The Just Bento Cookbook 2: Make-Ahead, Easy, Healthy Lunches To Go

The Just Bento Cookbook 2 is wonderful! It retains the same easy-to-follow format of the first book, while adding more highlighted hints and tips sections, and more pictorial how-to instructions, which are all excellent upgrades, in my opinion. I have used the first Just Bento Cookbook regularly for years, and this one retains all of the things I love about the original, while making smart adjustments that keep modern lifestyles in mind, such as the “express” section for those days you need a faster option. The photos are beautiful, the recipes are very easy to follow, and there are ample descriptions and definitions of any ingredients or methods you may be unfamiliar with or intimidated by, making bento not only totally accessible for just about anyone, but thoroughly enjoyable as well. I highly recommend both Just Bento and Just Bento 2!

I pre-ordered this book as soon as it was announced, waited for what seemed a long time, and am not at all disappointed. This time the focus is on ease and efficiency of preparation, which gives more options in the long run. This lady is the leading English-speaking expert on bento and her insights on obtaining and preparing all sorts of Japanese and non-Japanese ingredients is very useful. I could easily go for a year on the information and recipes in both books and not repeat much unless it is a real hot favorite. But I think that as with the first book I will go on using many of my favorite meals and combinations, and feel healthier because these are so well thought out. Thank you Makiko for your creativity, your tasty recipes, and most of all for your perseverance. VERY much worth the wait!

Maki is the one who heralded the bento revolution, with her website and her book. Followed her for years. This second book offers variations on the first and also with new recipes. The photographs are just fine. As a result of her influence, I have several different kinds of bento boxes, even a favorite ordered from Japan. Have taken bentos to a very large annual quilt show in Santa Clara, CA, and watched tablemates be interested in my bento lunches. Gave bento boxes as gifts. Maki aims for non-Japanese (like me) to learn about and actually make and enjoy the recipes. The presentations are beautiful. To have another book by her is a joy. Thank you, Makiko Itoh, a real chef and inspiration known worldwide.

I was a big fan of the first Just Bento Cookbook and eagerly preordered this book as soon as it was made available. If you have the first book, you might be a bit disappointed - it felt like many of the recipes were repeated. There are more variations of the basic recipes but it felt like the number of actual recipes got cut down. However, it is still a good supplement to the first book as it does have very useful "time crunch" recipes like microwave chicken, which are always useful. I can see the amount of thought poured into this book as it was reformatted for better flow and divided between the "make ahead" bentos and the "day of" recipes, which is always useful. My biggest issue (and the reason why I had to knock off a star) were the pictures. I think the author mentioned that she took the photos herself this time, which wasn't a problem. However, I don't know if it was her camera or the image got blown up or what happened but the photos in the book came out grainy/out of focus/overly sharpened. It was extremely frustrating because it made the food look a lot less appetizing and made the book overall look unprofessional. A large part of the first book's appeal were the photos of the bentos and it just bothered me to no end seeing photos that looked like they were taken with a phone and then uploaded onto Facebook, especially because so much care was put into the lighting/arrangement. Additionally, there were a lot less photos despite more recipes, which was disappointing. It was a lot less fun pursuing through the book and choosing something I actually wanted to make because of it. I really hope that if they reprint the book, they can figure out how to fix the picture quality because it is dragging down an otherwise lovely cookbook.

I started making Bento a few months ago and this cookbook as well as the Just Bento is great! The recipes are simple and the discussion about Bento is clear and makes the process much easier. I've tried many of the recipes and despite the simplicity and quickness they are surprisingly good. I'd recommend to anyone starting or trying to broaden their Bento efforts.

great book, lots of awesome recipes with many photos and clear explanations

I bought this book (as opposed to the one before it) because it has a focus on bentos that are easy to make and features ingredients that are easier to find. They are also delicious!

Having bought the original Just Bento cookbook, getting this one was a easy decision. They still have the great beginners guide with even more recipes to choose from which is great. Excellent for portion control, and great ideas when you want to try something new. I highly recommend this as well as the original.

Honestly, the author is amazing. I recomend reading her blog. She has lived around the world and has great perspective in substitutes as well as tends to use easy to find items. As well as I find her personable as well as understanding of the relationship we have with food (that it can effect our mood and comfort foods live up to theor name). I got her first cook book when I was gluten free but I continue to use it. I bought the new cookbook after lending the first one out and am just as thrilled. 8 years and I got a ton of milage out of the first edition and helps me mix up my lunches when I get borded.

I have the first Just Bento cookbook and follow Makiko's blog, so I was excited to hear of the second book's release! My copy arrived today and it has a lot of new recipes in, including a section on low carb bentos and speedier bentos if you don't have much time, two sections I'll be trying recipes from. My only complaint is that there aren't enough photos but there are a lot of recipes to give you some bento inspiration. If you're brand new to bento making I recommend getting the first book as it covers the basics such as preparing rice, food safety and how to make more elements of a bento. Still, I love the book so far and can't wait to start making bentos again!

since reading this book I revolutionized my way of assembling bentos

If you have the first part of this - buy the second. If you don't, buy it anyway! ;) I'm serious, these are great. Makis bento books work well together or separately. Both of them have the basics (Information about bento and how to cook rice, as well as one or two other recipes), but all of the other recipes are different and you will not be bored by the second part if you read the first. If you only get the second part, you can also use it on its own, no problem. I loved the first part of this and all the recipes I made worked very well (and I made lots!). So when this one came out, I had to get it as soon as possible. I was looking forward to it very very much, and it did not disappoint. I believe Makis books are easily some of the (or even the) very best bento cookbooks for beginners and intermediate levels. She explains everything in detail, has photo panels for the more difficult steps and her recipes are very varied, suiting different tastes and dietary requirements. You will find many japanese recipes, but also some interesting international options. They are never too complicated and many of them do not take very long.The most useful thing for me in Makis books are the suggestions for bento stashes: Items that you can prepare in advance and then keep in the fridge or freezer ready to pack in your bento, or store-bought or prepared ingredients that you can keep on hand to speed up your bento preparation. In this book, there are two kinds of recipes: Make ahead-recipes, which you can make the night (or even some days) in advance and express recipes, which come together in just a few minutes. You will find suggestions for complete bentos as well as many recipes for side dishes. I like that she groups the side dishes by ingredient, which allows me to check my fridge, find a vegetable and then thumb through the relevant recipe pages to select what I want to make with it. Here's a quick overview of things you will find in the book: - Make-ahed complete bentos - Make-ahead side dishes - Express bentos - Information on japanese ingredients - Basic tips on how to choose a bento box and what kinds of equipment you might want - How to prevent your bento from spoiling if you cannot refrigerate it during the day - How to prepare and maintain a stash of bento ingredients

Great and simple recipes that don't require a lot of time. Definitely a staple in my bento making routine!