Dad of Divas' Reviews: Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches

Boxed lunches called bento are all the rage in Japan, where mothers create them asan expression of love for their children. In Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches (July 1, 2010, $16.95), Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa offer readers step-by-step instructions for packing more than fifty beautiful, healthy bentos for young and old!

These small, thoughtfully arranged dishes encourage portion control and feature an array of fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, rice, tofu, and cheeses central to the Japanese diet, which has given the country’s population the highest longevity and lowest obesity rate in the world. In addition, the cheerful appearance of these nutritious meals encourages children to eat their veggies.

Divided into “Cuties and Critters,” “Fairy-Tale Friends,” and “Special Day Treats,” Yum-Yum Bento Box also includes additional recipes for mini snacks and save-it-for-later lunches, a glossary, and much more. Inside, readers will learn:

·         Which tools are needed to craft bento boxes and where to find them.
·         How to style and shape foods into charaben (or cute characters) using bento basics and advanced techniques.
·         How to make a Piggy Burger, plum flowers, miniature omelets, animals, elves, princesses, and more!

Whether you’re an experienced bento maker eager to expand your repertoire or a bento newbie looking to spice up a ham and cheese sandwich in a fast five minutes, Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches has something for everyone. Why spend money on generic, unhealthy packaged lunches when you could be making unique and wholesome bentos? 

About the authors:
Crystal Watanabe (aka Pikko) started making bento boxes for herself as a way to eat small nutritious portions. She enjoyed it so much that now she shares her hobby with fans worldwide at her blog Adventures in Bentomaking (www.aibento.net). Ms. Watanabe, who resides in sunny Oahu, Hawaii, with her husband and two children, is available for media.

Maki Ogawa (aka Luckysundae) makes bento boxes for her two young sons, her husband, and herself. Her lunches have been featured in numerous international magazines. She posts pictures of her bentos daily on her photo blog www.flickr.com/photos/cuteobento and at Cute Obento (www.cuteobento.com). Ms. Ogawa, who resides in Japan, is available for select media.



My Take on the Book I have to be honest and say that I have never made bento lunches before for myself or my family. In reading through this book though I was impressed at the beauty and intricate subtleties that someone making these can take to make them completely unique for the person eating them.

The book is full of instructions, recipes and tips on how to make these meals. In looking through the book I was shocked to see items that even my local small town, I could find the materials to make them myself.

The pictures within the book were a delight to see. You could see the time and effort that went into making some of the lunches.  I know that anyone receiving one of these lunches would be amazed at how all of the ingredients flow together to make beautiful food dishes.

If you have never prepared Bento Box Lunches in the past or you simply want to try something healthy and delicious. check this book out today!

If you would like to have this book as a part of your own collection, you can find it on Amazon!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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