MAKIKO ITOH has been writing about Japanese culture since 2000. She runs the popular Japanese food blogs JustHungry.com and JustBento.com, writes a monthly food column for The Japan Times, and is the author of the best-selling Just Bento Cookbook. Born in Tokyo, she has lived in the UK, the US, and Switzerland. She currently resides in Provence, France.

Praise for The Just Bento Cookbook: “Itoh guides readers to build a beautiful bento lunch that is also nutritious and filling for both adults and children. Recommended for fans of bento lunches and anyone trying to get out of a lunch rut!” –Library Journal“Equal parts recipe book and bento how-to, The Just Bento Cookbook is an elegant guide to making lunch more fun. Filled with lovely boxed lunch ideas that can be made for one or more, depending on how many lunches you plan on packing.” –Serious Eats“The Just Bento Cookbook is packed with recipes for savory dishes that will make a tasty dinner or lunch. Most of the recipes include several variations using different proteins and make-ahead tips.” –Seattle Weekly

• TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroductionBasic Bento RulesBuild Up Your StashBento SafetyMAKE-AHEAD BENTOS1. Meatballs and mini-burgers•   Teriyaki Meatballs•   Tomato Ketchup Meatballs•   Italian Meatballs•   Sweet and Sour Meatballs•   Japanese Chicken Meatballs•   Pan-fried Meatballs and Mini-burgers•   Mediterranean-style Spiced Mini-burgers2. Chicken•   Steamed Chicken with Sesame Sauce•   Easy Chicken "Ham"•   Chicken and Beansprouts with Umeboshi Sauce•   Crispy Fried Chicken with Chili•   Maple Chicken Teriyaki•   Grilled Garlic Chicken3. Soboro•   Japanese Dry Curry•   Classic Japanese Soboro•   Meat Soboro with Miso and Eggplant•   Dandan-style Spicy Meat Sauce•   Bento-friendly Spicy Meat and Tofu•   Mini Shepherd's Pie•   Tuna Soboro4. Pork•   Pork and Vegetable Rolls•   Sweet and Sour Crispy Sesame Pork•   Baked Mini-tonkatsu•   Stir-fried Miso Pork with Eggplant and Peppers•   Ginger Pork with Peppers•   Sweet and Spicy Bacon-wrapped Broccoli•   Bacon-wrapped Tofu5. Beef•   Bibimbap•   Sesame-miso Beef•   Stir-fried Steak with Rosemary and Orange•   Roast Beef for Bentos•   Cold Roast Beef with Wasabi Ginger Sauce•   Roast Beef Salad with Southeast Asian Flavors6. Egg•   Chicken Omu-rice•   Marinated Hard-boiled Eggs•   Egg Salad with Miso•   Japanese Rolled Omelette•   Egg Crepes•   Egg Parcels•   Mini Quiche7. Fish•   Lemon Butter Tilapia•   Spicy Pan-fried Fish Nuggets•   Salted Salmon•   Salmon Soboro•   Tuna and Ginger Nuggets•   Salty-sweet Simmered Sardines8. Tofu and Vegan•   Tofu Donburi Bento•   Baked Tofu•   Ginger Tofu Teriyaki•   Tofu Soboro•   Fried Tofu Roll-ups•   Bean and Pea Curry•   Green Lentils and Brown Rice9. Rice Sandwich•   Ham and Egg Rice Sandwich•   Egg-wrapped Rice Sandwich with Bacon Rice Filling•   Rice Burger with Swiss Chard and Cheese•   Tuna Salad with Dried Shiso Leaves•   Brown Rice Sandwich with Japanese Omelette and Edamame Filling10. Low Carb, featuring Shirataki Noodles and Konnyaku•   Stir-fried Shirataki Noodles•   Rice and Shirataki Pilaf with Shrimp•   Shirataki Chicken "Ramen" in a Lunch Jar•   Shirataki with Sesame•   Chicken and konnyaku "noodle" peperoncino •   Spicy Simmered KonnyakuEXPRESS BENTOS1: "Instant" Soup in a Thermal Lunch Jar 2: Mediterranean Pasta Bento 3: Yakisoba Bento 4: One-pan Bento5: Deconstructed Taco Salad Bento6: Wrap Bento 7: Appetizer Bento8: Stir-fry Bento9: Salad Bento10: Tasty sandwich ideasMORE RECIPESHow to Cook Rice and Other Grains Side Dishes: Vegetables•   Roast Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar•   Asparagus with Sesame Seeds•   Asparagus Mimosa Salad•   Spicy Broccoli•   Broccoli Florets with Bacon and Garlic•   Broccoli-stalk Kinpira•   Salted Cabbage•   Carrots Cooked in Soup•   Carrot Shirishiri•   Max's Lemon Carrot Salad•   Miso-peanut Green Beans•   Sautéed Mushrooms•   Sake-steamed Mushrooms•   Tricolor Peppers with Anchovies•   Braised Pepper and Eggplant•   Caponata•   Potato and Corn Salad•   Cheesy Potatoes•   Spinach with Sweetcorn•   Spinach Namul•   Spinach with Bonito Flakes•   Marinated VegetablesSide Dishes: Japanese Vegetables•   Burdock Root Kinpira•   Burdock Root Tataki•   Simmered Kiriboshi Daikon•   Kiriboshi Daikon Salad•   Buttery Kabocha Squash•   Lotus Root Salad•   Spicy Stir-fried Lotus Root•   Lotus-root and Tofu Burgers with Sweet and Sour Sauce•   Simmered Soy Beans with Konnyaku•   Crunchy Stir-fried Soy Beans•   Edamame Cheese•   Hijiki Seaweed with Carrots and Shiitake•   Hijiki Seaweed with Garlic•   Simmered Konbu Seaweed•   Nori Seaweed Bento•   Wakame Seaweed and Cucumber in Vinegar Sauce•   Wakame Seaweed and Beansprout Stir FryLittle Bento Side Dishes•   Miso Soup Balls•   Tomato Soup Balls•   Decorative Sausages•   Other "Gap Fillers"Dashi Stock Recipes•   Katsuobushi and Konbu Seaweed Dashi Stock•   Rice Sprinkles•   Konbu Seaweed Dashi Stock•   Shiitake Dashi Stock•   Chicken StockTools and equipmentTypes of Bento BoxesBento Box AccessoriesGlossaryIndexResources