I'm a huge fan of Bento recipes and this new release does not disappoint! The recipes were simple but light and refreshing. I especially enjoyed the plan ahead tips.

All kinds of lunches, dinners and holiday meals are included in Simply Bento.

This cookbook includes Japanese, sandwich, noodle, rice and sushi bento recipes. It has a full chapter featuring vegan bento recipes and another for low carb bento. Each entree’s recipe comes with suggestions for side dishes and a make-ahead plan. Most recipes include a beautiful full color picture.

As a lover of Japanese culture through manga and anime, I want to create a real bento box for myself. Only three things stand in my way: being gluten free; not having any time to cook anything, even breakfast, in the morning; and not being a great chef. While this cookbook doesn’t provide allergen information, the recipe ingredients can be easily reviewed and substituted if necessary. The second issue means that almost all of these recipes have to wait for the weekend for me (and I assume many others) to have the time to cook them. Many of the cooking techniques require at least a medium skill set. If you are a beginning chef, it’s probably better to start with an easier book.

I loved the instructions for loading up your pantry with Japanese staples. Simply Bento includes instructions to make most of the Japanese sauces, like teriyaki and sweet and sour, from scratch. I also loved the cute side dishes like cherry tomatoes stuffed with cottage cheese and Tako (octopus) Sausage made with cocktail franks. Some of the recipes are traditional Japanese and some are Americanized like Taco Rice, Hamburger and Hot Dog Bento.

Love Japanese culture? want to try something different for lunch? Have an extra 30 minutes in the morning and some good knife skills? Simply Bento is highly recommended for you. Unfortunately, due to the lack of nutritional information, I have to take off 1 star leaving Simply Bento with 4 stars.

Thanks to Quarto, Race Point Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I was interested in trying out bento and understand it as a cultural element. This book is a good introduction but as for a cookbook it was not my favorite. There were not enough photos especially when I am trying to work with things that are new to me. Many of the photos were reused and not every box had one that I could find. That's sad because these boxes are so pretty and I want to be able to appreciate and emulate them. The special event bentos all had pictures and that I appreciated.
I didn't come away with an understanding of the food itself. So much of it was foreign to me with an introduction to these items. All in all, I think I could make one or two of them.
I really appreciated the cultural aspects of bento presented but I don't feel like I can make them myself on a regular basis.

New interesting ideas to make your own special bento, as a take away or to eat at home. Some recipes were "really japanese", but some other were not and maybe easier to European/U.S. people, like me. Anway it was easy written, well explained and the pics were the better part....

Nuove ed interessanti idee per "costruirti" il tuo bento, sia da trasporto che da mangiare a casa. Alcune ricette erano tipicamente giapponesi, ma altre erano piú internazionali diciamo, e quindi piú facili per persone come me. Comunque il libro é ben scritto, ben spiegato e soprattutto la parte migliore sono le foto.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW"

This is a lovely comprehensive bento cookbook. It covers many of the bases and then some. I love the addition of low carb recipes. I do think the first couple of chapters are a bit repetitive (the same ingredients/sauces over and over and just a swap of the protein). I would have loved to see a little more variety there. If someone doesn't like the taste of mirin, sake, or soy sauce (or they're trying to avoid sugar) they'll have to avoid too large a portion of the book. Overall, though, anyone looking to start making bento boxes would find this book very helpful. The sides are varied and delicious. I'd definitely recommend this book to a friend.

This is a very interesting book that helped me to understand what is and how to prpare a bento. It’s full of interesting picures and yummy recipes that I will surely try.
Highly recommended!Many thanks to Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

I’m in trouble! I just read the absolutely wonderful “Simply Bento: A Complete Course in Preparing Beautiful Box Lunch Ideas for Healthy Portable Portions” and I want to eat every meal shown in the book. The photos are so gorgeous and the descriptions so yummy that I’m a goner! From the creators of Japanese Cooking 101, “Simply Bento” presents nearly 100 quick easy-to-make healthy and delicious recipes that feature a fusion of incredible flavor combinations. You’ll learn to make bento meals for each day of the week, how to assemble your box, and the items you’ll need in your pantry. Recipes include Teriyaki Chicken, Ramen, Avocado Pasta Salad, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Falafel, Tempura, and Chicken Nuggets, and so much more! Highly recommended!

Pub Date 14 Aug 2018

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Race Point Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine!

#SimplyBento #NetGalley