Uttori Eats: Friendbento
Looking for a fun way to spread the love this Valentine’s Day? Look no further than our freindbento, perfect for friends, family, or a significant other.
Friendbento
Our freindbento is based off of a Japanese bento box (or lunch box). We’ve taken nods to the types of food you might find in a typical bento and added a Valentine’s Day flair.
Sides
Red cabbage coleslaw salad
Ingredients:
1 c thinly sliced red cabbage
2 tbsp red onion
1 tsp minced ginger
2 TBSP Kewpie Mayo
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Directions:
Thinly slice cabbage and red onion. Soak in ice water while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Mince ginger. And set aside.
In a small bowl mix the mayo, vinegar, and sugar until combined. Add the ginger. Drain the cabbage and onions and pat dry. Place in a bowl and add the sauce. Mix until the cabbage is well coated. Add salt to taste and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Cherry tomatoes
Wash 2-4 cherry tomatoes and place in bento to fill holes.
Mains
Heart Shaped Marinated Eggs (Ajitama)
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 TBSP Light Soy Sauce
2 TBSP Mirin
2 TBSP Sake or water
½ tsp sugar
3-4 drops red food coloring or 1-2 spoonful’s of natural colorant like Pitaya Powder or beet powder/juice **
Cardstock or paper milk carton
Chopstick or straw
Two rubber bands
Directions:
Bring a small pot of water to boil. While the water is coming to a boil, in another small pot, add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and pitaya powder and heat until the sugar and pitaya powder is dissolved and the sauce has come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for one minute then remove from heat and let come to room temperature.
Once the water for the eggs is boiling, gently place two eggs into the pot and cook for 7- 8 minutes. Once the eggs have boiled drain the water and add ice and cold water to the pot. Let the eggs chill for 10 minutes before peeling.
Once the eggs are peeled, fold the cardstock in half and place the egg with the narrow side down in the crease of the fold. Place a chopstick or straw lengthwise across the egg to create an indent on the top (forming the heart shape). Use rubber bands on either side of the chopstick to hold it in place. Let rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed, remove the eggs.
Place the marinade in a plastic baggie and add the eggs. Remove all the air from the bag and twist the baggie so the eggs stay submerged in the marinade. Let marinate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
Once eggs have marinated, pat dry and then cut the egg horizontal from the indent creating a heart shaped egg.
** You can use beets to dye the eggs as well, but the amount may vary. Experiment o find the shade of red you want.
Tuna Mayo Onigiri
2 c short grain rice
2 c water
1 inch piece of kombu kelp
1 can tuna
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp kewpie mayo
Small bowl of water with 1 tsp salt mixed in
Nori sheets
Direction:
Add rice, water, and kelp to a rice cooker or pot and cook as directed. Meanwhile, drain the tuna, then mix with soy sauce, and mayo until thoroughly combined. Cut a nori sheet into thirds and set aside. Mix salt and water together and set aside. When rice has cooked fluff with a fork or rice paddle and let cool until it’s safe to handle but still hot. Scoop enough rice to fit in your hand, create a well and add a spoonful of the tuna mixture. Add more rice on top. Use the salt water to help prevent the rice sticking and use your hands to shape into a triangle or heart shape. Take one piece of nori and wrap around the rice ball using the salt water at the seams to keep the nori together.
Dessert
Fruit sando
½ c whipping cream
¼ c yogurt
2 TBSP sugar
½ tsp vanilla
5 fresh strawberries
2 pieces white bread
Directions:
Whip cream, yogurt, vanilla, and sugar until stiff peaks form. Wash and cut the tops off of the strawberries. Cut the edges off both pieces of bread. Spread the whip cream onto one piece of bread. Place strawberries on top. Add more whip cream on top of the strawberries and around the edges of the sandwich. Cover the sandwich in plastic wrap and chill for 20-30 minutes. Remove from fridge and cut the sandwich in half or in triangles.
Fruit and dip
Miso caramel cream-
1 tbsp miso paste (of any color)
1 tbsp water
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water
¼ c cream
¼ c mascarpone
Mix miso with 1 tbsp of water to loosen then drain the excess water. In a small pot, place water and sugar and heat until it comes to a boil and is golden brown (about 5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and add cream and stir. Return to heat and cook for a few more minutes until the cream and sugar meld. Add miso paste. Stir until combined. Let the caramel cool to room temperature.
Add ¼ c mascarpone to a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp of the caramel mixture. Or to taste. Mix to combine.
Assemble
Garnish:
Radish or other red vegetable
Cherry tomatoes
Lettuce leaf
Blueberries or other fruit of choice
Assembling the freindbento will vary depending on the type of bento box you have. Place onigiri next to each other and the eggs to the side. Place the coleslaw behind a divider or in a cupcake wrapper. Place cherry tomatoes in gaps. Add the fruit sando to a separate container. Put the fruit dip in a cupcake wrapper and fill any remaining gaps with blueberries.
Enjoy!
It actually looks delicious. Yet, there are other things I would like to ask you about if you don’t mind. Now, have ever realized that the philosophers you liked for a long time are the worst misogynist? Or anyone you admired really, and how did you manage the inner rage that comes with it? How would you deal with misogyny if applied against you?
Thanks!
Thank you! As for your question, I can’t say I have experienced something quite like that (thankfully), but I can understand the sense of betrayal and hurt finding out that someone you admired has values that don’t align with yours. It’s a little hard to answer how I would react in response to misogyny because there are a million different scenarios or situations that might shape how I would respond. In general though, I find I keep a lot of thoughts to myself, and try to avoid people who I don’t hold high opinions of when possible. I guess just continuing to do good work and reaching my goals would make ensure that I’m proud of what I’ve done no matter what other’s say. It can be hard to change others opinions. Hopefully that sort of answers the question. To handle the emotional aspect, personally I keep a journal which helps me to sort through complex emotions and feelings. It’s a safe space for me to say what on my mind, and to puzzle through and analyze what i’m thinking and feeling. Sometimes as I write, solutions come to me and it gives me time to really think through it rather than reacting in the moment. Sometimes it’s even a good place to just vent, curse, and write an angry message. Then don’t send it. Usually I deal with strong emotions in my journal and sometimes I talk to someone else about things which can help to get a different perspective or sometimes we just need to vent! Hopefully that helps, and thanks for the question 😀