When I was in high school, I never dated anyone. This was probably good for others, to spare them from my own particular brand of adolescent crazy, and good for me, to avoid the struggle and drama that seems to accompany everyone who dates at that age. However, I was not spared from internal struggle that accompanied each crush I had- what should I do? How should I act? If he did this, then does that mean I should do that? What does he mean by writing “k?” What does one letter even MEAN?!
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War is amazing because it perfectly illustrates these internal struggles I think we’re all familiar with. The push and pull of a budding relationship, and how to act, and what to think, and how your actions look to the object of your affection. Kaguya and Shirogane are locked into this epic love battle, determined not to “lose” by just coming straight out and saying what they’re thinking. A silly notion, but heaps of fun to watch nonetheless.
One particular “battle” occurs over Shirogane’s bento box. She laughs at another couple sharing a lunch, but the moment she realizes Shirogane brought his own lunch, she is eager to try. However, put off by her previous observation, Shirogane naturally doesn’t offer, because he assumes she won’t like it. So instead he shares with the student council secretary, much to Kaguya’s dismay. What ensues is a hilarious battle of wills, resulting in a defeated Kaguya. Only through luck does she get to sample Shirogane’s rare bento lunch!
Luckily for us, we can easily make it. The bento features hamburger steak, octopus sausages, tamagoyaki, natto (I think it was natto), and cold rice, to be eaten with miso soup to get the fantastic effect of having the rice fall apart and melt in your mouth. It’s straightforward, without any frills, but it’s exceptionally tasty! Follow the recipe below to learn how to make your hamburger steak extra moist, and to see how to put it all together!
Watch the video below to see the full process.
Ingredients for Shirogane’s Bento
For Hamburger Steak
-1/2 lb ground beef
-1/2 yellow onion, diced finely and caramelized
-1/3 cup panko
-1 egg
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-1 tsp garlic powder
-salt and pepper
For Tamagoyaki
-2 eggs
-1/2 tsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp dashi
-neutral oil
Other Bits
-Natto
-Sugar Snap Peas
-Broccoli floret
-Carrot shaped like a flower
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Cocktail Weiners
-Black sesame seeds
-Tamago furikake
-Cold Rice
-Miso Soup
-Curly lettuce for the base of bento
-Umeboshi, for the center of the rice
To Make the Bento
1. Prep the hamburger steaks. Mix all the ingredients together with a hand or a spoon, and shape into about 7 small patties, tossing each piece of meat back and forth between your hands briskly to knock any air out of the mixture. Set aside in fridge about 30 minutes to chill.
2. Prep the tamagoyaki. Mix the eggs, dashi, and soy sauce together, taking care to break up egg white strands. Prepare the tamagoyaki pan by heating on low and oiling well. Pour in a third of the mixture, and spread around the pan. When the top of the egg pancake has begun to gel, start to roll the omelet up, toward the handle. Scoot back against the far edge, oil the pan again, and repeat with half the remaining egg, making sure to spread it under the omelet roll. Continue until all egg is used up and you have a perfect tamagoyaki. Set aside.
3. Take out cocktail weiners and split the ends into eight pieces using a sharp knife. Using the tamagoyaki pan, pour in a little oil, bring to medium heat, and fry the octopus weiners by sticking the tentacles in the oil and splaying them out. They will curl up when exposed to the hot oil and pan, and when you are happy with their curled tentacles, pull out of the pan and set aside to drain.
4. Remove patties from the fridge. Over medium-low heat, fry each patty, about 3-4 minutes per side, until browned and tasty. Set aside.
5. At this point, all you need to do is assemble! Place each dish into the bento in its respective spot, and use the black sesame seeds for eyes. Place finishing touches on, like the tamago furikake, and serve! Eat the rice with the miso soup and experience the lovely melting sensation as each grain falls apart in your mouth. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this post! Check in next week for another recipe, and to check out more anime food recipes, visit my blog. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! I recently got a Twitter, so you can follow me at @yumpenguinsnack if you would like, and DEFINITELY feel free to send me food requests! My Tumblr is yumpenguinsnacks.tumblr.com. Find me on Youtube for more video tutorials! Enjoy the food, and if you decide to recreate this dish, show me pics! 😀