One of my favorite things to include in a bento is a dip and some veggies, pita strips, crackers, etc. One can only eat so much hummus though, right? So I thought that if any of you out there are like me, we could post some of our favorite "different" dips. SPICY PEANUT DIP 1 cup NATURAL peanut butter (no ingredients other than peanuts, salt) 1/2 cup hot water 3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced 1 small minced red chili, or 1 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (or regular rice vinegar plus 1 tsp sugar) 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 Tbsp tomato paste (I use the kind in a tube) 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tsp fresh, grated ginger (I use a paste) 1 tsp cumin Throw it all in a bowl and mix it up! This makes a lot of dip, so you may want to halve the recipe if you're the only person eating it. Lasts about 1 week in the refrigerator if kept in an airtight container. This dip is super versatile. Dilute the mixture a little bit and add it to soba or spaghetti noodles and sliced vegetables and top with cilantro to make a spicy peanut noodle salad!