Easy Japanese Cooking: Bento Love
Born in Tokyo in 1972, Kentaro Kobayashi studied art in school, and after Musashino Art School, he started working as an illustrator. His mother--cooking personality and award-winning cookbook author, Katsuyo Kobayashi--is known by millions in Japan for her TV show,Today's Cooking, and not only challenged, but also proved victorious against Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi in 1994, handily vanquishing him in the "Potato Battle" episode ofIronChef, one of the few female chefs to ever win in Kitchen Stadium.No surprise that Kentaro turned his attention to cooking. Like his mom, he is known for creating fun, easy-to-make recipes--albeit with a more Western flavor--and also has appeared on television, magazines, and radio, becoming popular with the motto "Nice and easy, practical food with style." He is known to have revolutionized Japanese conceptions of good eating. His best-selling cookbooks are all about transforming convenience-store productsinto attractive hot meals.He frequently incorporates his artistic training working as a chef and illustrator for magazines and book stores, creating logos, and has co-authored works with his mother. To date, Kentaro has authored or co-authored more than 15 cookbooks.