Imagine if your mom made you meals that became famous all over the world… you’d probably belong to the Clean Plate Club, right?
Malaysian food artist and mother of two Samantha Lee began by making Japanese lunch boxes (bento) in 2008 to encourage her elder daughter to eat independently. Bento boxes may be stylishly arranged and decorated to look like popular movie, TV or video game characters (kyaraben) or people, animals or buildings (oekakiben). There is some amazing bento art out there, but soon Lee was taking it to a new level on a daily basis.
Despite her lack of formal training, Lee’s creativity found an outlet in the incredibly detailed, cute and nutritious meals she painstakingly put together for her two girls, using only run-of-the-mill household tools like scissors and knives. She describes herself as “an ordinary, regular and average mom, crazy about making a mess in the kitchen.” Although she’s keeping her feet on the ground, her star has risen quickly in the international media in recent months, from Belgium to the Ukraine and all over the world. She now works as a kids party planner, doing sewing, crafting, baking and doodling in her spare time.
Check out her latest creations, including a step-by-step pictorial guide to crafting your own!
▼ Time to think about Halloween costumes… for your rice balls! Onigiri Charlie Brown is made from rice, nori seaweed, omelette and cheese, with a tomato jack ‘o lantern.
▼ Minnie and Mickey Mouse are so sweet…
▼ Michael Jackson says, “so eat it, just eat it”.
▼ King of popping veges into your mouth, love me tender greens…
▼ If you had a chance to change your plate, would you? I would change mine for this one…
▼ It must be Wednesday.
▼ Wilma Flintstone looking lovely in dark green seaweed
▼ Her husband, Fred, rocks the dreaded broccoli.
▼ Best cure for the “mean reds”.
▼ Red Apple Riding Hood and the Big Chocolate Wolf get gobbled up together!
▼ Here’s a yummylicious Miss you can make at home with a bread roll, cream cheese and Nutella! See below for step-by-step details.
Tasteful and delightful, Lee’s charming food art transcends national boundaries. How does she do it?? Getting home-made food on a plate for your family is difficult enough, even without making each meal a masterpiece.
We’re looking forward to Samantha Lee‘s continuing adventures in food, in and out of the plate!
Source: My Modern Met via Samantha Lee’s blog Eatzy Bitzy, Facebook, Instagram
Images: Samantha Lee
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