The Imposter

Hello my ducklings! The weightloss has been slow and painful. Due to my complete inability to keep butter out of my face I've decided to go in a different direction. So today I tried something a little different: Pizza.

Not just any pizza though (that would be silly wouldn't it?), but a low-carb pizza. Dear refined carbs, I miss you! What I don't miss, though, is all the bloat and water weight I've dropped since I started this thing. Sigh. I guess you can't argue with science...or results.

Imposter Pizza

Crust:
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp water

Toppings:
1/4 cup tomato sauce, watered down
1 60g garlic cheese chicken sausage, cut in the manner of your satisfaction and fried
1/2 cup mini fresh mozzarella balls
fresh basil I stupidly forgot to get this, which is why mine has none. But basil is good for you, you should eat it.

~Mix all the crust ingredients together in a bowl until well integrated.
~Grease a frying pan just enough to prevent sticking; note--the larger your pan, the larger and thinner your crust will be. This recipe gives you enough to make either 1 largish pizza or 2 small personal pizzas.
~Pour the crust batter into the pan and cover, cooking for 5-6 minutes until the crust is solid and cooked through. The thinner you spread the batter, the crispier the crust will be.
~Remove the crust from the pan carefully and lay it on a baking tray.
~Spread the tomato sauce over the crust, and top with cheese, sausage, and basil.
~Bake in the oven at 400˚F until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy.

A Pile of Green

Unfortunately lack of posts does not equal lack of meals. It's officially well into swimsuit season and I've put on 20 pounds, which is not attractive on anyone. I've decided it's time again for the dreaded D-word to make an appearance--diet.

Luckily for my mouth dieting to me only means not having seconds...and maaaaybe inserting some veggies into my diet instead of the constant parade of carbohydrates and meat (they're just so delicious!).

The following recipe is something that I pulled together while browsing Fairway. I actually meant to make gumbo out of this okra yesterday, but Fairway was out so I bought this today in sort of a delayed gratification. I know the infamous sliminess of okra is a bit of a you-love-it-or-hate-it camp; personally I love it, but for the haters this risotto hides it well.

I also want to note that I had wanted to use Maitake mushrooms in this recipe, but Fairway didn't have any non-bruised specimens since I tend to go an hour to closing, so I just used regular brown button Criminis.




Asparagus, Okra, and Mushroom Risotto

1 cup Arborio rice
4-5 cups broth
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
6 asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup okra, trimmed and sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
salt
pepper

~Melt 1/2 tbsp butter over medium heat and brown the mushrooms. Add the asparagus and okra and saute until bright green and al dente, salt to taste and set aside.
~Bring the broth to a simmer, cover and keep warm over low heat.
~Heat the remaining butter and oil in the pan on medium heat and add garlic, saute until fragrant; add the rice and stir quickly for one minute until the rice is coated and opaque.
~Stirring frequently, add the broth a ladle at a time, letting it absorb before adding more until the rice is tender and glossy.
~Stir in the veggies and lemon juice; season the risotto with salt and pepper before serving.

Holiday Hens

Merry Christmas! I enjoy the winter holidays even though I'm not the least bit religious. As my boss A puts it, "The version I celebrate involves only a red fat man, and has nothing to do with religion". I don't bother to correct him that the original Saint Nicholas was a Greek Bishop.

On the menu for tonight:

Mushroom Corn Chowder

Cumin and Paprika Roasted Potatoes

Cornish Game Hen with Garlic and Rosemary Butter

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

I was a little nervous about the hen--I've never cooked a whole bird before, and I think such things always garner a little apprehensiveness the first time around. It all turned out alright, though, and the hen was savory and juicy.

Mushroom Corn Chowder
 
4 cups assorted mushroom, sliced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
4 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh thyme
salt
pepper

~Put the butter, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and potatoes in a large pot and saute over medium-high heat until the onions turn translucent.
~Add the chicken stock and thyme and bring pot to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender.
~Add heavy cream, and simmer uncovered to thicken, then add corn and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve steaming hot with crusty baguette.


Cumin and Paprika Roasted Potatoes

4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt

~Whisk olive oil, cumin, paprika, and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Toss potatoes in the dressing to coat evenly.
~Heat oven to 450˚F. Spread potatoes on a baking tray in a single layer and roast until the edges are brown and crispy, about 30 minutes.

Cornish Game Hen with Garlic Herb Butter

2 Cornish game hens
3 tbsp salted butter, softened
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1/8 cup white wine
1/8 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
pepper

~Strip one sprig of rosemary of leaves and chop finely. In a small bowl mix the butter, chopped rosemary, thyme, and garlic.
~Rub hens with the butter mixture; make sure to rub butter under the skin as well.
~Place a lemon wedge and sprig of rosemary in each chicken, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
~Heat oven to 450˚F. Place the hens breast-up in a baking dish and roast for 20 minutes.
~Whisk together the white wine, chicken broth, and olive oil, and drizzle over the hens. Reduce heat to 350˚F, and roast until the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when stuck in the thigh, about 25 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices.
~Drain any drippings and reserve for gravy or dipping; tent foil over the hens and let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
ice water

Filling
1 15oz can of pumpkin puree
3 large eggs and 2 egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 ground cloves
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt

~For the crust, whisk together flour, sugar and salt until well mixed.
~With a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until the butter pieces are the size of small peas.
~Drizzle 1/4 cup of ice water over the butter and flour mixture; use a silicone spatula to press the dough into a ball. If needed, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
~Knead the pie crust gently until the dough becomes smooth; try not to knead in the lumps of butter--this is what will make a flaky crust!
~Roll out the dough about 1/8" thick on a floured surface and drape to fit into pie plate; trim the excess crust to 1/2" beyond the edge of pie plate and fold excess under itself. Make a fluted edge with your fingers, or use a fork to press a pattern into the edge.
~Refrigerate pie plate for about 15 minutes until the dough is firm.
~Line pie plate with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with weights (glass marbles, dried beans, uncooked rice, or pie weights) and blind bake the crust for 15 minutes at 425˚F; take plate from the oven, gently remove paper and weights. Brush crust with beaten egg and return pie plate to oven, reducing temperature to 375˚F, and bake for another 5 minutes until the crust is golden.

~To make the filling, whisk evaporated milk, eggs, and yolks together in mixing bowl.
~In a pot, mix together pumpkin puree, salt, sugar, maple syrup, and spices and warm up over the stove on medium heat. Whisk in milk and eggs mixture until smooth, and pour in warm pie crust.
~Bake filled pie at 400˚F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 300˚F and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the edges are set.
~Remove pie from the oven and let cool at room temperature; residual heat will finish cooking the filling, so don't put it in the refrigerator.
~Serve with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream!


I hope you enjoyed my Christmas Dinner...till next year!

Lazy Person's Stew

I am terrible at managing time. It's true. A task that I estimate will take me 2 hours invariably ends up taking 4. Am I planning to leave the house at 5:45 to make it in time for a 6:30 class? Whoops I guess I'm leaving at 6:10 instead! You get the idea. I've tried schedules, timers, strategically composed playlist lengths...nothing works. Whatever thing that allows people to be responsible, punctual adults, I was born without one.

So instead of aiming to actually finish something on time, I aim to circumvent all possible distractions that may prevent me from doing anything but the task at hand. Such as thinking about what to eat, standing in front of the refrigerator wondering what to eat, and any and all actual cooking, which invariably takes me hours. As such, I've made this stew recipe dozens of times out of the sheer convenience of it--I just cook a huge batch of it in a 5 quart pot, and when I get hungry I turn the stove on low to heat it up. Also unlike most things of which the taste substantially declines once it's cooled down and been reheated, I'm convinced that this stew actually tastes better each subsequent time I warm it up again! Maybe it's just because I was really hungry when I did that, I'm not sure.

Hungry Person's Beef Oxtail Stew

1 lb oxtail
1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
8 cups beef stock or water
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery
4 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
salt

~Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; salt beef stew meat and oxtail and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pot and set aside.
~In the same pot melt the butter and saute onions until translucent. Turn heat down to medium-low and add flour, stirring constantly until it turns into a paste. Add garlic.
~Add 1 cup of beef stock to the pot and stir until thickened, then add the remainder of the beef stock, thyme, paprika, and the beef and oxtail. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for 1 hour.
~Add carrots, celery, potatoes, and sundried tomatoes, and cook until tender (about 30 minutes). Add salt to taste.
~Optional: Let cool and refrigerate, then reheat on low flame and eat hot whenever hungry!

Honey and Rosemary

I have to admit I don't have a very good score when it comes to pork--the last time I tried to make pork cutlets they came out dry and stringy and I've been a little intimidated to approach them since. I've had a little more experience with not overcooking my meats, however, so for dinner I decided to modify this delicious recipe I found on Saveur's website.

Pork Chops with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Glaze

4 bone-in pork chops
3 tbsp olive oil
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
zest of an orange
4 tbsp unsalted butter
sprig fresh rosemary, torn into 1" pieces
salt
pepper

~Put pork chops on a plate; drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
~Mix vinegar, honey, and orange zest in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to ¼ cup. Stir in butter and rosemary and take off heat.
~Heat up a dry skillet on high heat; when it is hot, place the pork chops in the pan to cook, fliping and basting with balsamic mixture every 2-3 minutes until browned and cooked through, about 12–14 minutes.
~Transfer pork chops to a plate and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.


There seems to be a silly idea that pork should be cooked "until it's done", AKA until it's overdone, bone dry, and tough, which is, objectively, generally less than desirable. A perfectly cooked pork chop should be tender and juicy, as these were...so don't overcook your pork!

Pumpkinfest

So it's safe to say I have never been the type to go overboard with "seasonal spirit". Don't get me wrong, I'm no Scrooge--I love to see the autumn-themed recipes on everyone else's blogs, coo over everyone's fall-themed manicures, and d'aww at people's pets dressed up in costume for Halloween. But I'm just not quite so proactive when it comes to my own autumn-themed activities.

A couple days ago, though, I was feeling more jolly than usual, and I'd been meaning to make pumpkin bread. I find that this is best eaten slowly, in thick slices accompanied by a hot mug of chrysanthemum tea.

Shoddy photo. You'll forgive me.

Seasonal Spirit Pumpkin Bread
A note--yep, this recipe is a cavity-ridden delight. Feel free to halve the sugar if you feel like it, but take my word for it that this definitely wasn't too sweet for me...and I've actually kind of moved past my "everything must taste like gummi bears!" phase. Shocking, I know.


 Recipe makes approximately 12 muffins, or two small loaves, or one large loaf.

3 cups flour
1 can of pureed pumpkin
3 cups turbinado sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup butter, soft
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup flax seeds
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder

~Preheat oven to 350˚F.
~In a bowl, mix the flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside.
~In a large bowl, beat the sugar. softened butter, and eggs for about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well.
~Add the dry portion of the ingredients slowly and mix gently.
~Mix in the nuts and flax seeds.
~Grease your baking container(s) and fill 3/4 full.
~Bake for an hour or until a knife comes out clean.

Box Lunch Adult v.2

Rice with sakura denbu, tiny oil-marinated fish with blackbeans (inbetween layers of rice), honey beef, quail eggs, ants on a log, and strawberries. Also packed a peach that is not shown here.  Unfamiliar ingredient--Sakura denbu. It's a fluffy, sweet-and-salty condiment make of flaked whitefish, named "sakura" because of its pretty pink color. My sakura denbu was storebought, but Maki has a great recipe for it herethat I'd like to try someday! Once I get over the intimidation...haha.

Cream + Seafood

New England Clam Chowder

1 cup chopped clams in clam juice
1 large onion, diced
4 medium potatoes, cubed
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 quart chicken broth
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
salt
white pepper

 ~ Melt half a stick of butter in a large stockpot. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat until golden, about 10 minutes.
~Add celery, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes.
~Add chicken broth and clam juice, bring to a simmer.
~In a small pot, melt the remaining half stick of butter and whisk in the flour to make roux.Whisk in a cup of the simmering broth and then return to the stockpot.
~Simmer for a few minutes until the broth has thickened.
~Add heavy cream and clams and cook for a few minutes until clams are done.
~Salt and pepper to taste, serve piping hot.

Box Lunch Adult v.1

Put together this bento. Contains stir-fried chicken with red bell peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, and quail eggs. And lots of rice...because I'm Asian, and that's just how I roll.

More Meat

On the menu: Burgers with tomato and guacamole. Was there anything ever as perfect as the fresh watery juiciness of a slice of tomato with the beefiness of a burger patty? (Well yes, maybe bacon) Add to that the creamy tang of avocado guacamole, and I am sold, forever.

Burger Tips:

~Don't press down on the burgers. The sizzle may sound satisfying, but you're pressing out delicious meat juices
~Flip as often as you like, contrary to popular belief, this actually promotes browning and helps the meat cook more evenly...in fact flipping only once results in a drier burger.
~If you like your burger at the hockey-puck stage known as Well Done, you are dead to me.

Raw

I know many people are squeamish about eating raw meat and raw eggs. The fears are various--salmonella, mad cow, random bacterial infections. I get it it. Ewwwww raw stuff! Germs! Non-heat-induced sterility!

But it is possible to safely enjoy a delicious steak tartare. Just take a few obvious precautions:

-only use fresh meat
-ask your butcher to grind up a steak for you, rather than buying commercial ground beef--beef from chain supermarkets can contain the meat from ~ 1,700 cows! Slightly disturbing.
-prepare the meat in sanitary conditions

So...do you dare?

Steak Tartare

2 egg yolks
1 lb steak, ground or minced finely
1 scallion, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp sriracha
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt
pepper

~Mix ketchup, sriracha, and mustard in a bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in oil, then lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
~Add steak and scallions to the sauce and mix gently with a spoon until combined. Adjust seasonings.
~Divide between two plates, place an egg yolk in the center of each portion, and serve with toast points or fries. Before eating, mix in the egg yolk.

Dim Sum Saturday

I must admit that I am usually not much of a breakfast person...it's not that I don't love breakfast foods (bacon!) or enjoy cooking it, but being a student means that I rarely have the time to putter about my kitchen in the early hours of the morning which more often than not are spent putting the finishing touches on whatever project is consuming my energy and attention at that moment.

But every now and then, I like to treat myself. When the mood strikes, I take the N train down to Chinatown and make a trip to my favorite dim sum place, Jing Fong.

Two things to keep in mind when visiting just about any dim sum place:
1. Be Aggressive. The cart ladies have no mercy. I've often had to chase down a cart with my favorite offering because the cart lady had passed my table by. Exercise with breakfast...it's part of the experience.
And 2. Arrive Before Noon, especially on weekends, when all the Asian families will be getting together for their weekend dim sum brunch and all the hungover NYU students will be flooding in for cures to their Friday night of overindulgence. Speaking a bit of Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin) can help too, even if your accent is atrocious. As a last resort, point.

Above: Steamed vegetable dumplings

Green tea

Har gow (shrimp dumplings)

Beef tripe

Deep fried taro

Sesame seed balls


Egg custard tarts

Coconut mochi filled with peanut sugar

Sweet Osmanthus jelly

Sushi Palace

There is a place, a place of magic and wonder, in Princeton, NJ. This place is called Sushi Palace, and here you can go and have all the sushi you can eat for $20. Long story short, my friends and I go a lot--every time we return home for holiday, and several times a summer.

Fluffy

Frittatas are an awesome breakfast option for someone like me who doesn't have time to cook every morning: they can be made in advance and refrigerated, and are easy to heat up. Plus, they can be a fully balanced meal, as well as being delicious. What's not to like?

Breakfast For Everyone Frittata

8 eggs
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups baby spinach
1 large potato, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
5 basil leaves, chopped
salt
pepper

~Beat eggs in a mixing bowl, salt and pepper to taste.
~Heat olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Add garlic, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper; cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.
~Use a slotted spoon to scoop potato mixture to a bowl; leave the oil in skillet.
~Pour beaten eggs into the pan and cook until bottom is golden and edges have begun to set, ~5 minutes.
~Add potato mixture to the pan, sprinkle cherry tomatoes on top. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
~Place baby spinach on top, and cover the pan to wilt. Cook until eggs are completely set.
~Serve in slices.

I Love The Pork Shop

...but not for their pork!

Just a quickie, my lunch today, a caprese salad. Fresh Mozzarella from The Pork Shop, located across the street. Styling courtesy of my room mate.

Caprese Salad for 2

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced in wedges
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 lb ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

~Slice the mozzarella to an appropriate size in relation to the tomatoes and basil.
~Arrange nicely on a plate. Or don't.
~Drizzle with olive oil.
~Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Cakes and Pies and Cookies, Oh My

It's been a busy week of baking...

First there were vegan chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting, for a playdate my sister had with a friend who was allergic to eggs...

plain for the adults...

...rainbow sprinkles for the kids!

...and then a peach blueberry pie...

OMNOMNOM

...and last of all, a lemon-thyme shortbread, recipe courtesy of Elissa of 17 and Baking. I made these with my sister, too, and she had a great time picking out which cookie cutters to use. The bunnies and bears were her choice. A jar went to my boyfriend; the rest were reserved for me.

My week in sweets.

We Are So Asian

I think everyone has figured out by now that I have a baby sister. She is 3 years old, small, Asian, and adorable. Strangers who see us together seem to automatically assume I am a teenage mom. Guests who come to our house are only too quick to mistaken my baby pictures for photos of her. Everyone who meets her loves to hug her, talk to her, and play with her. Except me.

Is that horrible? Probably. But it doesn't change the fact that the thought of "playing" with my sister, running after her on her tricycle, changing the outfits on her Polly Pocket dolls, pretending to be princesses together, makes me inwardly cringe. For everyone who thought that my love for cooking and baking (and eating) means I'm a motherly, domestic type, I'm sorry to crush your hopes and dreams. It's not that I dislike children, but I am really more of the book-reading, creepy-movie-watching, note-book-doodling type than anyone you really want babysitting your kids.

Naturally, this fact horrifies my father, among many other things about me which would if he only knew about them. He's always pestering me to spend more time with my sister, and doesn't believe that making bentos for her is an admissible expression of my care for her. So, recently to placate my father and simultaneously get some bonding time with my baby sister, I have been cooking and baking with her. She can now crack an egg cleanly on her own, a feat that I didn't accomplish until I was 13, and I am very proud. Dinner tonight? Wontons.

Wonton Soup
Okay, so here's a confession...in most Chinese cooking, there is not so much a "recipe", with exact measurements and whatnot, as we just chuck the correct ingredients in in the amounts we feel are right. I've tried to approximate it down for this blog...but basically assume that everything here is "to taste", because I did not actually measure any of this.

1 lb ground pork
1/2 cup chopped scallions
3/4 cup portobello mushroom caps, diced fine
1 tbsp salted butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 package of wonton wrappers

~Mix the ground pork, scallions, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl.
~In a small pan, melt the butter and saute the portobello mushroms until brown(er). Mix in with the pork.

~Go here to learn how to fold wontons, oldschool style.
~Bring a pot of water to boil, and drop the wontons in one by one. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Wontons will be done when they float to the surface.
~Serve immediately in a bowl with soy sauce and sesame oil to taste.

Makes enough for 5 people.

Maryland-ish?

A lunch request from my mum: Crab Cakes.

An Alternative to Fish Sticks

1 lb can of lump crab meat, drained
1 egg, well beaten
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup diced onions
1 clove of garlic, minced
panko bread crumbs
1 lemon


~Mix all the ingredients except the panko in a large mixing bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.
~Form the mixture into whatever shape or size your little heart desires. Just keep in mind the bigger the cake, the longer it will take to cook, and you risk singeing the breadcrumb coating by frying it too long.
~Roll the cakes in the panko until it is well-coated.
~Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
~Heat up enough oil to completely submerge the cakes. When the oil is hot (it should sizzle enthusiastically when you flick a drop of water into the pot), drop the cakes into the oil and fry until golden brown.
~Squeeze the lemon over the crab cakes and serve with whatever sauce you want...which, my my case, was ketchup.

My sister ate them, reluctantly at first and then with greater enthusiasm when she discovered they were somewhat like fish sticks.

Obento for a Picky Eater - Week 2

MONDAY

Contents: Rotelle-cheese pasta with shredded carrots and broccoli, watermelon and mango fruit salad, corn, kidney bean, and chickpea salad, and three cherry tomatoes.
Verdict: She ate some of the pasta, most of the fruit salad, most of the corn salad, and one tomato.

TUESDAY

Contents: Seven cucumber and cream cheese heart sandwiches, one crab cake, bottle of dressing, corn, kidney bean and chickpea salad, piece of banana, mini apple bunny, two cherry tomatoes, blueberries and raspberries.
Verdict: She ate four of the sandwiches, half the crab cake, and the fruits (tomatoes excluded).

WEDNESDAY

Contents: Four shiitake mushroom onigiri, egg-sheet rolls tied with spaghetti, cucumber and cherry tomato flowers, blueberries and raspberries, mango cubes, corn and chickpea salad.
Verdict: She ate two fo the onigiri, the egg rolls, the fruit, and one of the flowers.

Obento for a Picky Eater - Week 1

For the last two weeks of my little sister's preschool class, the students are required to bring a home lunch. She's been enrolled in the school lunch program for most of the year because my parents can't be bothered to pack her a lunch every day, most of which she won't eat anyway. I have no clue what they serve for school lunch, except for one day when she informed me that they'd had pizza for lunch.

I was excited when my mother told me that I would have to make my sister lunch for two weeks, because it would mean I got to use all the adorable bento gear that I've bought. I was hoping that the cuteness factor would get my sister to actually eat the lunch (have I mentioned she's a picky eater?). Plus, secretly, I was hoping that the mega-cute lunches would inspire some envy among her classmates and help with my sister's 3-year-old self-esteem...let me explain...

A week or so ago, she came home from preschool and told our mom and me that she had to have something called a "silly band". Neither of us knew what she was talking about. We offered her a pink elastic hairband, which she rejected, saying it wasn't the right one. We asked her to explain, and she replied "it's not shaped like an animal!". Instantly I knew what she was talking about. Those colored silicone bands molded into the shape of an animal. They'd first started appearing in our local supermarket a couple years ago. We asked her why she wanted one, to which she whined "everyone has them but me!". I tried asking her why she cared that everyone had them, and she could only mumble "Because...everyone else has one..."

Shit. The peer pressure bug had bitten. It's not so much that I'm completely opposed to random trends (am I turning into a hipster?), so much as I'm opposed to the really stupid ones (green movement = good trend, uggs = stupid trend. In my humble opinion). "Silly Bandz", while far from the worst trend ever, symbolized to me the start of her awareness of what "everyone else was doing", and possibly of a journey that might lead to cookie-cutter clone-dom, a journey I was determined to stop. My worst nightmare is my baby sister growing up to be a stereotypical, spoiled, trend-slave princess who wouldn't be happy with herself unless she had the latest "in" thing. I refused to let that happen.

I knew my parents could not be counted on to raise her to be an independent, free-thinking individual. Indeed, I discovered, my mother had considered buying a packet of "Silly Bandz" when she chanced upon them in our local CVS, to be turned off only by the price.

So...hence the reason for the bentos. My reasoning is that she'll probably like it, even though it's not like everyone else's, and hopefully it will help her be okay with not having the same things as everyone else. It's only a small part, but...I figured every little bit counts.

And onto the bentos. Monday was Memorial Day, so there was no school and thusly no bento that day, but starting Tuesday I got up at 5:30 to start preparing.

TUESDAY

Contents: Three onigiri (rice balls) filled with scrambled eggs and topped with ham cut out with a heart-shaped cookie cutter, one octopus hot dog, three tulips made out of watermelon and cucumber, one mini silicone cup filled with diced avocado dipped in lemon juice, and some broccoli florets to fill up the space. Not pictured is a little container of buttermilk herb dressing to dip the broccoli into.
Verdict: She ate the hot dog, the avocado, the tulips, one and a half of the rice balls (although she did pick off all the hearts) and one piece of broccoli. I asked her what she liked about the lunch, and she said the watermelon, the ham, and the octopus. Of course.

WEDNESDAY


Contents: Half a ham and cheese sandwich cut into four triangles, two flowers made from egg sheet, three sliced cucumber halves, two pieces of heart-shaped watermelon, two broccoli florets, and one apple bunny.
Verdict: She ate two of the sandwiches (and picked the ham and cheese out of the remaining), the egg flowers, the watermelon, and the apple bunny.

THURSDAY

Contents: Three carrot yaki onigiri, one mini silicone cup of potato salad and one of cubed peaches, one storebought frozen meatball, some cucumber sticks, and a mini jello cup.
Verdict: She ate one yaki onigiri and most of another, the meatball, a one of the cucumber sticks, all but two of the peaches, and the jello (duh). The potato salad appeared untouched ;_;

FRIDAY

Contents: Seven grilled-cheese hearts (a little more than half a sandwich), one mini silicone cup of cocoa-dusted almonds and another with chicken cubes with tomato sauce, a little container with extra tomato sauce for dipping, carrot sticks, broccoli florets, watermelon balls, grapefruit segments, and two mini apple bunnies.
Verdict: She ate all the grilled cheeses and the almonds, half of the watermelon balls, one apple bunny, and a couple of pieces of grapefruit. She didn't eat any of the veggies or chicken at all! The almonds and grilled cheese must have filled her up.


Conclusion for the week: Not bad. I know I probably pack her too much food (she's 3 and a half and doesn't have a very big appetite) but I want her to have some choices. For a toddler who usually had to be coaxed into eating every bite and shuns new food, this was pretty good. One more week of preschool lunches, and then a break before summer camp starts.