that ended up eating at a park though...
I got salt pickled cherry blossom when I went to Japan last February.
I mixed it with rice and made rice balls.
(You need to wash off salt well. Otherwise so salty)
I made some spring theme animals and flowers with vegetables.
Clover& bees: Green & yellow peppers pickled with shio koji (what is shio koji )
Ladybug: Cherry tomatoes
If you have a seaweed puncher, you can make these characters without spending a lot of time!
You can find them at some Japanese grocery stores or Daiso,
5/27/2015
Cute Rice Ball with Kikkoman Soy Sauce
This is another bento I made for JapanUp! magazine May issue.
Yaki Onigiri (roasted rice ball) is very popular in Japan!
Since kikkoman soy sauce has a savory aroma, it is perfect for yaki onigiri.
Squirrel Yaki Onigiri
About 250g Cooked rice
1 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Kikkoman oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp mirin
1 mini sausage
1 fried pasta stick
Acorn
1 meatball
1 mushroom
For face
A slice of cheese
Nori seaweed
How to make
1.Mix rice and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce.
2.Place rice in separate plastic wraps, and make the face, body, tail and hands. (See picture 5) Press the rice firmly together so the rice won’t fall apart.
3.Heat a little oil on a non-stick frying pan. Place the rice balls and cook on medium-high heat until the surface is crispy. Flip them over and do the same on the other sides.
4.Make a sauce by mixing 1/2 tbsp each of soy sauce, oyster sauce and mirin. Brush it on the rice balls. Be careful not to put too much.
5.Put the rice balls on a plate, and decorate the squirrel head and tail with seaweed. Wait until they cool and place the head, body and tail in a bento box.
6.For ears, slice the sausage as shown in the picture, stick the fried pasta and attach them on the head.
Make an acorn by cutting the tip of the meatball and attaching mushroom with fried spaghetti. Put the acorn on the body of the squirrel, and place the hands on both sides. Make the parts of the face with seaweed, and place them with a pair of tweezers. For cute eyes, use a sliced cheese cut into round shape.
5/13/2015
Japanese Character Bento Classes
Do you want to make cute character bento, but don't know how?
Then come join my bento classes!!
Each month I teach you how to make different character.
Sign up for the class updates through my facebook "email signup" app!!
Register for the classes at Tokyo Central Customer Service Desk
Tokyo Central (Costa Mesa)
- 2975 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa CA
Tokyo Central (West Covina)
- 1420 S Azusa Ave, West Covina, CA
5/07/2015
Animal Rice Balls Bento Box
I made 5 cute bento boxes for JapanUp! magazine May issue. Each character showcased different Japanese products. (See all five here) I used Yamamotoyama's Soy Wrappers for this animal rice balls!!
Looks like this bento is the most popular of five bento I made.
Therefore, I'm posting the instruction for this animal friends bento:)
5/04/2015
June Bride Bento Box
Made lunch for Japan Up! magazine June issue.
June Bride Bento!!!
It's omelette-rice that looks like a bride:)
I made ketchup-rice by frying about 160g of rice and seasoned with ketchup (about 2tbs), salt and pepper. Use more or less seasonings to your taste.
For filings, you can use anything that goes well with ketchup.
I like to put ham, cheese or chicken!
Make 2 rice balls for a head and a body.
Gather the ends of plastic wrap.
Transfer to a bento box.
To creates hair, cut a piece of seaweed as shown and make slits for easier wrapping.
(as shown with white lines)
Then wrap the cut nori around the top of a rice ball.
.
For the dress, I make a thin egg white sheet and fold to look like a dress!
Below is the directions for regular thin egg sheet.
For a thin egg white sheet, you just need to replace 1 egg to 1 egg white.
Thin Egg Sheet
Ingredients:
- 1 Egg
- 1pinch Salt
- 1/2tsp Potato starch, dissolved in 1/2tsp water (to make a egg sheet less breakable)
Directions:
- Mix egg, salt and potato starch/water with a fork.
- Strain the egg mixture.

- Heat a non-stick pan over low heat.
- Add a little oil and wipe with kitchen paper.
- Add the egg mixture in the pan.
- Cook over low heat until the surface look not very liquidy. (only takes a couple minutes)
- Turn off the heat and put a lid. Let the remaining heat cook the egg completely.
- Carefully peel it off from the pan.
4/29/2015
How to Make Cute Bento Box
I was featured in Japan Up! Magazine for introducing character bento to Socal. Each character showcased different Japanese products. You can get a free copy at select Japanese restaurants and grocery stores in LA & OC!!
Instructions for how to make are included in the magazine.
If you live outside of LA, please let me know which one is your favorite of from showing below!
I will post the instructions for how to make the bento for the top vote getter!!!
Please vote on my facebook page→ facebook.com/funbentobox
,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)































