The Bento Box Reimagined: Celebrating The Familiar, While Introducing Novelty

Last semester I took a course titled Advanced Foods as part of my graduate studies coursework at New York University. Here is my final project that I put together for the class.

The inspiration for this meal is to utilize plant techniques to emulate the flavors and appearance of a traditional sushi bento box, but without the fish.  The concept is meant to nourish, stimulate conversation and to showcase plants as a form of artistic expression.

A major emphasis will be placed on highlighting whole food, plant-centric, accessible ingredients including tomatoes, eggplant, scallions, edamame, sea vegetables, sesame seeds, carrots and green tea.  Plant-based cuisine can be an effective vehicle to be inclusive of individual food choices, since most diners would not have an issue in consuming this set of ingredients due to ethical or religious beliefs.

The resulting bento box will have four whimsical and colorful components — all with a novel touch meant to evoke curiosity.  There is an underlying ode to be more sustainable in our food decisions, but the real goal is to see plants as an outstanding counterpart that can create a satisfying and memorable meal.  Plants can make an extraordinarily effective art medium.

Advanced techinques to impart flavor will include utilizing smoke, agar gelling, charging tea with nitrogen oxide cartridges to bring out sweetness, fire roasting, and butane torching for caramelization.  All in all, the goal is to present a traditional meal prototype— but recalculated with a different genre of ingredients. A bento box that introduces novelty, while celebrating the familiar.

Menu

Tomato ‘Tuna’ Nigiri with Chili Threads

Eggplant ‘Eel’ with Scallions

Smoked Edamame with Toasted Black Sesame Salt

Japanese Seven Spice Rainbow Carrot Kinpira

Iced Nitro Matcha Shot

Tomato ‘Tuna’ Nigiri

Serves 4 (4 pieces/serving)

For tomato ‘tuna’:

4 plum tomatoes

1/4 cup tamari

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 nori sheets

  1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  Prepare ice bath.

  2. Score tomatoes and boil for 15 seconds or until skin can be easily peeled. Cool in ice bath.

  3. Peel tomatoes and quarter lengthwise.  

  4. Use a paring knife to filet tomatoes.  Remove seeds.

  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together tamari, agave nectar, canola oil, and rice vinegar.

  6. Toast nori sheets briefly over flame and crumble into marinade.

  7. Add in tomato pieces and marinate for 1 hour or refrigerated overnight.

For sushi rice:

1 cup sushi rice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon agave nectar

  1. Add sushi rice into a small pot. Rinse under cold running water until it is no longer cloudy.

  2. Cover rice with fresh cold water, covering the top of the rice by an additional 1/2 inch.

  3. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.

  4. Fluff rice with a fork and season with rice vinegar, sea salt and agave nectar. 

  5. Keep rice warm until ready to serve.

To serve:

  1. Dampen hands lightly with water. Scoop a small handful of rice and form into a oval shape.

  2. Flatten top lightly and top with marinated tomato piece.

  3. Repeat process with remaining rice, marinated tomatoes and umeboshi pearls.

Eggplant ‘Unagi’ with Scallions

Serves 4

2 nori sheets
1 pound Japanese eggplant

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons tamari

1 tablespoon mirin

1 teaspoon agave nectar

2 smashed garlic cloves

4 scallions

2 tablespoons furikake

  1. Toast nori sheets briefly over flame.

  2. Peel eggplant and cut into 6-inch pieces.

  3. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender.

  4. Make a slit lengthwise into each steamed eggplant piece to open them up into an ‘eel’ shape and pierce repeatedly with a fork.  Cool completely.

  5. Heat oil in wide nonstick pan and sear eggplant on each side until golden.

  6. Combine tamari, mirin, 1/4 cup soaked kombu water, agave nectar, and garlic cloves in a bowl.  Crumble in nori sheets.

  7. Pour mixture over eggplant and cook on low until sauce becomes sticky.

  8. Top with sliced scallions and furikake before serving.

Smoked Edamame

Serves 4

1 (14 ounce) package frozen edamame

2 tablespoons indoor wood chips

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sea salt

  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

  2. Add in frozen edamame and boil for 3 minutes.

  3. Add wood chips into a foil packet and place on the bottom of a pot.

  4. Arrange boiled edamame in a steamer basket over the foil packet and cover pot with foil.

  5. Cook for 6 minutes over a medium flame.

  6. Toast black sesame seeds in a pan for 1 minute.

  7. Crush seeds using a suribachi, or mortar and pestle. Fold in sea salt.

  8. Top smoked edamame with toasted black sesame salt before serving.

Japanese Seven Spice Rainbow Carrot Kinpira

Serves 4

1 bunch rainbow carrots

1 medium yellow onion

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

  1. Peel and cut carrots into matchsticks.

  2. Peel and thinly slice onion.

  3. Warm toasted sesame oil in a wok for 30 seconds or until wisps of smoke appear.

  4. Add in sliced onion and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

  5. Fold in carrots and cook for additional minute.

  6. Season mixture with agave nectar, rice vinegar and shichimi togarashi.

  7. Top with sesame seeds before serving.

Olivia Roszkowski