My family is originally from Hong Kong but I have relatives scattered all over the world, including Washington, DC. And so, my Cute Yummy Time book signing in the capital city turned into a mini-reunion with family — Basil Farrow’s father included.

I fell in love with Hill’s Kitchen the second I stepped in. A bright, loft-like space filled with modern kitchen gizmos, with a studio for cooking lessons upstairs… ah, cute cooking heaven!

Dress with military buttons: Algonquins Addiction
Dead teddy T-shirt: Akina

The stylish Harukosama, who interviewed me about cool hunting/trend scouting, brought several boxes of Georgetown Cupcakes to the event. (What a sweetie!) The bakery is a DC legend, and deservedly so: the dark chocolate ganache was lick-your-fingers delicious, yet not too sweet; the lemon, red velvet and key lime flavors were perfectly balanced. Next time you’re in DC, swing by Georgetown Cupcake for a treat… or two, or three!

The best part about book touring? Meeting all of you (insert awws)! It was a pleasure to speak to readers in person, especially after chatting in the comments and on Twitter. If only Basil Farrow could travel with me, life would be complete, wouldn’t it? (If you’re interested in my cute cookbook, you can find out more here.)

When I returned, my Scottish Fold turned on the cuteness and I took hundreds of new photos. You can see them daily on Basil’s blog, and I added a large batch to his Facebook (add him to see them: “Basil Farrow”).

Wrote a new CNNGo article about Robot Chefs. Can you believe that Mr. Roboto can prepare okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) from scratch, make nigiri sushi, cook ramen and take your order in Cantonese?

CNNGo has several other fascinating articles about Asian robots at work. Before long, we’ll be seeing cute white bears that take care of the elderly and a doe-eyed entertainment robot. Already, androids have replaced a number of mechanical jobs — and now, they can do the work of chefs and caretakers. What do you think about the rise of robots? Could they spiral out of our grasp and cause more harm than good? Don’t be fooled by their kawaii faces: there could be Kilroy lurking inside! (After all, the ramen robot is capable of engaging in a knife fight..)