a placeholder until i start blogging again for REALS

so lots of changes since i last posted in april. goddamn, it's been nearly a year! since then, i've graduated college, found a new apt, a new boyfriend, and a new job. also, i've started eating meat again (after 8 years of being a pescatarian).

i'm trying to figure out what direction to take this blog. i considered writing about new discoveries in meat-eating and preparing, but that seems like too big a project to deal with right now (altho one day i SWEAR i will learn how to properly pan-sear a new york strip!) instead, i've resolved to make my lunch everyday (or as often as possible) and practice the art of packing a satisfying, nutritionally balanced bento. eventually, i'd like to work on my style and make something sickeningly cute like this:

photo from fashionablycute.com
meh... sating of appetites first! aesthetic appeal... later.

anyways, this is the adorable bento kit i'm working with (purchased at mitsuwa for something liek $20). i have other bentos, but this is my favorite in terms of functionality (it's got tons of dividers and is much better sealed than my simpler bentos)



these are the lunches that i've packed so far:


2.13.08
mini meatballs with tonkatsu sauce
broccoli dressed with soy sauce and sesame oil
fried rice with peas
daikon pickles

omg, took me FOREVER that one night to roll something like 80 mini meatballs out of 2 lbs of ground beef + pork + herbs + breadcrumbs. now i just have to do something about the 50 or so ones left in my freezer. help me.


2.14.07
"nicoise" style tuna salad sandwich (with capers & sliced hardboiled egg)
spinach with sesame dressing
blueberries & tomato wedges

this was not a particularly successful lunch. the tuna was okay, but tasted a little too fishy. also, half a sandwich does not a full grown adult feed. on top of that, my spinach spoiled. dnno why, but when i tried it, it tasted like... dishwashing soap. i can only suspect that maybe the high iron content reacted with the dressing? (tho the leftover dressed spinach in my fridge was fine)

i should point out that i pack my lunches at night, leave them on the counter overnight and then let them sit on my desk all morning the day after = about 16 hours of unrefrigerated bacteria party time. i keep them out of the fridge mostly because i don't want to refrigerate the rice that i usually pack. sometimes i refrigerate parts of my bento overnight (when i pack silken tofu in the top tier), or wait until morning to pack more perishable parts (like tomato wedges or stuff with mayo in it). sigh, planning for temperature changes, moisture levels and spoilage rates is HARD.

moving along...

2.19.07
gyuudon with curry pickles
broccoli, carrot sticks, tomato slices, blueberries

this lunch was a lot more hearty, but i need to work on my seasonings. i packed the beef at night, and by lunchtime, it was a little dry and bland. in the future i'll reserve some of the sauce/juices in one of my mini condiment bottles.

hmmm, i also just noticed that i need to work on my photography. the yellowness of my work desk is really interfering with the light adjustment. i'll have to put down a white place setting or something...

...more to come soon!