Ultimate Bento - by Matsumoto & Maki Ogawa (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

**2020 Gourmand Food Culture Award Winner**

With these fun, easy and delicious recipes, anyone can venture into the world of bento boxes--no special tools or containers necessary!

Hosts of popular NHK World cooking show Bento Expo, Marc Matsumoto and Maki Ogawa share their bento-making expertise on the pages of this stunningly photographed cookbook. As a Japanese-American, Marc is ideally placed to help Western readers add Japanese touches to their lunches with easy-to-find ingredients. As a Japanese mom of teenage boys, Maki is an expert at creating simple yet delicious bento box combinations that can be put together easily every morning. Together they have created an accessible, authentic bento cookbook that everyone will enjoy.

Ultimate Bento is packed with practical techniques, step-by-step instructions, and useful tips for 85 recipes that can be mixed-and-matched for 25 nutritionally balanced bento box lunches. Each bento in this book costs under $3 per serving, so you and your family can save money while also eating healthier.

Recipes include:

• Summer Rolls
• Japanese-style Coleslaw
• Wasabi Chicken
• Snap Pea Stir-Fry
• Yakitori Chicken Skewers
• Mini Stuffed Peppers
• Ginger Pork

Review Quotes

"...features a fun and exciting combination of bento boxes along with helpful tips and tricks for both beginners and more experienced bento makers." --Tara's Multicultural Table blog

"Ultimate Bento is a brilliant guide to how to make delicious and fun bentos with ingredients that are easy to find, and you don't need any special tools or equipment either." --A Mum Reviews blog

"From learning about types of boxes, to tips on packing and food safety, ingredients and shopping, as well as decorations that add a touch of kawaii--cuteness--(try cheese pandas, p.40) and recipes for a mix of classic and modern Japanese dishes--lunchtimes and picnics just got a whole lot better!" --Linda Garson, Culinaire Magazine

"It brings practical techniques, step-by-step instructions, and useful tips for 85 recipes that can be mixed-and-matched for 25 nutritionally balanced bento box lunches." --Parenting Healthy blog

"One thing I love about this book, is that it reminds you that you can mix-and-match different elements to create a bespoke box using what you have in the fridge and cupboards, as well, of course, what is currently in season." --Castle View Academy

"The hosts of Bento Expo, Marc Matsumoto and Maki Ogawa, make bento meals accessible to North American cooks with expert Japanese touches in their new book Ultimate Bento." --The Vancouver Sun

"This book is full of color photos of fully packed bento, containers, and of course, the food. It truly inspires one to make a lunch that allows us to eat with our eyes, and makes the thought of packing and eating a sad sandwich truly unthinkable. With options such as Loco Moco Hamburg Steak, Taco Rice, and sukiyaki beef egg rice sandwich, Matsumoto and Ogawa show through their book how making and eating lunch can be creative, tasty, and even fun." --Nichi Bei Weekly

About the Author

Marc Matsumoto is the host of the popular NHK World television series Bento Expo, which seeks to teach the world about the craft of bento making (currently in its fourth series and scheduled for a fifth). He is also a professional chef, restaurant consultant and food blogger. Born in Japan, raised in Australia and the U.S. and now back in Japan, Marc is uniquely suited to bridging culinary cultures and bringing these recipes to audiences around the world. You can keep up with him on social media @norecipes, and on his website norecipes.com

Maki Ogawa is the co-host of Bento Expo and the author of Yum-Yum Bento Box and Yum-Yum Bento Box All Year Round (Quirk Books). A Japanese working mom of two sons, Maki has been making bentos for her family every day for the last fifteen years. She shares her wealth of bento-making expertise not just on TV and through her cookbooks, but also on her Instagram @cuteobento