The weather turned a little cool today so it was perfect for this lunch of leftover pulled pork.
I doctored the pulled pork a bit with some sriracha sauce and bbq sauce, and a bit of cheddar cheese. Ooo, tasty! The crackers are some quite ones that are kind of like little breads, so not super crispy. They are a Spanish brand and apparently Rafael Nadal loves them (his pic was on the package). I also have slices of green pepper and cauliflower, plus a little Snickers bite. Happy bentoing!
I just got back from a nice long visit to see my family in Washington State. This was the longest vacation I have had in over 5 years, so it was really nice to not be rushed and have the time to relax. Of course, it was also a great reason to make airplane bento box lunches!
My first bento for the trip from Santa Rosa to Seattle contained falafel from Trader Joes, a few kalamata olives, cherries from the Neufeld Farms, caprese skewers, and spinich bolani made in the Bay Area.
Of course, while I was in Washington State, I had to go bento shopping. I found some fun bento boxes for my sister in law, my brother, and even baby sized bento boxes for my little niece. My bro decided to make bentos for us for a picnic to a local winery. I have to admit I got a little bossy and assembled my own bento, so he was kind of peeved. But I really do like his bento, it's the larger black one with the sandwich wrapped in wax paper. Our bentos had either eggs or egg salad sandwiches, radishes, cucumber, carrots, apples, bell pepper slices, and broccoli. Very healthy!
And here's the bento I made for my plane trip back from Seattle. My sister and I stopped at a great asian market in Kent, Washington called 99 Ranch Market. We got some delicious roasted duck, which I included in this bento. Also edamame, carrots, rainier cherries, and cucumber slices.
Here's a video of the shenanigans I got up to playing with my little niece. I made shirts for the Aunties to celebrate Auntie Palooza 2011. Hee hee!
Rrrawr!!! Godzilla Attacks Bento! Citizens flee in terror! Actually, this bento was really cute and fun to eat as well. I wasn't scared one bit... ok, maybe a little scared.
In this bento: teriyaki chicken meatballs from Aidell's, roasted brussel sprouts with Black Pig Meat Co Bacon, baby carrots, yellow bell peppers, white pomegranate arils from De'Santis Farms, and polenta in the shape of Godzilla.
I darkened the top of the polenta here in Photoshop so you can see the Godzilla shape a little better. I picked up the cutest little jello/custard mold at Daiso and I tried it out with a polenta recipe from Martha Stewart. It worked great! Click here to see Martha's very easy recipe for creamy baked polenta. It will firm up if you chill it in the fridge.
This is a leftovers bento box lunch with carnitas from last night's take out. I was too tired to do anything really crazy. Leftover carnitas in the silicone cupcake liner, with a radish cut into a flower shape, carrots, steamed orange cauliflower, and slices of green bell pepper.
In the lower compartment: orange slices, grapes (from Whole Paycheck, I mean Whole Foods) on skewers, and walnuts. My freezer is literally packed with bags of local walnuts, which I get at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market. There are a couple of families who grow and sell walnuts there, and I have never tasted a better walnut. Walnuts will keep in the freezer for 6 months, just long enough to last between fresh walnut seasons.
Wine Pairing Suggestion: We had Dos Equis beer with the carnitas, so that would be fine. But if you want something more local, I would try Hanna 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. It's fruitier than their previous Sauvignon Blancs, but that's why I think it goes well with the slightly carmelized meat and the rich walnuts.
I live, work, cook, and play in Sonoma County, California. Our year-round farmers markets make it easy and fun to eat healthy, seasonal food. I also love nail art, and will share it with you here.
