Bento cheerer-upper
Have you ever had mornings where everything suddenly turns bright and shiny for one simple reason? I had one of those today, and it was just because I was finally able to bento the way I usually do. Yes, I was able to bento last week (as evinced by the earlier post) but it was a rushed bento so I didn’t enjoy making it as much.
But today’s bento was bento happiness. Not only was it yummy come lunch time, it was also really fun to make. I even made another one for my mom, but since I took the photos at work, I wasn’t able to photograph hers. Plus, I had a new box to boot. Sigh. If only all my days could be made happy by such simple gestures.
Clockwise from top left
• Ripe baby mangoes
• A Hello Kitty container of tonkatsu sauce
• Tonkatsu on a bed of pandan rice. Pandan rice is rice that’s steamed with a leaf or two of pandan (aka screwpine). There’s major difference tastewise but the rice comes out really fragrant.
• Umeboshi with a pair of basil leaves to garnish
• Half a bunny egg. You can’t tell the bunny shape much from the lighting but trust me, it’s a bunny. The sunlight changed while I was photographing and I didn’t know how to adjust the whiteness balance on the camera.
• Mini-chocolate chip cookies
Add-on:
A packet of Cinnamoroll furikake.
Here’s a closer look. This time, the bunny’s discernible.
Tonkatsu (pork) / Torikatsu (chicken) v. 5 December 2006
This is more of a how-to rather than a recipe, since it doesn’t really have fixed proportions.Ingredients:
Pork Cutlet / Chicken Cutlet
Salt and Pepper
All Purpose Flour
1 egg, beaten
Panko / Japanese breadcrumbs
Oil for fryingProcedure:
1. Using the blunt end of a kitchen knife, or a meat tenderizer, pound your cutlets flat, until they’re thin and wide.
2. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper.
3. Dredge the cutlets in flour.
4. Follow this up with the beaten egg.
5. Then finish up by dipping it in the breadcrumbs.
6. Pan fry the cutlet, flipping over once one side is done.
7. Let it drain a bit on paper towels and when cool enough to handle, slice into strips.
8. Serve with Tonkatsu sauce.Tonkatsu sauce
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, since I usually use the bottled Bulldog Tonkatsu sauce but for those who can’t get commercially produced sauce, here’s a recipe. This is taken from Japanese Food and Cooking by Emi Kazuko and Yasuko Fukuoka60ml / 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
30ml / 2 tbsp Good quality tomato ketchup
5ml / 1 tsp Soy sauceJust mix them all together.
Originally posted at:
http://kitchencow.livejournal.com/25780.html
http://community.livejournal.com/bentolunch/458391.html
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[...] Tonkatsu is pretty easy to make. And storing it is even easier. After breading the cutlet, lay them flat on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, then freeze. After they’ve frozen, you can take them off the cookie sheet for easier storage. The nice thing about frozen pork cutlet is you don’t need to defrost it. You can fry it frozen—just make sure you have the fire on medium to low. For clearer instructions, check out my Tonkatsu recipe. [...]
[...] so! The great thing about it is that the cooking techniques and recipes are realistic. Mama’s Tonkatsu cooking procedure is almost identical to mine, and her korokke (croquette) technique? I learned to [...]
[...] Tonkatsu in a Bento (#86) [...]
where can i buy that bunny egg thing??
Various online sellers on ebay have them in stock, although some at ridiculously high prices. I bought mine at a local store, I’m based in Manila, Philippines though. If you can give me an idea of where you’re located, I might be able to help more.
im from manila too ^^
Hmmm…my bunny and bear ones, I bought from an 88 peso booth at Plaza Fair in Makati but they never restocked
I remember seeing some of the heart and star egg molds at Hatchin in San Antonio Village though, and some at My Dollar Store in Alabang Town Center.
It’s crazy that I came across this today - my husband is obsessed with katsu from a place in NYC and he was there today and is bringing home a bottle of the sauce for me. I saw this recipe and now I’m going to stop at the store to get pork on the way home - he said he’d gladly eat this stuff twice in one day
It’s a sign! Tonkatsu is your friend! ^_^ Seriously though, I can relate. I think my boyfriend can live on tonkatsu alone.
it turned out great! it was SOOOO easy to make, and he loved it too! The katsu sauce he got has curry in it which is pretty nice. thanks again for the recipe - i’ve added you to the links on my blog
i have an egg molder but i dont know how to use it..T_T,,,uhmm..could you tell me how to use it?? hehe…(>,
Surelies! After hardboiling your egg, peel it then slip it inside the mold while still hot. After that, you can place it in a tub of cold water for 15 minutes or place it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so, just to let it set. Different egg molds take different egg sizes so I suggest trying one first then check if it fills the mold adequately. Hope it works out!