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My mom's recipe box. I learned how to make family favorites from those smeared and tattered cards.

I lost the entire comment I was posting. Crap. erm. Anyway. It's all about what sorts of food you want to eat. Most of my bentos tend to be leftovers and bits and bobs I have in my fridge.

Laptop lunches are fine for bentos. I'd suggest roaming through your local Asian grocery store for other lunch containers. I'd suggest a good thermos for soups. If you have any Korean grocery stores near you, you might want to try out their prepared side dishes.

If you like zucchini, then this recipe might work for you. I pulled it from koreanrecipes.org for my own bento today.

Simmered Squash
1/2 squash or about 6 oz
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish

Quarter the squash in length wise, slice in 1/4 inch thick.

In a small pan, add all ingredients and mix.Put squash, cover the lid.Bring to a boil on a medium high heat, reduce to low heat, cook for another minute or so.Transfer to a dish, garnish with sesame seeds.

Seconding, TJ's Greek style! I'm also curious, how Stonyfield's Greek style taste?

I don't have central air, so I really hate to turn on my oven when it's hot out.

I'll make gravlax or salt cure a duck breast. I'll have cheese, fresh peaches and/or blackberries to round out the meal. Good bread is a plus, but not required.

Sweetbreads at Jaleo!

In a Pickle, saurkraut that I'll actually eat...

@Sov - Take heart! Some folks are starting to farm the oysters on PVC rafts. At the very least, it's a good first step to restoring the water quality.

Tomatoes!

Eastern Market is very fun. Explore the craft market as well as the food market. It has some nice souvenirs of the city.

If the smoked stuff from VA has made it into the city, I haven't found it yet. Maybe your hosts would know? Or check with the vendors at Dupont Circle on Sunday.

BTW, don't believe the hype about CakeLove. It's not a horrid bakery, but it isn't amazing.

YMMV, but I like my greens soft.

Are we talking home canning or a can of greens bought from the store?

When I was in college, the smell of bacon would sometimes waft through the air. My friend and I eventually figure out that the plant was on the other side of the highway from the campus. If the plant had just advertised what brand of bacon they were, that company would have gotten so much business from hungry, hungry college students.

Buy a dishwasher. If I didn't have to face handwashing the dishes, I would cook much more.

Peel it, and toss it into a jar of vodka. It'll keep the ginger usable for longer, and you'll have ginger infused vodka,