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Bento: my new hobby Posted 2008.01.14 22:23 PST (#)

Apparently I got tired about ranting about software licenses and features I can't get into major free software projects because while I've got draft articles for both, they've sat untouched for a woefully long time. I've been working for four years now, doing C++ and related programming for most of it. While it hasn't killed my interest in side programming, it certainly has started to diminish the time I spend doing it. Of course, the bigger limiting factors are my recently expanded addictions: cooking, cooking, and more cooking.

Last Thanksgiving we went out for Thai instead of our traditional family gathering. But two days before that my dad's cousin and her husband were in town; I had nothing better to do, and offered to cook dinner for them. My mom was working late, so we scheduled a late dinner. I started working around 14h. It was a blast. I made watermelon-cranberry sorbet, apricot muffins, rosemary bread, Tuscan bean soup, whole wheat pasta, and a tomato pasta sauce (cursing content, but I love his style). The next day I made watermelon sorbet, and Friday I followed up with a pair of deep dish pizzas. What a great week!

Then I decided to write a cookbook. To do this I felt the need to write my own PDF layout engine (more on that some other time) so at least there's some python left in my life. It's a personal cookbook, so I'll try to post most of it up here.

Winter break I went on a bit of a dessert spree for a small party I hosted. I made a vanilla berry pie on an oatmeal crust, fruit tartlets, and hot chili bean dip for chips. About the same time I started drooling over feistyfoodie's bentos. I read a few other bento blogs, and finally shopped at our local Mitsuwa for a bento box. The supplemental muffin cups I got from Bed Bath and Beyond are perfect for the bento job.

Now six lunches in I'm hooked on bento.