Day 18 A Trace of late night happy hour bento

Weight: 170.5 lbs (-2.3 lbs)

Visited the Buddhism temple in Bangkok in March 2011.  Monks there are supposed to be strict vegetarians.  However, in a pile of food donation, there were instant noodles with "shrimp" flavor.  Respectfully thought, "Maybe, only flavors are OK."  

In NYC, left overs from late night happy hour may consist of a piece of brioche from "Lobster" BLT and a spoonful of extra spicy horse radish from "shrimp" cocktail.  After consuming a few glasses of Pinot grigeo, these leftovers were transformed to biscuits which is reminiscent of happy hour at Palm restaurant.   

Jasmine rice cooked with soy sauce, sake, and left over juice from "pork chop".  Topped with fried onion, ginger, green onion, and lime. 

 

Soy beans cooked with green apple and sake (infused with ginger, thyme, and red pepper).  Topped with red ginger.

Don't wash the pan used for soy beans - sweetness of apple and sake still lingered in the pan.  Add veggie soup stock and sea salt.  A little bit of onion oil.  Topped with chopped green onion.  

Day 17 Strong flavor but aesthetically conpromized bento

Day 17

Weight: 171.5 lbs (-1.3 lbs)

The subject matter contacted our customer service department with his requests:

• Everything should be cut in a bite-size as he is dentally challenged.  Do not include hard-to-bite items, such as pumpkin seeds.
• MSG flavor desired.  (Strong flavor, he meant.)     

Although the project cannot accommodate the request which is against the principles, the project tailors the therapy accordingly to each case.  N.P. cutting veggies in bite-sizes.  Instead of MSG, why not “onion”?

“Fried onion” and “onion oil.”

Ingredients:

½ onion with skin, sun-dried for several hours.

1-2 cup vegetable oil, depending on a size of pot.

Whole wheat flour, a little bit.

Sea salt.

1. Separate skin from onion.  Cut onion into slices.  Tear skin into pieces by hands.  Pour a little bit of whole wheat flour and sea salt.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a pot.  Throw (1) into the pot and cook in medium/low heat for 5-7 minutes until it gets lightly browned.
3. Remove onion from the pot.  Drain excess oil on paper towel. 
4. Cool the onion oil and skin in a pot.  Store the oil with fried onion skin in a tightly sealed container.   

Aroma of onion is transferred to the oil.  Now let’s start cooking rest of the boxes with the onion oil.

Fried onion, cabbage with onion oil, galzed ginger roots, and pickled ginger.

Coconut sauce: Coconut milk, pear, paprika powder, pressed barley,

Gobo, paprika, and onion cooked in onion oil.

Whole wheat pasta with a flavor of onion oil

Day 16 Press Release. The Interium Review

Day 16 Weight: 173.5 lbs (+0.7 lbs)

Press release. New York, U.S.A. Project Maki NYC announced an interim review of the project's result on one of the major initiatives, the "Detox." therapy prescribed to 43-year old male. Maki, a founder of the project commented, "In this therapy, the most effective method is to simply put "good" veggies in the subject's mouth to have him understand the real things in the world. No logical argumentation necessary." she says with her Tokyo accents,

"Sign out of Facebook. Turn-off Blackberry. Stop producing "garbages." Just EAT it."

The subject matter's weight has fluctuated since the the therapy started on January 1, 2012. The weight increased by 0.7 lbs or 0.4%. The increase is primarily due to excessive consumption of alcohol, junk foods, and meats in the evening. Maki acknowledged a slight change in the overall strategy. "The project's principles still remain the same. However, the project is experimenting the use of various spices to give strong flavor to each box. It will take some time for the subject matter to stop craving for artificially flavored junk foods."

Project Maki NYC is a provider of vegetarian bento boxes and consulting services to the Greater New York community. Founded in Hell's kitchen, New York in 2012.

1 16 2012

Sandwich with celery, apple, and mustard seeds. Nicely teased in the oven so they give up their water content

Veggie puree infused with red ginger and heineken beer for bitterness and sourness

Miso walnut, and hummus wrapped in cabbage. Steam cooked to soften their strong will Pressed barely and apple cooked with cinnamon.

Raw cabbage and walnut marinated with grounded sesame seed, miso. Jasmine rice.

Day 15 Sunday brunch - Thai-style congee

Day 15

Weight: 171.6 lbs (-1.2 lbs) Two large bottles of Asahi beer last night.

One of the Project's favorite brunch menu is Thai-style congee (rice soup). A huge success of making one this morning.  This is perfect for cold morning, recovery from hang-over, etc.  Absolutely no MSG.  Loaded with lots of flavors.  Eat with garlic oil, fish sauce... whatever you wish.  

Ingredients:

1 cup Thai Jasmine rice

Vegetable stock "left-over" special (made of miscellaneous aging veggies in the fridge)

Vegetable stock "macrobiotic" special  (made of seaweed and dried shitake mushroom)

1 dried shitake mushroom

1 piece of ginger chopped

Cilantro 

 Sea salt

Garlic skin and 1 clove of garlic, chopped

Peanut oil

Procedure:

Rinse Jasmine rice in a pot.  Pour mixed vegetable stock (up to 5 inches above the rice) and add a dried shitake mushroom and let it sit until rice and mushroom soak the soup for 20 minutes (?).  

Take out soaked mushroom.  Start cooking rice in high heat.  Once it boils, reduce to low heat.  When rice are softened, blend it in the blender for smooth texture.  Add sliced soaked mushroom and salt. Cook again in a pot in low heat for a while. Prior to serving, add chopped ginger and cilantro.

In a small pan, stir-fly garlic skin and chopped garlic.  This is to transfer garlic aroma to the oil.  Serve this with congee.       

Day 14 Detox special - Celery fried rice

Weight: 170.5 lbs (-2.3 lbs)

Heard that Celery is good for detoxification. It may help lose the subject matter's water weight.

Ingredients:
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 clove of garlic, sliced
2 Thai red chili peppers, chopped
Cooked Jasmine rice - cooled down

2 tbsp  ginger infused olive oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sake or white wine
Black and white pepper, Sea salt

Heat ginger infused olive oil in a pan.  Cook garlic in medium heat, then add celery and red chili peppers in high heat.  Add Jasmine rice, and pour sake and fish sauce.  Add black and white pepper as you wish.

A side of diced avocado with balsamic vinaigrette compliments the fried rice well.  Enjoy!

Day 12 & 13 Re-xxx bento

2 12 2012

2 13 2012

Weight: 171.2 lbs (-1.6 lbs), 172.2 lbs (-0.6 lbs)

One of the project's principle is not to waste veggies.  Towards the end of the fridge is loaded with left-over meals.  Curry Friday is the best way to clean up lovely left-over.  Here are some example of transformations.

Re-cycle = Re-invent = Re-create = Re-vitalize = Rejuvenate = Re-born

Pink rice.. which got dried up and stack to inside of the pot > Ginger & onion risotto > Re-born as Celery curry:

 

Chick pea pancake... dough sat int the freezer > Chick pea pasta sauce:

Bean sprouts & mustard seeds salad kinpira gobo > veggie pancake flavored with various spices for different persona:

Fern and shitake mushroom > Spiced up to be curried veggie condiments

Day 11 Halloween in January Bento

Day 11

Weight: 171.2 lbs (-1.6 lbs)

Received a complaint from the subject matter that there was no flavor to the "kinpira gobo and bean sprouts and mustard seeds salad" served yesterday.  The box was returned after him taking only one bite to it.  OK, fine.  Let's recycle.

Today's recycle-special: Mixed the left-over with drained tofu, chopped fern roots, shitake mushroom, nira chives with katakuri starch powder and Thai chili pepper.  Baked in the oven for xxx minutes.  I think nira chives gave a kick to this dish.

Simultaneously, cook asparagus and garlic cloves in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt in the oven.

The bed of Madagascar pink rice mixed with a de-frosted Japanese brown rice to build a foundation, which was accompanied by...

Condiments: Chopped fern roots and shitake mushroom (again?) simmered with turmeric, curry powder, soy sauce and sake.

Then, sprinkle thin pieces of nori seaweed and sesame seeds.

Why did it end up looking like Halloween in January?