I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Travel, and speedy meatball lunches
First off, I wanted to let everyone know that Bug and I will be traveling to Philadelphia for a week starting today (4/13/07), so my blog updates will be sporadic during the week. I’ll try to check in and respond to comments, but won’t be as responsive as I usually try to be. Second, thanks to everyone who has voted for this blog in the Blogger’s Choice Awards so far — my goal is to hang around as a non-vegan blog on the top page for a while. Wish me luck! (November 2007 update: Open voting for 2007 has closed with Lunch in a Box in 3th place. Thank you! 2008 voting is here is you’re interested.)
Morning prep time: 10 minutes each. A combination of frozen food, store-bought food, and refrigerator staples made Bug’s quick lunch possible today. The meatballs were store-bought (Aidells teriyaki chicken pineapple) with extra teriyaki sauce, I had a small batch of shaped hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for snacking (more below), and the little rice balls were from the freezer and wrapped with pre-cut nori for maximum speed. Grapes, blackberries and grape tomatoes round out the meal — and I packed a tiny toddler fork for the meatballs (cut in half for Bug).
Earlier this week I made rice to eat with Thai curry at dinner. I only make rice every 10 days or so, so when I do, I make a big batch and freeze the excess as individually wrapped rice balls (see my prior entry on frozen onigiri). I mixed a bowl of medium-grain rice with furikake (rice sprinkles), and popped it into rice ball molds to shape before wrapping and freezing. A quick spin in the microwave brings these back to life.Bug really enjoys the shaped hard-boiled eggs, but I can’t be bothered to make just one in the morning specially for lunch. Instead, I make a batch of 5-6 at once with cheap egg molds that I picked up at a local dollar store (Ichiban Kan, US$1.50 for two), and store them in the refrigerator in the molds. You boil the eggs, peel them while they’re hot, pop them into a mold and throw them into cold water for 10 minutes to take on the shape (Cooking Cute has a tutorial here). If you don’t want to fork over money for a uni-tasker, you can also use ice cream sandwich molds for the same effect, available from Amazon and Williams Sonoma (my tutorial here).
My lunch is the same as Bug’s, but with larger rice balls and a cheese triangle that Bug seized when he spied it. Maybe one day I’ll be able to eat the cheese triangles that I pack in my lunches…
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April 13th, 2007 | Categories: bento, eggs, equipment, for kids, freezing, meat, onigiri or sushi, rice | 
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April 13th, 2007 at 3:34 am
I have some of those egg shapers (the bear and rabbit) but I think they’re hard do fill. I buy the biggest eggs available and still there are “bits” missing in the final mould. OTOH the quail egg moulds I have are too small *LOL*
But a moulded egg is a great way to make eggs more interesting, and I make them in batches, too.
How long, in your expirience, will they keep in the fridge? And do you cover them with water or just keep them in a box? (I’ve seen both methods mentioned and I’m not sure what is best)
April 13th, 2007 at 6:05 am
Those chicken teriyaki meatballs look great! I might have to look into those… its a wonderful alternative for those who dont eat red meat! <3
April 13th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Trekkie, almost anything that will congeal good and solid (and tastes good!) can be shaped with an egg mold or rice mold. So far I’ve used steel-cut oat porridge, couscous with a little added potato starch, and *scrambled* eggs.
One More Bento Fan
April 13th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
Hey, where in Philadelphia are you going to be? I live right outside Philly!
– LolaGeek
April 14th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Hooray, One More Bento Fan is in the house!!! Trekkie, you should check out her pictures on Flickr (bento boxes forum — link is in the column to the left). She’s very creative and an excellent cook.
April 14th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
West Chester area visiting my grandma. I was raised in Swarthmore/Media area for half of my childhood, so it’s very nostalgic for me.
April 15th, 2007 at 2:57 am
I bought the egg molds at my local Ichibankan the other day too!
I used XL eggs and when I pressed the top piece down in the mold, some of the egg whites squirted out.
April 15th, 2007 at 9:36 am
I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your speedy bento techniques. I’m new to bento, but I’ve already used a few of your ideas in my bento.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:37 am
We usually run through a batch of molded eggs in 2 days (Bug loves them). I just keep them in the box and give them a rinse once I unmold them; perhaps someone else can speak to covering them with water. I do know that hard-boiled eggs don’t keep for very long (unlike regular eggs), so it’s best to use them up quickly if you can. I can look up exactly how long they keep once I’m back at home with all of my reference books.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:38 am
They’ve very tasty! Like tsukune.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:39 am
But at least the XL totally filled the mold. The L eggs are just a little shy of filling these.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:39 am
So glad you’re finding a use for them, maggiemagee77!
April 16th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Awww man… I still can’t find the car and fish-shaped egg molds until now…. T_T *envy*
April 16th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Hello, I love your blog I went back and read every single one. I too live in San Francisco, I was wondering two things:
#1. Where do you shop for all your lovely produce?? I have such a hard time finding good stuff unless I go to Whole Foods or Rainbow. Is there a place in particular you go?? I want some fresh figs!!!
#2. Do you know of a good Japanese super market?? I know Korean ones, and chinese ones, but no Japanese in particular. I used to go to one called Yohan in San Jose, but that is so far to drive when you live in San Francisco! And I figure if anyone knows of a japanese supermarket, it would be you!
Please respond! Thanks!!!
-Summers
April 17th, 2007 at 3:31 am
Ah, I’ll put together a shopping guide in more detail once I’m back in town. For ingredients, I have a few places. If I can’t get the Japanese ingredients I want cheaply at New May Wah Supermarket (Clement St.) or Sunset Supermarket (Irving Ave.), I’ll break down and pay the price at Nijiya Market or Mira in Japantown. For Mexican ingredients, I go to Casa Lucas (24th & Florida in the Mission) and another market around 22nd & Florida. For general produce, either Casa Lucas or 22nd & Irving (excellent Mediterranean produce market with thick bourek dough and other great pantry goods — very cheap). Don’t forget the farmers’ markets for excellent, cheap, seasonal produce — Alemany Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings (get there before 9am for the best selection) has great prices. For Indian, Bombay Bazaar on Valencia. Korean at Kukje (in Daly City off of 280 by the In & Out Burger). Oh, and Battambang (sp?) in the Tenderloin for Thai ingredients — it’s a hole in the wall and in a scary neighborhood, but has truly excellent Thai items that I can’t find elsewhere. And there’s another Middle Eastern market (in addition to Queen of Sheba) near Army on Mission, I think, where I get unusual ingredients and gear (i.e. huge mezze serving platters, 3-foot long flat skewers for kebabs, etc.). There’s a better Middle Eastern market in Berkeley off of University Avenue, but I don’t get out there much.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Thank you so much for that list of shops, I will be checking them out soon! In fact, I’ll go to Casa Lucas today and check it out!
April 17th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Great! Casa Lucas is good for really cheap produce that’s used in Latin American cooking (avocados, epazote, nopales, etc.). 22nd & Irving has got a wide variety of impeccable-looking cheap produce. If I had to choose one over the other for *produce only* it’d be 22nd & Irving in a heartbeat. But I love Casa Lucas for their excellent freshly made chorizo (try the Salvadoreno stuff — truly excellent), proximity to La Palma Mexicatessen across Florida for fresh masa, and stock of cheap Lizano sauce.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:53 am
I absolutely love your blog, I’ve been making bento lunches for a while but am always looking for bento-related resources and tips. The freezing methods/time savers you’ve written about are great!
April 18th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Oh no kidding, that’s totally my neck of the woods! (Of course, I forgot to check for your reply any earlier, so I’m sure any chance of a meetup has long since passed… Not that there’s anything very interesting to meet up for, except maybe the King of Prussia Mall [5 minutes from my house].)
– LG
April 18th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
I’d go grab a pack for you when I get back, but they were totally out of them last time I was there. They seem to go fast (but eventually they restock).
April 18th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Glad the time saving tips are working for you! There’s no reason you should have to spend an hour in the kitchen in the morning packing lunch unless you really *want* to.
April 20th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Sorry to be off on a tangent, but I wanted to share something I found at Publix (Florida/SE US local chain, if you’ve not heard of them).
http://www.gourmac.com/3nejasetof3.html - they’re resilient small plastic jars, sold in a nesting set of 3. I measured the volume, and they’re 12/24/52ml or thereabouts, although they’re not marked. The smallest one especially is a great bento size.
(I also found some neat ones at the Container Store, but I’m still looking to see if they’re on-line.)
April 20th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Tchah - so naturally I find the link as soon as I hit the ‘Post Comment’ button:
http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=74066&PRODID=10018277 — they’re sold in ounces, but the bottom’s labelled in milliliters. Huh.
April 21st, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Those both look great, sff_corgi! The price is right and The Container Store is relatively widespread in the U.S. (especially with an online store — great link!). I’ll throw them onto a list of alternate containers I’m putting together.
April 21st, 2007 at 10:15 pm
[bows deeply] Glad to be of assistance!
April 21st, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Small world!
April 24th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
I am most amused to have just found the Container Store-able items pictured on Ngoc’s page:
http://www.cookingcute.com/bento_equipment.htm
There’s the snap-top vials, and the polycarbonate bottle in the upper right is one of theirs, too… just like she mentions.
Alas! I have been redundant! [/dramatic gesture]
April 26th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Hey, there’s got to be something to be said for reinventing the wheel, right?
April 26th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
is this your flickr account?
http://flickr.com/photos/lunchinabox/
April 26th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Yes, that’s me.
April 26th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Here’s one she didn’t have: McCormick’s Food Coloring bottles! They’re definitely cute, they’re washable and refillable… the only catches are obtaining them and the somewhat insecure caps.
May 2nd, 2007 at 12:16 am
Thanks for the tip! Too bad I just threw one out last month…
June 29th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Hi - came here via the LJ comm - am getting interested in Bento! Saw that you’re originally from Swarthmore/Media - small world, as I grew up in Broomall, and have lived in Media and West Chester (though now am in Dallas)
Fascinating blog - am going through it!
Txvoodoo on LJ
June 29th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
@33 from Lisa:
Hey, that sounds very familiar! I’ve still got family in West Chester and Kennett Square — small world! Enjoy the blog, and please feel free to ask any questions you like. I try to stay on top of comments even on old entries (although not this weekend — we’ll be camping and out of touch starting tomorrow).
August 7th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
“Bug really enjoys the shaped hard-boiled eggs, but I can’t be bothered to make just one in the morning specially for lunch.”
If it helps at all, you can make hardboiled eggs in a crock pot/slow cooker. Just drop in the eggs, enough water to cover them, and leave it on low for 3 1/2 hours. Haven’t ever tried shaping them afterward, but I think it wouldn’t be a problem since they do come out hot.