Food Question!!!

[snidegrrl]

OK, so I have been observing the fantastic bentolunch community lately. And then today tzel sent me this bento link. It is easy to chop up some things, or grab a few pita chips or carrots, or what have you to put in a bento box. But what I don't get is

Comments

[angela_la_la]

If you rinse the noodles in cold water and then put the sauce on them, it stops the cooking and removes the starch which makes them gummy.

With rice, as another commenter said, covering it tightly is the key. However, if your rice dries out, don't despair, that makes the best fried rice (which contrary to its name does not need much oil).

I keep a whiteboard in my kitchen and list allllll the food I have in the house. All of it. It's the only way to stop myself from going shopping, when I can look at the board and say, "hey, dummy, you have tomato soup, beans, and tortillas, make dinner out of that."

[angela_la_la]

I should specify that my sauces tend to be oil-based (like sesame noodles), so they don't get soggy. I wouldn't sauce ahead of time with tomato sauce or something else water-based.

[snidegrrl]

The bento boxes I was attracted to looked like they had something like pad thai in them, which I do like, and would enjoy having in my lunch even cold. But I'd need to be sure it wasn't going to be disgustimacating by day 3.

[snidegrrl]

I am pleased to know that we both came to the same plans seperately. I don't have a whiteboard but close enough. :)

Do you think whole wheat pasta will be any different?

What about the type of noodles you'd use for say, pad thai, versus spaghetti?

[peregrin8]

Whole wheat pasta is more resilient (though the texture does vary a LOT from brand to brand). Pad thai noodles are softer so I think they keep less well (but still should be fine for a couple days if they are not swimming in sauce).

And now I am hungry. :-)

[angela_la_la]

I only buy whole wheat noodles nowadays.

PRO: they get a lot less soggy in soup! I have been enjoying the many quarts of homemade chicken noodle I made last week, and the wheat noodles don't get slimy upon reheating.

CON: they are a lot starchier, so rinsing is even more important. I shock-rinse them in cold water and then warm them again in the sauce I am using. And they are a lot less tasty cooked al dente, IMO. I really cook them all the way through.