F-Train Charaben

Yesterday's journey home concluded with a grueling wait for the Brooklyn-bound F-Train - so of course there were the regular annoyances that go along with that: dealing with the sweltering heat inside the 42nd St Station, the confusion of the E running on the F, the over-friendly strangers, the smell of the melting Japanese groceries inside my bag...All these little moments have me wishing I lived with a more efficient public transportation system. (How I miss thee, JR!)

To honor the eve, this morning I woke up bright and early to make this: the F-Train onigiri charaben!

The ingredients:
1. Subway train: white rice with black sesame and sea salt
2. Train details: nori
3. Train windows: white cheddar cheese
4. F-Train logo: carrot and nori
5. Lights: tomato
6. Yellow line/divider: yellow pepper

First, I created a decorative bed in the bento box using some freshly washed kale. Then I pressed together the onigiri by hand - the roasted black sesame and sea salt was added to the rice when it was still in my rice cooker. With the onigiri placed in the center of the bento, I decorated the front of the car by taking my X-Acto knife to some nori, cheese, pepper and carrot, then with a hole punch I knocked-out those tomato red lights.

I filled up the remaining space inside the bento using ingredients my girlfriend and I would eat - all veggie goodies. On top: sauteed lotus root (peel, slice and soak in vinegar water for a few minutes before sauteeing in sesame oil - yum!), cherry tomatoes and some ground faux meat soy chunks. On the bottom: broccoli sauteed in garlic and olive oil alongside three asparagus spears, chopped and stacked at an angle.

This certainly isn't the best charaben around, and I'm not entirely sure I should have gone with the angled train approach...but hey, it was early, I was (and still am) exhausted, and if it's not 100% attractive to the eyes at least I know it will be 100% delicious!