Slightly Melted Panda

This bento is a lesson in what not to do. I was too impatient and put the cheese panda on top of food that was still too hot. Poor panda, he started sweating and his black fur curled up! So, always remember to let food cool before putting something that melts on top. (Unless you want it to melt, of course!) As you see here, decorating the cheese ravioli with cut outs is now high on my list of ultra cool things for bento.

In the bento: Black bean, rice and soy sausage bake with a provolone and nori panda on top and bamboo made from broccoli stems, two cheese ravioli, steamed broccoli, a cherry tomato, purple grapes on a pick and a few carrot flowers.

To the left in the background is the nori punch that I used to make the panda face. It's not ultimately necessary, I could have cut it out by hand. But it makes things so much faster!