Ladies and gentlemen… introducing the book cover of Cute Yummy Time! It’s hard to believe my “cute cooking” recipe book comes out worldwide from Perigee/Penguin USA this October. This project wouldn’t have been possible without all of you. ^__^

The back blurb reads: “Enter the magical world of Cute Yummy Time, where simple pancakes become adorable koalas, grilled cheese sandwiches become hippos, and lemon tarts look like puppies. The Japanese cult of kawaii (“ka-why-ee,” or all things cute) has spread to every aspect of living – including food. Japan’s newest trend: school lunches dolled up as adorable creatures. They’re feast for the eyes, but not all the ingredients may be familiar to Western palates. Cute Yummy Time thinks outside the bento box, sharing more than 70 recipes for making food “so cute, you could just eat it.” Using familiar and nutritious foods, author La Carmina shows you how to easily turn even the most mundane meal into a squeal-worthy sensation.”

Cute Yummy Time doesn’t just have healthy and adorable recipes, like piggy bread (remember my cooking demo?). It also contains a whimsical adventure story about La Carmina and her Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow! Like Alice in Wonderland, we tumble through the oven into Kawaii-Land, a bizarre Sanrio-esque world filled with cutie-faced characters…

All of the book’s photos and illustrations are from my hand. Heart my Sony DSLR-700 and Adobe Illustrator.

I can’t wait to share Cute Yummy Time with you! Pre-orders are already available from Amazon, and Crazy Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo will be in stores in the next week or so. Those intrigued by Japanese cute food and bentos can see more on my Cute Yummy Time blog and YouTube cooking demos.

PS: I have a slew of media interviews coming up… please add me on Twitter to stay in the loop. Two days ago, I was a guest on Montreal and Toronto late night radio show, Holder Tonight. You can listen to MP3 here (right click the dancing musical notes to access).

Song of the Day #169: Amy’s Arms – Lonely Lolita