Aside from eating and making bento, one thing I enjoy doing is looking at what other people make. Especially when it comes to cute kyaraben (character obento). Not only are kyaraben fun to look at and admire, it’s also a good way to get inspired. And who better to look to for inspiration than the Japanese?

One bento maker who I admire is Sundae. This Japanese mom who takes pride in creating cute and colorful obento has been preparing them twice a week for her sons for four years now. In fact, her work is so adorably cute that she’s been included in an international bento book!
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I’m not big on magazines but one we never fail to buy is Yummy. I love the interesting food ideas, the drool-able kitchen stuff, the interesting restaurant reviews and of course, I love the recipes. I can’t always find the time to try new recipes out so when I do try one out and like how it turned out, they’re immediately filed for “repeat performances.” One of these recipes is Myra Santiago’s Spicy Tuna Marinara.

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Sinigang. One of the dishes that define Filipino cuisine, Sinigang’s sour, full-bodied flavor evokes memories of childhood spent in Lola’s kitchen, eating rice swimming in sour broth, accompanied by either pork, shrimp or fish. I usually dip the meat and veggies in some patis (fish sauce) for that perfect sour-salty taste, spicy too, if you choose to crush the siling pangsigang (finger chili) in your patis. Oftentimes compared to the Thai Tom Yum Goong, for me, Sinigang has a cleaner, lighter flavor, compared to its richer thai cousin.

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Ah cream cheese. Soft, rich, and creamy, slathered on a freshly toasted bagel, layered with slices of smoked salmon. One bite and you’d be sure to think that THIS is the life. So why dare mess with perfection by flavoring it? Well, because it tastes oh so good, and offers an interesting twist to your old favorites.

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