bento zen was created by a former manhattan attorney. while at the law firm, gamene found the work environment to be chaotic and often stressful… by taking the time to prepare healthy, colorful, and artistic lunch boxes, she guaranteed herself at least one moment of harmony during her busy work day.
gamene now works at a bustling new york auction house. she travels more frequently for work, visiting clients’ art collections across the country, and her schedule doesn’t allow her to make bento boxes as regularly… but she still focuses on “lean, clean and green” eating, and savors the days when she gets to prepare and eat a bento lunch!
to get in touch, shoot gamene an email at bentozen@gmail.com.
I have scrolled through page after page of your posts and just had to tell you what a delightful time I had. Your artistic ability is so much fun! I am so happy to have stumble onto your place here.
Kindly, ldh
i was so surprised to see you live in NYC! you eat like a local girl, i mean a Hawaii girl!!
aloha, and keep up the great work. love those edamame nosed walruses!
thanks glee! i take your comment about eating like a local girl as a compliment
I went back to the very beginning and I’m in awe of your adorable food. I have no idea what half of it is, though! LOL, I live in a very meat-and-three town, and not much else.
What kind of beats do you use? Are they pickled, or just regular canned? And how to you quick-pickle something?
Sorry… I love food talk and I can nanner on for hours.
hey brandy, sorry for the much-delayed response. i use any kind of fresh beets from the supermarket, some are a little sweeter, but to me the main difference is in the color (i love finding striated or golden ones). quick pickling is easy: i do a mixture of vinegar, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil with whatever spices i want (peppercorns are standard, you could also add garlic or hot pepper flakes or dill, but if you’re using fresh then wait to add it until after you remove the mixture from the flame), then dump whatever veggie i’m pickling in, and store it all in a sealed container in the fridge overnight. run a search on justbento.com, maki has some great recipes and ideas over there!
i’ve been waiting for a new post in a long time. finally decided to check your about page to find that you are a lawyer…so I must be patient because lawyers are busy bees! You are right though, for those who loves to cook, making a good meal definitely gives you a breather in life. Just like the movie Julie and Juia. =)
love this blog! I adore bento but don’t make them for myself. I love to eat 7-11 and hoka hoka bentos when I’m on my trips in Japan!!! I’m impressed with your dedication to eating well despite a full time stressful job. well done!
[...] inspiration, I checked out some of the many websites devoted to this art. One of my favorites is Bento Zen by “gamene,” a Manhattan lawyer who takes the time to create a daily moment of harmony [...]
I love, love, love your blog. So original and creative! I’ve subscribed and look forward to your posts to brighten my days.
thanks eileen, that is such a sweet thing to say!
wuah.. I just found your blog and fall in love with it
Your bento is wonderful, thank you so much for sharing
I’m gonna stalk this blog daily *nods*
thanks so much ash! i hope you enjoy
I finally got the time to browse through your previous bento creations.. and I found you have improved tremendously over such a short period. wow…
especially the photo shooting skills.. it really make a difference. Can I ask what camera are u currently using? is it a different camera when you first started making bento?
I was thinking of getting better camera, what would you suggest?
Love your blog!! I found it through another link. I’m so happy I came by!!
This is so fun. I love how beautiful and quirky your lunches are-seriously, I’m not sure I’d want to eat them, they’re so pretty! Although, if I did eat them, I’m sure they’d brighten up my day. How long do you usually spend making these? I know what goes into them are fairly simple, but you make them so artistic that it looks kind of time consuming.
Anyways, you’ve got a beautiful little blog here. Thanks!
beautiful blog – awesome pictures – your food looks fantastic!
great ideas(you are VERY talented) for your bentos; they look SO appetizing and I am ALMOST inspired to try making some…
(I love quinoa and am interested to see you use it instead of rice; so healthy!
Hi…I “accidentally” visit your blog from other link and so much enjoy your creations …..also I envy your great bento photographs…hahaha…Love to follow your blog
Love your blog and the gorgeous images of your beautiful food! I wish my lunch box looked like this everyday too
Hi gamene. Just wanted to drop you a note to say you have such a beautiful blog! Love your bentos
Hi Gamene, I really like your blog and nominate you for Illuminating Blogger award, please check here for the details http://rabbitcancook.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/illuminating-blogger-award
Cheers
You have been awarded the Liebster Award by the Taste-Buds. Check it out here: http://thetastebudz.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2252&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2