Directions:

1.Put the pack of ramen noodles in a zipper bag and crumble with your hands.

2.Wet your hands and crumble the rice so there are no big clumps.

3.Make the sauce by whisking the Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, and ketchup in a bowl.

4.Stir-fry the cabbage and carrots together with the oil over medium-high heat.

5.When the vegetables are mostly cooked through, add the ground chicken and crumble it up. When the chicken is cooked, add the crumbled ramen noodles and water. Cook while constantly stirring until no liquid is left in the pan.

6.Add the rice, and stir-fry the mixture until the rice has heated through.

7.Drizzle the sauce evenly over the sobameshi and toss it together to finish.

8.Garnish with chopped scallions.

Directions:

For Pumpkin Mochi

1.Peel the kabocha and boil till tender.

2.Mash the kabocha and knead with potato starch to make a dough.
(If the kabocha is watery, add more potato starch; if it’s flaky, add milk.)

3.Divide the dough into four 40 g and four 20 g pieces.

4.Fold the cheese into fourths and cut into six stacks. (Make two of the stacks slightly smaller for the kid’s mochi.) This will give you 24 pieces of cheese.

5.Save 2 pieces for the kitty decoration and use the remainder to stuff the mochi.

6.Melt the butter in a frying pan and place the mochi. Fry both sides 2 minutes each to a golden brown.

7.Remove and set aside. Add the sauce ingredients except for the ones marked with ★ into the pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the mixture made with the ★ ingredients.

8.Drizzle the mochi with sauce just before eating.

For the Kitty Pumpkin Mochi

1.Set aside 20 g of kabocha dough to form the kitty shapes.

2.Fry with the rest of the kabocha mochi.

3.Use a round cookie cutter to cut out the muzzles from the cheese. Use nori for the eyes, nose, mouth, and whiskers.

4.Set aside the mochi to cool before adding the parts.　

Directions:

1. Line the container you plan to make the egg in with plastic wrap to keep the egg from sticking.

2. Add the potato starch, salt, and dashi to a bowl and whisk together with chopsticks to dissolve the salt.

3. Add the eggs to the dashi mixture and beat together with chopsticks until the mixture is smooth. Pour it into the mold and place it in the center of a microwave oven.

4. Cook the egg at 600 watts for 2 minutes or until it starts to puff a little around the edges. Stop the microwave and scramble the eggs with chopsticks, breaking up any big curds.

5. Continue to cook the egg for another 30 seconds or until the edges start to puff and scramble again.

6. Finally, cook the egg for another 1 minute or until the egg is fully set. Cover the egg so it does not dry out, and let it cool to room temperature.

7. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and honey in a small bowl to make the honey mustard sauce.

8. Once the egg has cooled to room temperature, assemble the sandwich by topping one slice of bread with the egg.

9. Spread the honey mustard on the other slice of bread and use it to sandwich the egg. Slice the sandwich in half to pack it into a bento box.

Directions:

For Fried Meat-wrapped Quail Eggs

1. Drain the boiled quail eggs and pat dry. Thread three eggs onto a skewer for adults, and make three skewers. For kids, thread one egg onto a toothpick, and make three mini skewers.

2. Wrap the skewers with sliced pork.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dust with flour, then dip in beaten egg and bread.

4. Heat the oil to 170 degrees C and deep-fry for about two minutes.

For the turtle decoration

1. Soak the quail egg in mentsuyu for at least 15 minutes.

2. Cut a 3 mm slice from a cucumber.

3. Use a U-shaped cookie cutter for the turtle parts.
For the head: cut out a piece of cucumber so that it will align with the curve of the egg.

4. For the four flippers: cut out two U-shapes and cut diagonally in half.

5. Set out the turtle parts and place the egg on top.

6. Use nori for the eyes and cut out a star-shape from cucumber peel to place on top of the egg to complete the turtle shell.

Directions:

1. Add the oysters and baking soda to a bowl. Mix well by hand until the oysters have released a significant amount of grey liquid. Rinse and drain multiple times until the water runs clear. Drain well.

2. Add the sliced ginger, sake, soy sauce, and mirin to a pot and boil. Continue to cook until the mixture no longer smells like alcohol (another minute or so).

3. Add the oysters to the pot and bring them to a boil. Skim off any foam that floats to the surface, leaving behind as much liquid as possible. Once you've removed most of the foam, turn down the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the oysters for 8 minutes.

4. Let the oysters cool to room temperature in the liquid.

5. Add the rice to a strainer and wash while agitating by hand until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well and add it to a pot.

6. Once the oysters have cooled to room temperature, remove and discard the ginger slices. Strain the oysters over a bowl, reserving the braising liquid.

7. Pour the braising liquid into a large liquid measuring cup. Add water, so you have 415 milliliters (1 3/4 US cups) of liquid, and pour this into the pot with the rice.

8. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the mixture to a boil or until you see a steady stream of steam escaping from the lid. Turn down the heat all the way, and set a timer for 12 minutes.

9. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the rice steam for another 10 minutes without opening the lid.

10. When the rice is steamed, fluff it with a rice paddle and top it with the reserved oysters.

Directions:

For Miso-butter Oysters

1. Place the oysters in a bowl, sprinkle with 3 tbsp potato starch, and rub gently about 10 times.

2. Rinse under running water to remove the potato starch and impurities.

3. Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Add the miso, peanut butter, sugar, and sake to a small bowl and whip until fully incorporated.

5. Sprinkle potato starch over a tray to coat the oysters.

6. Heat a frying pan over low heat and melt the butter. Add the oysters before the butter starts to brown and cook each side for 1 minute and a half, or a total of 3 and half to 4 minutes.

7. Add the miso sauce and simmer for 10 to 20 seconds.

For the baby chick decorations:

Use barley and sesame seeds to make the oysters look like baby chicks.

Directions:

1. To make the sushi rice, cook the rice with 2 tablespoons less water than you would typically use to make the rice.

2. To make the sushi vinegar, whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until everything is dissolved.

3. Once the rice is cooked, dump it into a large bowl and pour the sushi vinegar over it.

4. Mix the vinegar into the rice using a folding and cutting motion to break up any clumps of rice. Be careful not to mash the individual grains of rice. Use a fan to cool the rice as you mix it. When the rice is done, cover it with a damp towel.

5. Trim the ends off of the cucumber and slice it in half lengthwise. Save half of the cucumber to use in another dish. Cut the remaining half in half again lengthwise (into 2 quarters). Slice the seeds out of the center of the cucumber and cut each strip of cucumber in half lengthwise.

6. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Peel each half of the avocado. Slice each half of the avocado into 6-8 wedges.

7. Fold the nori in half across the narrow side, and tear it in half.

8. Place a sheet of nori on top of a sushi mat and spread a handful of sushi rice (about 170 g) across the top edge.

9. Wet your hands and press the rice to spread it down towards the bottom edge until the nori is covered in an even layer of rice.

10. Sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top of the rice in an even layer.

11. Flip the rice and nori over and spread 30 grams of crab meat along the bottom edge of the nori. Add a cucumber stick in front of the crab, and then top with 3-4 wedges of avocado.

12. Use the sushi mat to roll the bottom edge of the nori up and over the fillings to make it meet the nori on the other side.

13. Continue rolling until the seam is at the bottom, and then use the sushi mat to compress the roll and finalize its shape.

Directions:

For Crab Rice

Prep: Cut the mushrooms into thin slices and freeze overnight.

1. Rinse the rice and soak in water for 30 minutes.

2. Add the rice, sake, soy sauce, salt, and sugar to the rice cooker. Pour water up to the 2-cup level marking for white rice on the inner bowl.

3. Add the frozen mushrooms and 75 g crab meat and press the start button to cook.

4. Add the remaining 75 g of crab meat to the cooked rice and let it steam for 10-15 min.

5. Mix and fluff the rice.

For the crab decoration

1. Make crisscross incisions along the sausage and boil for 30 seconds.

2. Cut the sausage into 3 sections.

3. Cut the middle section horizontally in half.

4. Make an incision in the tip of each end section, and 3-4 incisions in the two halves of the middle section. Boil for 30 seconds.

5. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out two pieces from a slice of cheese. Use nori for the eyes and mouth.

6. Place the sausages around the tamagoyaki to form the crab shape and decorate with the cheese and nori.

Directions:

1. Bring the dashi and salt to a boil in a wide saucepan or frying pan. Add the daikon slices and cover with a drop lid. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

2. Cook the daikon for 10 minutes or until a toothpick can be passed through. The daikon should still be a little firm.

3. Turn off the heat and let the daikon cool to room temperature in the dashi. It's best to let the daikon rest overnight in the fridge while soaking in the dashi, but if you're pressed for time, you can continue.

4. If you would like to use cookie cutters to cut the daikon into shapes, you can do that now, but reserve the dashi for later.

5. Dust the salmon with potato starch.

6. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, and then add the vegetable oil and starch-coated salmon. Pan fry until browned on one side, then flip and brown the other side.

7. Remove the salmon from the pan and use paper towels to soak up as much of the oil from the pan as possible.

8. Add the 3S sauce and 2 tablespoons of the dashi from the daikon. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the sauce until it is thick and syrupy.

9. Add the daikon to the sauce and flip each piece repeatedly until glazed. Remove from the pan and add the salmon. Then, glaze with the remaining sauce.

10. Garnish with ginger threads.

Directions:

For Tomato Sukiyaki

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

2. Cut the onion into thin slices.

3. Preheat and oil the pan, then stir-fry the beef.

4. Once the beef is browned, add the onions.

5. Stir-fry until the onions are wilted, then add the tomatoes.

6. Give it a light stir and add the sugar, soy sauce, and sake. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 minutes.

For the snowman decoration　

1. Skewer a couple of quail eggs and a piece of boiled carrot from a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.

2. Use nori for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

3. To form the arms, place two green peas, also from the bag of mixed vegetables, by the eggs.

Directions:

1. Add the chicken thighs, sake, soy sauce, and potato starch into a bowl and mix together. Let this marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

2. Preheat a pot of oil to 170 degrees C (340 degrees F) and prepare a wire rack lined with 3 sheets of paper towels.

3. Add a few tablespoons of potato starch into a bowl and use it to dust the marinated chicken in a thick, even layer of starch.

4. Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix until the sugar has dissolved.

5. Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through (you can cut a big one in half to check). Transfer the chicken to the rack to drain.

6. While the chicken is still hot, toss the pieces in the sauce to coat, then immediately transfer them out of the sauce to cool.

7. Once the chicken has cooled to room temperature, pack it into a bento box and top it with scallions and chili peppers from the sauce.

Directions:

For Layered Katsu

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the sliced pork.

2. Cut the sliced cheese into 4 equal pieces.

3. Place a piece of cheese and a sweet basil leaf on a slice of pork.

4. Cover with another slice of pork, cheese, and a basil leaf. Repeat two more times to form four layers, and cover with a final slice of pork. (Each layered katsu uses five slices of pork. Choose relatively larger slices for the top and bottom.)

5. Tuck in the edges to keep the cheese from oozing out when fried, and wrap in plastic film to seal. (If possible, cool in the fridge for 10 minutes.)

6. Bread with flour, beaten egg, and panko. Fry for about 4 minutes in oil heated to 160 degrees C.

For the Three Little Piggies decoration

1. Cut the fish sausage into rounds.

2. Lightly brown both sides over low heat in an oiled pan.

3. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out 6 pieces from a slice of cheese (two pieces per pig).

4. Cut three of the cheese rounds in half for the ears. The remaining rounds are for the nose.

5. Place the cheese parts on the sliced fish sausage.

6. Use nori to form the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Directions:

1. Set the tofu on a wire rack on a tray, then put another tray on top. Set a heavy weight (such as cans or a bottle of water) on top of the tray to press the tofu. Let drain for 1 hour.

2. To make the marinade, whisk the sake, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and kobucha until combined.

3. When the tofu is done draining, wipe it dry with paper towels and then tear it into uneven pieces. Place the tofu chunks into the marinade and gently stir everything together. Marinate the tofu for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. When the tofu is done marinating, drain off any excess liquid and preheat a pot of oil to 170 degrees C (340 degrees F).

5. Roll the marinated tofu in a bowl of potato starch to coat evenly and lower the coated tofu into the oil.

6. Fry the tofu, occasionally flipping, until it just starts to brown. Remove the kara-age from the oil, then turn up the heat to 180 degrees C (355 degrees F).

7. Fry the tofu a second time until it is golden brown and crisp. Drain the tofu on a paper towel-lined rack and let cool completely before packing into your bento.

Directions:

For Pork Belly Kara-age

1. Cut the pork belly in half.

2. Combine the seasonings in a bowl and marinate the pork belly for 5 minutes.

3. Pat dry with paper towels, then roll up into chunks.

4. Coat evenly with potato starch.

5. Heat the oil to 170 degrees C and place the rolled pork in the oil seam-side down.
*Leave them alone for about a minute to secure the seam.

6. After about 3 minutes, they’re done.

For the Bunny and Carrot decoration

1. Stack 2 slices of cheese and use a cookie cutter to cut out the bunny.

2. Cut a piece of carrot into 2 mm slices and boil for about 2 minutes. Cut out 2 rectangles and 3 circles to form the ears, nose, and cheeks.

3. Use nori for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

4. Cut a V-shape out of the remaining carrot to form the bunny’s carrot, and use broccoli for the carrot top.

Directions:

1. Divide the rice into 4 portions, then shape each one into a cylinder using plastic wrap to keep the rice from sticking to your hands.

2. Sprinkle each rice ball with the toasted sesame seeds.

3. Wrap the onigiri with the beef.

4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add the oil and meat-wrapped onigiri.

5. Fry the rice balls on all sides until browned.

6. When the beef is cooked through, wipe out any excess oil with a paper towel.

7. Add the 3S sauce and roll the onigiri around to glaze evenly.

Directions:

For the Fireworks Onigiri (with seasoned egg wrapped in bacon, and mackerel-shiso rice)

1. Add the soy sauce, sake, and boiled egg to a resealable food storage bag and marinate overnight.

2. Pat the egg dry and wrap with bacon. Secure with dry pasta.

3. Fry the wrapped egg in a non-stick pan. (Do not oil)

4. Drain the canned mackerel and sprinkle with soy sauce.

5. Sprinkle salt over the rice. Add the mackerel, shredded shiso leaves, and sesame seeds, and give it a quick toss.

6. Place a large piece of plastic wrap over a rice bowl or any other small bowl. Spread 60 g of rice and place the bacon-wrapped egg in the center.

7. Cover with the remaining 60 g of rice.

8. Bring the wrap together to twist and form a rice ball.

9. Remove the plastic wrap and wrap the onigiri with nori.

For the Fireworks Onigiri (with crab sticks, tuna-mayo, and scrambled eggs)

Tuna-mayo

1. Drain the tuna, add salt, pepper and mayonnaise, then mix.

Scrambled eggs

1. Beat the eggs and add the sugar.

2. Pour into a frying pan and scramble over low to medium heat.



1. Sprinkle salt over the rice.

2. Spread 30 g of rice over a sheet of plastic wrap and place the lettuce, scrambled eggs, crab stick, and tuna mayonnaise in the center.

3. Cover with the remaining 60 g of rice.

4. Bring the wrap together to twist and form a rice ball.

5. Unwrap, then wrap the onigiri in nori.

For penguin decoration

1. Skewer the reverse side of each of the corn kernels with dry pasta and stick into the onigiri to form the beak.

2. Cut out round pieces of cheese for the eyes, then stick on the onigiri. Use nori to form the pupils.

Directions:

For Stamina Pork

1. Prepare a bowl of cold water.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half of the pork belly and swish it around until it is cooked through, then transfer it to the cold water to stop the cooking. Repeat with the remaining pork belly.

3. Drain the pork belly well.

4. Prepare the sauce by mixing the dashi, soy sauce, sake, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a frying pan. Add in the scallion stems and bring the mixture to a boil.

5. When the scallions have softened, add the pork belly and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook until most (but not all) of the liquid has evaporated.

6. Pack the pork separately from the rice and garnish with the scallion greens. Pour the pork and sauce over the rice when you eat it. You can also top this with a fried egg for some extra protein.

For steamed egg

1. Break the egg into a small bowl and pour off the watery part of the egg white.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Gently add the egg into the pan from the bowl to give it a nice shape.

3. Turn down the heat to low and cook the egg until the egg white is mostly cooked through.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover the pan with a lid to steam the egg until the yolk is cooked.

Directions:

For the Salmon Soboro

1. Sprinkle salt over the salmon and refrigerate overnight.

2. Wrap in aluminum foil to seal.

3. Fill a shallow pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the salmon and boil for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and cook in residual heat for 5 minutes.

4. Drain and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.

5. Unwrap the salmon and remove the skin and bones.

6. Add the salmon to a heated frying pan and flake. Season with sake, sugar, and soy sauce. Turn up the heat to boil off the sake.

7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until there is no more liquid. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with white sesame seeds.

For the butter-sautéed avocado

1. Remove the skin and seed from the avocado and cut into 2-3 cm cubes.

2. Sprinkle with potato starch. (Do this right away to prevent discoloration.)

3. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the avocado to a golden brown. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

For the cabbage salad

1. Boil 2 cabbage leaves (approx. 50 g) for 30 seconds.

2. Soak briefly in cool water and cut into thin strips.

3. Season with sesame oil, granulated chicken soup, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

For the little "fish" decorations

1. Cut the carrot into 5 mm thick slices and boil for 4 minutes.

2. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the fish shapes.

3. Add nori for the eyes.

Directions:

For Curry Goya Champuru

1. Sprinkle the bitter melon with the salt and toss to coat evenly. Let this rest for at least 20 minutes to sweat.

2. Drain and place the tofu on a wire rack set in a tray, then place another tray on top. Add some weight to the top tray and let the tofu drain some more.

3. When the bitter melon has become limp, massage it with your hands to coax out more liquid. Then scoop it up and squeeze it between your hands to remove as much liquid as possible.

4. Drain the water that has come out of the tofu and tear it into bite-sized pieces.

5. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the oil and pieces of tofu. Fry the tofu on one side until it starts to brown, then flip the tofu over and brown the other side.

6. Push the tofu out towards the edges of the pan, then add the luncheon meat and onions. Brown the luncheon meat on one side, then flip and brown on the other side.

7. Add the squeezed bitter melon and curry powder, and then stir-fry until the bitter melon is a vibrant green.

8. Season with soy sauce and honey. Finish the Curry Goya Champuru by pouring over the beaten egg and scrambling the mixture together until the egg is cooked through.

For Shredded Carrot Stir-Fry

1. Stir-fry shredded carrots in toasted sesame oil with canned tuna. Season with soy sauce.

2. Finished with toasted sesame seeds and katsuobushi.

Directions:

For Purple Sweet Potato Korokke

1. Add a dash of vegetable oil to a heated frying pan and sauté the ground beef. Once the color changes, add the minced onions, season liberally with salt and pepper, and continue sautéing.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Cut the unpeeled purple sweet potato into 1 cm thick slices. Set aside 2 slices for the flower decorations. Add to boiling water and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Just before draining, add the okra so that both the potatoes and okra are done at the same time. Cut the drained sweet potato slices into quarters. Add to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 7-8 minutes until tender.

4. Use a masher to mash the potatoes. There’ll be hardly any trace of the skin, but remove any large pieces if they bother you.

5. Add butter and milk and mix well.

6. Form into round balls, approx. 35 g each.

7. Bread with flour, beaten egg, and panko. Deep-fry at 170 degrees C.

For the sweet potato and okra "flowers"

1. Add the two remaining slices of sweet potato to boiling water and simmer for 4 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and soak the potato in water to keep from drying out before cutting.

3. Pat dry and cut into flower shapes with a cookie cutter.

4. Cut the okra into 3 mm slices and place a slice in the center of each flower.

5. Use the okra tips to create the flower stems. Pack the remaining sliced okra alongside the potato korokke.

Directions:

1. Bend the chicken wings backward at the joint to free the two bones in the meaty part of the wing.

2. Use clean kitchen scissors to cut the cartilage between the two bones in the broad end of the chicken wing. Use your fingers to push the meat away from each bone, and pull the two bones out.

3. Add the ground chicken, minced shiitake, onions, ginger, oyster sauce, black pepper, and potato starch to a bowl. Knead with your hands until evenly combined.

4. Use a spoon to scoop the filling into the pocket formed in each chicken wing by removing the bones.

5. Add a few spoonfuls of potato starch to a tray and dust the wings with a thin, even layer of starch.

6. Preheat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until hot, and then add the stuffed chicken wings with the thick side of the skin facing down.

7. Fry the chicken until golden brown on this side, then flip the wings over.

8. Holding a lid above the pan, quickly pour 4 tablespoons of water into the pan and shut the lid.

9. Let the chicken steam until the water has evaporated (about 3-4 minutes).

10. Open the lid and let any remaining liquid boil off. Use paper towels to soak up any excess water and add the 3S sauce.

11. Glaze the chicken wing gyoza with the sauce until almost no liquid is left. Add the black vinegar, toss to coat, and then remove the gyoza from the pan to cool to room temperature.

Directions:

For Nori Gyoza

1. Mince the cabbage, onion, Chinese chives, and shiso leaves.

2. Add the minced vegetables, ground pork, grated ginger, salt, pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce, and potato starch to a bowl, and knead together.

3. Divide the filling into 8 equal portions (about 32-35 g each) and cut the nori into 8 equal pieces.

4. Wrap the filling with nori.

5. Fry both sides in a frying pan without using a lid.

For the "chick" onigiri

1. Use a straw to cut out beaks from slices of boiled carrot. Use a U-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the wings.

2. Use nori for the eyes and feet.

Directions:

1. Whisk the maple syrup, miso, and sake together until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken with the skin-side down. Let it fry until some fat has rendered out and the skin side has browned.

3. Flip the chicken over and cook the other side.

4. Use paper towels to remove as much fat from the pan as possible.

5. Add the maple miso sauce and boil while tossing the chicken until the mixture starts to thicken.

6. Add the scallions and toss to coat everything with the sauce.

Directions:

For Maple-mustard Pork

1. Use a fork to pierce the pork (to improve the flavor), then cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Place in a bowl and rub with salt, pepper, and garlic.

3. Coat evenly with flour.

4. Add to a heated pan and fry uncovered. Wipe off the rendered fat and brown both sides until crisp.

5. Mix the maple syrup, wholegrain mustard, and soy sauce. Add to the pan to glaze the pork.

For the "bear cub" tamagoyaki

1. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the ears and nose from the cheese. Use a straw to cut out the nose.

2. Add the ears and nose to the tamagoyaki and use nori for the eyes.

3. Draw the cheeks with ketchup.

4. Use a flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut flowers from boiled carrot slices. Use a straw to cut out pieces of cheese to place in the center of the flowers.

Directions:

1. Preheat 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) of vegetable oil to 180 degrees C (355 degrees F).

2. Add the shrimp, onions, green beans, carrots, and cake flour to a bowl. Stir to coat everything with an even layer of flour.

3. Add the soda water to the bowl and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated with batter.

4. Load half of the kakiage mixture onto a flat metal surface such as a large spatula or flat metal cheese grater. Try to get the shape as round as possible.

5. Lower the kakiage batter into the oil and use a heat-proof spatula to push it off the metal surface. Repeat with the remaining batter.

6. Fry the kakiage until it starts to brown around the edges, and then flip over and fry the other side until it is golden brown and crisp.

7. While the kakiage is frying, add the 3S sauce to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Continue boiling until it no longer smells like alcohol (about 30 seconds).

8. Set the kakiage directly on the wire rack. Drizzle the 3S sauce over the kakiage while they are still hot and let them cool to room temperature on the rack.

Directions:

For Veggie Menchi-katsu

1. Mince the onion, zucchini, green pepper, and carrot.

2. Combine the ground pork, minced vegetables, flour, salt and pepper. Knead well.

3. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions (approx. 40 g each) and shape into patties.

5. Bread with flour, beaten egg, and panko. Fry in oil preheated to 160-170 degrees C.

6. If you like, mix equal parts ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to make a sauce, and pack separately.

For the bunny face decoration

1. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the nose from a slice of ham.

2. Use a two-pronged fork to cut out the ears from the ham.

3. Cut out the eyes and nose from a piece of nori.

Directions:

1. To make the marinade, grate the kiwi, onion, and garlic into a bowl. Add the 3S sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, and black pepper, and stir together.

2. Add the lamb and marinate overnight.

3. To make the Lamb and Veggie Stir-fry, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until hot.

4. Drain off the marinade and reserve it for later. Next, add the lamb to the frying pan and stir-fry until it's browned and cooked through. When the lamb is fully cooked, transfer it to a plate.

5. Add the bean sprouts, cabbage, onion, and red bell peppers. Stir-fry the vegetables until they start to brown around the edges but are still crisp. Add the reserved marinade and stir-fry until all of the liquid has evaporated.

6. Return the meat to the pan and toss to distribute evenly.

7. Pack the stir-fry over a bento box of white rice. Garnish with scallions.

Directions:

For Tori-ten

1. Remove excess fat and tendons from the chicken breast and cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Cut against the grain as shown.



3. Add the chicken and seasonings in a food storage bag or bowl and marinate for 20-30 minutes. (You can also marinate overnight in the fridge.)

4. Drain the chicken and wipe off the marinade.

5. Make the batter.

6. Coat half of the chicken in batter and fry in oil preheated to 170 degrees C.

7. Add aonori to the batter, coat the remaining chicken, and fry.

For the chikuwa "chickens"

1. Trim both ends of the chikuwa.

2. Pack the chikuwa with a double layer of corn.

3. Cut out the chick's eyes from a piece of nori. Use a toothpick to draw the cheeks with ketchup.

4. Place a corn kernel on top for the rooster’s comb.

Directions:

*Preheat your vacuum flasks by filling them with boiling water.

1. Grate the onion, carrot, garlic, and ginger, then stir in the baking soda.

2. Mix the dashi, 3S sauce, and potato starch together in a bowl.

3. Season the chicken with salt.

4. Heat a pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil and chicken in a single layer with the skin-side down.

5. Fry the chicken until browned on one side, then flip and brown the other side.

6. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the grated vegetables and curry powder. Fry the mixture until it forms a thick paste after 2-3 minutes.

7. Add the dashi mixture, and frozen vegetables, then return the chicken to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.

8. Pour out the hot water from the vacuum flasks. Divide the hot curry between the two flasks, and add a tablespoon of sour cream to each one. Tightly close the lids. Let the curry continue to cook in the vacuum flasks for 3-4 hours.

Directions:

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in the water until they are fully rehydrated.

2. When the mushrooms are done rehydrating, pour the liquid into a frying pan, leaving any sediment behind in the bowl. Next, add the 3S sauce and salt to the pan.

3. Break the eggs into two small bowls.

4. Cut the abura-age in half, then use your fingers to open up a pocket into each half.

5. Pour an egg into one pocket of abura-age, then use a piece of spaghetti to sew the pocket shut. Repeat with the other pocket.

6. Bring the sauce to a full boil and lower the kinchaku into the liquid. Add the cut carrots and shiitake mushrooms around the pockets.

7. Reduce the heat to maintain a full simmer and let the kinchaku cook for 10 minutes, flipping them over every two minutes.

8. When the egg is cooked through, and there is almost no liquid left in the pan, the kinchaku tamago is done.

Directions:

For Pork Inari

1. Cut the abura-age in half and open to form pockets.
*You can pour boiling water over the abura-age to remove excess oil.

2. Boil the mixed vegetables and drain. Add to a bowl along with the ground pork, minced onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

3. Stuff the inari pouches with the meat filling (about 40 g per pouch). Fold down the top to close.

4. Sprinkle evenly with potato starch.

5. Oil the frying pan and place the pouches seam-side down to seal. Brown both sides.

6. Add the 3S sauce and water to the pan, cover and steam for 4-6 minutes until the pouches are cooked through. Use a chopstick to prod and test them. If they’re springy, they’re done.

For the puppy decorations

1. Use an oval-shaped cookie cutter to cut out four puppy ears from sliced boiled carrot.

2. Cut out two circles from a slice of cheese.

3. Use nori for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Directions:

For Sanga-burg

1. Cut 1/4 of the fish into 6 mm (1/4 inch) cubes, and add it to a bowl.

2. Chop the remaining fish with your knife until it forms a paste.

3. Add the onions, basil, and garlic into the paste and continue chopping until the mixture is evenly combined.

4. Add the mixture to the bowl with the chopped mackerel, then add the olive oil, nam pla, and salt. Knead the mixture together with your hands until the ingredients are uniformly combined.

5. Flatten out the mixture and divide it into 6 segments.

6. Heat a frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add a splash of olive oil and swirl it around to coat the pan.

7. Rub your hands with some more olive oil, and grab a segment of the Sangayaki mixture. Toss the mixture between your hands to shape it into an oval patty, and then place a lemon slice on one side. Continue tossing the mixture between your hands until the lemon is securely embedded in the patty.

8. Place the patty lemon-side down in the frying pan and repeat with the remaining Sangayaki mixture.

9. Fry the patties until they appear cooked 2/3 through, and then flip them over. Fry the other side until they're cooked through (internal temperature of 60 degrees C (140 degrees F).

For Common Marigold rice

1. Pour boiling water over the flowers until they are covered, then let them steep while you prepare the rice.

2. Wash the rice until the water runs mostly clear, and fill the rice cooker to the 2-cup marker.

3. Drain and rinse the blossoms and squeeze out any excess water. Add the flower petals to the rice and stir to distribute evenly.

4. Cook the rice according to your rice cooker's directions.

Directions:

1. Wash the spinach, but do not cut the roots off. Take care to rinse out any grit from between the stems.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and lower the spinach into the water root ends first. Return the water to a full boil, then drain the spinach and rinse under cold water until chilled.

3. Gather up the spinach by the roots, and squeeze as much excess water out as possible.

4. Line the root ends up on a cutting board and cut the roots off.

5. Divide the spinach into 3 piles. Flip half of each pile around so half the stems point in one direction and the other half point in the other direction.

6. To prepare the red cabbage, trim away the tough stems. Then, stack the cabbage leaves up and use a sharp knife to slice the cabbage into thin strips.

7. Put the cabbage in a bowl along with the sushi vinegar. Toss to coat evenly, then let marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

8. For the spicy mayonnaise, add the mayonnaise and sriracha to a bowl and mix until evenly combined.

9. To prepare the beef, add the meat and 3S sauce to a cold frying pan, and turn the heat to medium heat.

10. Cook the beef, shaking the slices loose so they don't clump together.

11. Continue cooking the beef until there is no liquid left in the pan and the beef is dark brown and shiny. Add the sesame seeds and let the meat cool completely.

12. To make the roll, line a sushi mat with plastic wrap. Next, prepare a bowl of water.

13. Drain the vinegar from the cabbage and lightly squeeze to eliminate any excess liquid.

14. Place a piece of nori on the sushi mat with the shiny side down.

15. Keep your hands wet using the bowl of water. Distribute the rice across the nori, leaving a 1 cm gap at the top. Use a picking and placing motion rather than a smearing motion to spread the rice.

16. Spread a strip of beef along the bottom edge of the rice, then top with a line of spicy mayo.

17. Line up the takuan pickles on top of the mayonnaise, and top with a strip of 1/3 of the spinach and 1/3 of the cabbage.

18. Grabbing the sushi mat, flip the edge of the nori up and over the fillings to meet the rice on the other side.

19. Give the roll a gentle squeeze to compress the contents, then use the mat to continue rolling the nori the rest of the way.

20. Give the roll a few squeezes, applying pressure evenly to all sides using the sushi mat.

21. To cut the roll, wet a long sharp knife and cut the roll in half using a rapid back-and-forth motion.

22. Line the halves up and slice them into quarters.

Directions:

For Miso-mayo Sawara

1. Cut the fish into easy-to-eat pieces.

2. Sprinkle salt on both sides and set aside for 5 minutes to draw out the excess moisture. Pat dry with paper towels.

3. Dust both sides with flour.

4. Combine the mayonnaise, miso, sugar, sake, and ground sesame seeds.

5. Oil the pan and place the fish skin-side down (the fish will be plated skin-side up). Fry both sides to a golden brown.

6. Add the miso-mayo to the pan and coat both sides of the fish. Fry until most of the liquid has evaporated, then turn off the heat. Plate the fish and drizzle with any remaining sauce.

For the Snap Peas and Shimeji Sautéed in Butter

1. Blanch the snap peas for about a minute and drain. Remove the woody ends of the shimeji. Add the snap peas, shimeji, and butter to a heat resistant dish and microwave until the shimeji are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

For the "Clownfish" decoration

1. Coat the yellow cherry tomatoes with oil and wrap two thin strips of nori around the middle.

2. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the fin and tail from a slice of cheese.

3. Cut out the eyes and mouth from nori.

Directions:

1. Remove any scales or bones from the sea bream. Pat dry and sprinkle on all sides with the salt. Set the fish on a few layers of paper towels and let them drain for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.

2. Wash the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Put the rice in the rice cooker bowl, then add the sake and fill the bowl up to the 2-cup marker with cold water. Let the rice soak while you finish preparing the fish.

3. When the sea bream is done salting, pat any liquid off the surface. Set it on a non-stick surface, then grill it in a toaster oven (set to broil) until the fish is cooked through and has started to brown around the edges.

4. When the fish is cooked, add half of it on top of the rice, and set the other half aside.

5. Cook the rice according to the rice cooker's directions.

6. When the rice is done, add the reserved sea bream and let it steam on top of the rice for a few minutes to reheat.

7. Once the fish has been reheated, break it up with a rice paddle or spatula and stir it into the rice.

8. Let the rice cool before packing it into bento.

Directions:

1. Add the flour, sugar, salt, vegetable oil, baking powder, and mashed potatoes to a food processor.

2. Use a spoon to mix the warm water into the baking powder.

3. Switch on the food processor and mix the dough. Remove, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the filling.

4. Cut the cabbage into shreds and massage with salt to draw out the excess water. Squeeze to drain. (No need to rinse the cabbage)

5. Combine the ground meat, chopped leek and cabbage, soy sauce, salt, and pepper, and knead until sticky. Form 30 g meat balls, flatten and wrap each around a quail’s egg.

6. Heat the kabocha in a microwave. Stir in condensed milk to taste. Mix with raisins and form 30 g balls.

7. Divide the dough into eight pieces and shape into patties about 35 g each.

8. Flatten the edges with your hands.

9. Press the filling into the center and gather the dough around to form a dumpling.

10. Cut off the tops and save for the ears of the oyaki bear cubs.

11. Oil a pan and fry both sides of the oyaki. (Make sure to use a large pan as the oyaki will swell!)

12. Once both sides are golden brown, add 100 ml of water and steam for 7-8 minutes.

13. Let cool and decorate to look like bear cubs. Place sliced cheese cut into circles for the nose, and use nori to form the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Directions:

1. Make the marinade by whisking the mayonnaise, soy sauce, brown sugar, and shichimi togarashi together in a bowl.

2. Add the chicken and stir to coat evenly. Let this marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.

3. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken with the skin side down to fry the chicken. Let this fry until the chicken is cooked halfway through and the skin has browned.

4. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking it until it's browned on the other side. Now turn the pieces around as needed until it is cooked through (you can cut one in half to check for doneness).

5. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool completely before packing it into a bento box. You can garnish the chicken with an extra sprinkle of shichimi togarashi if you'd like.

Directions:

For the Shichimi Sausage

1. Cut the shiso into shreds.

2. Place all the ingredients except for the vegetable oil into a large flat food storage bag with a zipper seal. Knead until the mixture is sticky.

3. Flatten the bag.

4. Divide into four long sections by pressing down with a chopstick.

5. Squeeze the middle of each section with your fingers to create smaller sections, and freeze overnight. Once frozen, you can easily break it up into pieces.

6. Place the sausages in a heated pan.

7. Once both sides are brown, add 50 ml of water, cover, and steam to cook through.

For the Cabbage, Ham, and Shimeji Steamed with Butter

Place the ingredients in a heat-resistant dish, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and microwave. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Little Piggy

1. Use an oval-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a slice of ham. Cut in half to form the ears.

2. Use a straw to cut out the nose from the leftover ham.

3. Place the ham parts on the rice and use nori for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth.