As you might know, I absolutely adore the blog My Dad’s Lunch, a playful look at mid-day dining and nutrition.
Everyday I make my husband a bento box to take to work using a combination of leftovers and items made especially for his box. It’s funny about the box. When we were in Senegal, the Japanese country representative (no Japanese Embassy in Senegal) and his wife came over for dinner one night and we started discussing bento boxes. They were both pretty impressed that I knew what a bento box was, and that I made daily bento box lunches for us to take to work.
Proudly, I showed them my bento box collection. Yes, I have lots. But you knew that 🙂 Anyway, they looked at all of my boxes, then exchanging puzzled looks, they explained that all of my bento boxes were for children. Cuteness for adults is obviously frowned upon 😀 Seeing my dismay, they comforted me and promised to bring an “adult” bento box on return from their vacation in Japan and they did. Now my husband only wants his lunch packed in the adult box and spurns the cute little butterfly top he used before. Of course the Hello Kitty bento box that he used to like is completely out of the question 🙂
Today I made some 5 spice rubbed, USDA certified baby back ribs from the commissary for the family’s Sunday lunch and for my husband’s Monday bento box that also included leftover grilled chicken, courgettes, salad, a hard boiled egg and cheese.
This impromptu recipe was so popular that I just managed to save enough ribs for his lunch!
Grilled 5 Spice Rubbed Ribs
1 tbsp 5 spice powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp white pepper
2 slabs of baby back ribs
For glaze
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
Mix the 5 spice powder, coriander, sugar, garlic powder and pepper together, then rub on both sides of the ribs. Preheat the gas grill to 400 F, then turn off the burners on one side, adding the ribs to the cold side, close the top and grill for about an hour.
In the meantime, mix all glaze ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved. After the ribs have grilled for an hour, baste the ribs with the glaze, turning and grilling for about 30 minutes.
I love those little bento boxes!
Me too, Arthur 🙂
I also make my husbands lunch every day, well every night actually, (like you) when I cook dinner I have in mind what will go in his lunch box for tomorrow, i keep meaning to find the bento boxes, It is either stainless steel of glass until then, as he works in construction what he finds IN the lunch box is much more important. Taking lunch to work saves piles of money too, maybe with the money I save I can by a bento box or two.. have a glorious day.. c
I like to pack my husband’s lunch because I like to think of him opening it every afternoon like unwrapping a present. I agree, what’s in the lunch box is the most important thing, but the bento box packed lunch impresses his colleagues 😀
I remember one lunch I made for my then new husband (long ago, LOL) and having the same thought—thinking of him opening the gift of lunch I made for him.
It wasn’t a bento, but a sandwich of some kind. I put a “love note” between the lettuce leaves.
He didn’t say anything about the lunch when he got home, so I had to ask if he’d enjoyed it.
“Yes!” he said, “It was great.”
Well, we had a good laugh that he didn’t notice the paper inside.
I guess it’s true: It’s the thought that counts (even though he didn’t read the love note.
I’m so craving ribs like yours. They look so good I can almost smell them!
Thank you Tess. Great story! My husband would have probably eaten the note too 🙂
You pack a fabulous bento box. Great ribs too 😉
Thank you Dog.
I love the combination of spices that you have on those ribs! Nicely packed bento box!
Thank you Tessa. My Asian type spices and condiments are all in the front of the cabinet 🙂
Wonderful ribs 🙂 he’s a lucky man.
Cheers
Marcus
Thank you Marcus.
And I thought my husband is lucky! That looks very special indeed. X
Thank you Deena.
I too have fallen in love with ‘My dad’s lunch’ which I found through you. I think it is so lovely that the guy’s dad sends him a picture of his lunch every day, and I love the dad’s sense of humor and creativity. I very much look forward to the posts.
I would so like to meet him! He must be a riot.
I thought a bento box was a bento box–no difference between a child’s or an adult’s. Anyway, I am so lucky that my husband will eat leftovers. I have always admired bento boxes. Maybe it’s time that I should be purchasing a few. But no microwaving, right???
Hi Arlene. I guess the Japanese do make a difference between child and adult boxes. In the U.S., bento boxes, because of their cuteness have become somewhat of a fad and it doesn’t really matter whether they are for children or whatever. Not to me anyway 🙂
As far as microwaving is concerned, it depends on the box. When you buy one, there will be instructions about box care. Visit this site http://justbento.com/ for links to places you can buy the boxes.
Also Arlene, we usually leave the boxes out in the morning until lunch and eat the contents at room temperature a la Japanese.
Thank you so much, cookinginsens! I love the look of those boxes. Part of the reason why I enjoy eating at Japanese restaurants. Bento boxes are in perfect portions for my husband’s lunch. I’m going to look into this. Thanks, again!
Wonderful! My name is Rosemary.
Pleasure to meet you, Rosemary! Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
That looks lovely ! I would
Love to be able to make my hubby lunch everyday! Keep up the great work 🙂
Thank you Crystal.
Ooooh, I want these for lunch too –yum! 🙂
Thank you Anne. When I was working, even though I packed the box myself, I always looked forward to the cuteness of my lunch.
Lucky husband… Also,cool box!
Thank you Frugal.
Gorgeous recipe and I wish you were making lunch for me!
Thank you Chica. I’d be happy to make lunch for you 🙂
un bento trés appetissant !
Merci Josephine.
The ribs are mouthwatering! The bento boxes are so cute!
Thank you Ada.
Where did you get that awesome bento box?
Hi Brenda. It was a gift from friends from Japan.
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Wow. Those ribs look delicious. I don’t have a bento box, but the lunch thing is always a funny point of contention. My husband loves to take my leftovers to work, but sometimes, I kind of want to keep them so I don’t have to cook every single night after work. So I usually pack up a container (not nearly as cool as the bento box) one out of 3 times to make my life easier. You’re husband’s got it good!
Thank you Amanda. I can understand not wanting to come home from work and get into the kitchen. Cook in large quantities 🙂
I should look into bento boxes for here as well. They seem so practical. I’d go for the fun designs as well. Can’t be serious all the time! 🙂
I’m never serious all the time 🙂
Too hard to keep that up!
Your husband is a very lucky guy! Love your sweet little bento box. I bet everyday it is a new surprise at work.
Thank you Bam. He enjoys the surprise and the cuteness. It’s too bad most of my bento accessories are in France. I’m going to try to bring some to Germany so that he can have heart shaped eggs and cute little sauce bottles again.
OMG! You have the luckiest husband on earth. I’m not showing this to mine. He will make demands. AHH! You’ve upped the stakes. 😉 Thank you. I’d eat that. 😀
Thank you Janet. Show it to him and ask him to make one for you 🙂
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Hello Kitty bento box for your husband! Too funny! I do my husband’s lunches, too…not in bento boxes but I get very creativewith left-overs…I can make a sandwich with breads, rolls and buns from almost any meal.
My husband carries my purse sometimes. He is completely secure in his masculinity and thinks Hello Kitty hilarious 🙂
Mine carries mine, too! Aren’t we smart to have picked such secure men? A friend just mentioned that our oldest son takes after his father…she saw him carrying his little girl’s purple sequined purse across a parking lot.She said,”Now there is a Daddy, and a secure man!”
Yes we are!
I love Bento boxes – beautiful to look at and very practical. Such a wonderful way to take your lunch to work.
I think the care taken in packing the boxes and making them attractive makes everything taste better 🙂
You have a lucky husband!
He thinks so 🙂