greater than the sum of the parts

We were both off from work yesterday -- OCI was closed for the holiday, I took a vacation day since our time off together is so rare -- so no bento yesterday. Since Sal was home, I was treated to him making dinner, which was both good and bad. Good, because obviously. Bad because it made me wish for the millionth time that we got to enjoy more meals together. But mostly good.

We had some cabbage to use up (mainly because I'm not a huge fan of cabbage, so I never think of things to use it in) so he asked me what I thought about a soup. Cabbage soup? Um, no. Well, he said, it would have potatoes (good) and some onion (also good), and hamburger (what?). Did that sound like something I would eat? Well frankly, no, but he's a chef and it's been many a meal that he's made for me with ingredients that sounded incredibly unappealing together or that I don't like much that he somehow does his magic cooking kung fu to and voila! Deliciousness. So I told him sure, I trusted that he'd make something better than what it sounded like and I'd at least try it.

Glad that I did. The soup that sounded unappealing (and probably doesn't look very tasty on camera, either) turned out quite yummy. Hearty and flavorful and not-cabbage-y at all. Just the thing for a gray, rainy day.

lunch, Ms. Bento:

• Un-cabbage-y Cabbage Soup (cabbage, lean hamburger, red onion, new potatoes, beef broth, secret herbs and spices)
• peas and carrot sticks
• Jonagold apple quarters and a satsuma
• a bit of Sal's very special carrot cake (carrots, pineapple, coconut, raisins, and walnuts with a Swiss buttercream/cream cheese frosting)