From Los Angeles, we went south first, to San Diego and more sunshine, a cozy afternoon tea organized by the intrepid reader behind Adventures By The Book, then transcendent sushi at Sushi Hane, where the beer was icy, the peppers spicy and the sushi like velvet. Just a day later, we flew up the coast…

The past week has been the thrill of a lifetime. Flying over Los Angeles. Waking up to palm trees. Seeing the wide expanse of the Pacific. Even a jetlagged baby awake for the day at 2:38 am couldn't dampen our spirits. And meeting the first readers at the fantastic Vroman's in Pasadena was beyond amazing.…

This is my friend Gemma. Isn't she pretty? I love that smile. She's been a loyal reader since the very beginning, always demanding new posts, eating my leftovers (we lived two floors apart from each other for a few years in Queens) and bugging me about when I'd ever get around to writing a book.…

Folks! If you pre-ordered your copy of My Berlin Kitchen on Amazon.com, it'll be released and sent out on Thursday. This Thursday! If you preferred to wait and give your hard-earned dollars to bricks-and-mortars bookstores, they'll be selling the book as of next Monday. That's 8 days from now! Haa-haa-hooo-heee!! Now for a bit of…