on losing a bet
Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 12:22 PM | Bitty ;)
Because I lost a bet, I had to pack a bento for a coworker.
My friend and co-worker Tony, who has worked at my company almost as long as I have, rides his bike to work every day. Because of Sal's passion for biking, and his own impressive work commute, I've picked up a lot about the whole lifestyle of being a cyclist in a car culture (and more specifically, being a cyclist in Portland's very active cyclist culture), which means that it's one of the topics Tony and I talk about when we're avoiding work bored picking on each other chit chatting in the midst of being totally productive and not in any way wasting time.
It was during one of these totally productive and work-related conversations that I said that I thought that the saddlebags Sal uses are bigger than the ones Tony uses. Even though he's never seen them, Tony said they weren't, that they only make one size. Call it the sibling nature of our relationship, but next thing we know, we're betting on who's right. WHAT CAN I SAY IT WAS A MORE PRODUCTIVE DAY THAN USUAL.
At stake: two Green & Black's chocolate and almond bars if I win, a bento packed by me if he wins. And because he's an accountant down to his very DNA, and the importance of precision and accuracy were drilled into me by my engineering professors -- which means we are both monumental nerds -- we proceeded to very carefully measure the dimensions of his saddlebag, each of us verifying the reading of the ruler and making careful notes, along with stipulations as to exactly where the measurements were taken along the body of the saddlebag. I WASN'T KIDDING ABOUT THE PRECISION AND ACCURACY PART OKAY.
I brought Sal's bag in the following week and we performed the same measurements. Even though Tony said when I brought it in, "Well obviously it's the same size. I won't humiliate you by measuring it." And I was all, "Respect the rules of the bet, yo." Besides, my ME professor would have my hide if he knew I hadn't verified my measurements.
So I lost the bet. In the meantime, he had ordered his very first bento box thanks to that presentation I did a couple of months ago. And when it arrived, he announced that the first lunch to be packed in it, the inaugural bento, as it were, would be the one I packed to discharge my bet obligation. NO PRESSURE OR ANYTHING. But also: awww.
;)
Tony's lunch, Concorde XL:
- salmon cakes
- sushi rice with green beans and carrot shapes for garnish
- corn as gap filler
- stir fry mixed veggies (green beans, onions, red pepper, broccoli, mushroom)
- carrot sticks as baran
- part of a Pink Lady apple, and raspberries and blueberries picked from our own bushes!
- strawberry Pocky
;)
my lunch, purple bento colors
- salmon cakes
- sushi rice with carrot shapes for garnish
- steamed broccoli
- part of a Pink Lady apple with corn as gap filler
- Rainier cherries with raspberries and blueberries
- strawberry Pocky
It was a real challenge to fill such a large box (900 mL), especially for someone whose dietary needs are much different than mine. I stuck more closely to the 3:2:1 guideline than I do for mine, We'll see if it ends up being enough for him....
Reader Comments (4)
You outdid yourself on the beauty and composition of your "guest bento" appearance. He must have been delighted--it's lovely and it's got a nice, neat, linear kind of arrangement that must have appealed to his precision heart!
Great story. And go you on the bento proselytizing!
Thank you! I was pleased with how it came out. Lots of color, good balance of textures and tastes, and well-balanced proportions of protein, starch, and veg/fruit.
It was fun. I can understand how packing for another person would get old fast, but as an occasional thing, it would be a cool thing to get to do for someone. Too bad Sal doesn't need bentos, otherwise I would be all over that.
It was a great meal and filled me up for lunch (and the rest of the afternoon) without a problem. Thanks for breaking in my bento box. I'm sure your lunch will be the best lunch that box sees. T
T: Lost bet aside, it was a lot of fun making it. So glad you enjoyed it! And honored to have inaugurated your new box.