No bento today, I'm heading to an orientation lunch for "Everybody Wins," a program my company sponsors where you read to kids once a week to encourage them academically. So, time for another not-really-tutorial!
**I don't really do tutorials because, well, I don't consider myself an expert or even particularly good at the things I do. So I turn you over to those who are!
A few weeks ago, when I unveiled a molded egg for the first time, everyone wanted to know how I did it. Well, it's really simple.
I used a mold.
Haha... well, really, that's all I did. When I was in San Francisco, I picked up some egg molds. The concept is really intriguing; you hard boil some eggs, peel them while hot, pop them into these plastic molds, click them shut and drop them in cold water. After 10 minutes or so, they should be set, so you can take them out and there they are, in the shape of the mold!
But of course... they aren't that easy to come by outside of Japan & San Francisco (unless there are some hidden stores somewhere in NYC I'm just not looking, or something?)... or the dreaded eBay, with its 300% markups on all things bento.
So what do you do? You improvise!
From Lunch in a Box: http://lunchinabox.net/2006/06/22/williams-sonoma-for-egg-molds/
From Cooking Cute: http://www.cookingcute.com/using_egg_molds.htm Her egg molds are way cuter than mine! I've got to hunt some down with faces and stuff, heh.
Anyway, happy bento'ing!!!
Hey Yvo--Where do you buy your bento boxes? You've inspired me to try to find some, because it will make bringing my lunch to work so much more fun than if I use a tupperware!I was thinking of looking at Pearl River Mart on Broadway in Soho. I may also check to see if they have those egg molds . . .
ReplyDeleteDo you find that they are leak-proof? I tend to just throw my lunch in my bag, so it gets jostled around a lot.
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ReplyDeleteSarah - I haven't really found any decent boxes in the 5 boroughs. The ones I use most frequently, (the two tiered black one and the two tiered red one) were both bought out of state- the black one for an outrageous $17.99 at Mitsuwa http://www.mitsuwanj.com/en/shuttle_service.htm (shuttle bus schedule) - but it was my first real bento purchase, so! I didn't know better. The red one was purchased for $1.50 at Daiso in Daly City, CA (if your family is anywhere near there- which they are, aren't they?- totally, totally have them scope the place for you. It's huge, tons of parking, and a ton of fun!).
ReplyDeleteAs for Pearl River Mart... I've never actually been there, but I think they sell more the lacquerware style bento, if you consider it bento (I'm thinking more like the kind of "tray" bento that you get served in Japanese/takeout restaurants). They MAY have bento other than that, I wouldn't know, but I would be extremely surprised if they had egg molds... if you find them there, PLEASE let me know! (Even though I have the complete set now, I want the ones with better imprints! Uh, proof that I read too many bento sites, haha)
M- Hmm... I basically hard boiled eggs, and then peeled them quickly, popped them in the molds, then dumped them into a big bowl of water with ice in it.
As for peeling hard boiled eggs- I've heard differing stories as to the fresher they are, easier to peel, or older they are, easier to peel. I find the fresher they are, easier to peel... my trick though is to run a small stream of cool water (you have to keep the eggs pretty hot or they "set" and "harden" so they won't be moldable) to keep my fingertips unburnt, and peel quickly in large chunks. One good whack, not a couple, and start removing that shell! Hope that helps! Good luck, let me know how you fare :)
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