Tianci Hu Marrero

Eggy & Bison Bento Boxes

(If after seeing this, you want to hire me as a cook, please remember I would much rather do programming LOL.)

During 2022, I was stuck at home waiting for my work permit & social security. I started making elaborate bento boxes for my husband, Bison.

First, I just made Chinese dishes that I am familiar with, like these:

Egg & tomato (my childhood fave) and shrimp with corn

Chicken & century-egg congee, tiger-skin egg, pumpkin fried in preserved duck egg yoke

Fried rice and sesame balls

Sweet and sour ribs, and sticky rice cake and yam balls

Egg & Mushroom, Stir-fried Cauliflower, and Three-Cup Chicken

Sichuan-style pig liver, scallion-fried Tofu, and spicy cabbage

In the midst of the Chinese bento streak, Bison started complaining that the bento was plastic and he is ingesting microplastics. Lol.

So I bought metal bento boxes. They are more aesthetic, but the portions are smaller.

Entering Chinese Bento 2.0.1

Fried sticky rice medallions and Fish-fragrant (yuxiang) porky pork

Yunan Heisanduo (Three Chopped Ingredients) and cold buckwheat noodle

Bison meatball, Chaozhou style (beating it until it is bouncy)

Zucchini and Eggplant sandwich with beef stuffing

And finally, DUMPLINGS

And Hubei-style Pearl Meatballs

Bison is a big fan of Chinese food but he cannot ONLY EAT Chinese food like I do (such a Laowai). Once in a while he will sigh and say: ‘ I really miss Puerto_Rican_Food. ’

So I said - ‘ Don't complain if it's not authentic! ’

And I went on Youtube and watched most videos of Puerto Rican ladies cooking in dimly-lit concrete houses

My first attempt: Arepas and bifstek (my Chinese supermarket has a great selection Latin ingredients, it turns out)

Pernil, Spanish rice, and beans (not much to look at but took so long)

Accapurrias - did I spell it right? Another Herculean effort with ground-up plantains and yucca

And finally: MOFONGO (Bison might have fallen in love w me again, but I only made Mofongo once)

To Be CONTINUED.....