Category Archive for Cute Yummy Time
CUTE CHARACTER BENTOS! KAWAII COOKING FOR NHK JAPAN TV DOCUMENTARY SHOOT, NEW YORK WAVE BENTO BOX SHOW.
NHK Japan documentary shoot, day one… lights, cameras, action!
Dress: Yumi, a flirty London brand inspired by Asian fashion. I couldn’t resist the Yorkie terriers print and the price (on sale for $70).
Leggings: Vivienne Westwood, a gift from my cousin and aunt. This is the first Westwood item I’ve owned!
Cute animal hair ties: from Daiso, the 100 yen (dollar) store.
TV shoots involve a truckload of equipment: lighting, tripods, cameras, you name it. The crew consisted of a cameraman, audio person, director, reporter, makeup artist — and yours truly. (The NHK team spoke to each other in Japanese; luckily, I knew what was going on!)
Before the cameras roll, there are hours and hours of preparations. The previous night was a mad rush to create sample character bentos (animal pancakes, frog pita sandwich, eggs dyed yellow with turmeric and transformed into chicks). I showed the host, Hana, how to draw kawaii animals.
Top: We had a five minute race to make cute faces out of healthy ingredients. Right: Our completed character bento sandwiches (can you recognize my cat, Basil Farrow?). Left: This is Japanese TV — so we had to be extra smiley and energetic and cute. Hana picked up a cashew nut and said, “This looks like a smile.” I held raspberries in front of her eyes and made them dance. V-fingers!
Filming involves take after take after take… Hana had to repeat a line six times: “Kawaii, ne? I’m going to turn this into a sandwich!” We began at 10 am and kept on going until well past 6pm. TV work is tiring, but oh so fun…
The New York Wave episode about cute bento boxes will air this February on NHK; I’ll be sure to let you know the exact time and put up segments on YouTube (please subscribe so you won’t miss out). More goofy photos from the shoot to come.
In recent press
† Popular Philadelphia radio show Chef’s Table interviewed me about my recipe book Cute Yummy Time (you can stream the show on the site).
† CNNGo is doing a four-part series about Cute Yummy Time recipes; the first one gives a tigerish makeover to India’s chicken tikka masala.
† If you’re interested in many more cute-faced recipes, please check out my new cookbook, in stores and available online.
Song of the Day #288: Rocky Horror Picture Show – Dammit, Janet (If you follow my Twitter, you’ll know I’ve been on a Rocky Horror kick…)
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KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE IN LOS ANGELES: CUTE YUMMY TIME & TOKYO THEME RESTAURANTS BOOK SIGNINGS. WHERE TO BUY BENTO COOKBOOKS, JAPAN FASHION & MUSIC MAGAZINES.
Why so serious, Carmina-sama? It’s a sunny day in La-la-land, you’re flanked by cute Visual Kei rockers, and you’re at a signing for your very own books! But one must always stay in character for cosplay — at least in my mind — and I’m the bento lady with a grudge from Nintendo’s Phoenix Wright. Grr. (More photos of my costume are here.)
Ementhy attracted random passersby to the table by beckoning frantically and calling: “Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Come here! Hey! Hey!” Half of the time, his approach worked. The other half averted their eyes and speed-walked away in terror.
Here’s a closeup of my octopus choker, made from red felt and black thread. (If you want the edible version, there’s a recipe for octodogs in my cute cookbook!)
Annenberg TV featured me in a news story about “how La Carmina’s Cute Yummy Time is changing the way people think about healthy food.” You can view it here and below:
As I say in the video, all the cute-faced creations in my book are made from healthy ingredients.
Thank you to everyone who came to my signings. It was lovely to speak to you in person, and your outfits rocked.
And this pic wins the Nobel Prize for Awesome. Come join in the fun! My J-pop books, Crazy Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo and Cute Yummy Time are in all major bookstores and can be purchased online. Perhaps you’d consider putting them on your Xmas wishlist? Thanks, everyone, for your continued support.
Song of the Day #257: Beggin’ – Frankie Valli (A most creative remix video. Hep song, too — I’ve been playing it all day.)
LA CARMINA
