Dining with the Chef (2012) : 4x21

Our theme this week is “hand-shaping.” We’ll be making bento meals: a small box packed full of the many different sides. We’ll show you a variety of quick sides that you can make even on a busy morning: the Japanese simmered standard chikuzen-ni, the indispensable egg omelet, and pork with a deliciously gingery sauce. And of course, we’ll be making hand-shaped salted rice onigiri rolls, a bento staple and this week’s theme. We’ll also learn about the fundamentals of Japanese cooking through Chef Saito’s specialty bento lunch, with five colors for plenty of nutrients. Finally, Chef Saito will show us the history of how bento meals have long been closely connected with seasonal events and traditional culture year-round in Japan.