Great David Rocco news! The apple of many a foodie’s eye and Canada’s unofficial Mr. Italia, David Rocco , has come out with a cookbook based on his popular and resplendent – yes, that’s what I said and I mean it – show, David Rocco’s Dolce Vita . Not a big surprise -- as the show is such eye-candy -- that David's world is now in book form for us to pore over. Last week I caught up with tall-dark-and-handsome (married, with two kids btw), at Toronto's Cookbook Store to chat about the book, the good life, and the Italian way… Elana Safronsky: How did the book come about? David Rocco: It was a real labour of love. We thought the show should definitely have a cookbook but held off ‘till the time was right for us. We had offers from four other publishers, but waited until we could work with a publisher that would really execute our vision. And how could we not make it beautiful? Italy is such a beautiful country -- the photos are irresistible. E.S.: What will your fans find in the book? D.R.: A lot of the themes are similar to the show in terms of the beauty, simplicity, and fun recipes, but there are elements of my philosophy of sorts – living La Dolce Vita - which people always ask me about, that the book reinforces and explains. To me it’s a state of mind. It’s a connection with people through food, so I write about alchemy, and how through food we can create a beautiful life. It’s inspirational. Actually, I hope people look at the book and not follow the recipes but get inspired to create their own thing. That’s the joy of cooking – when you can actually make it your own. It’s a reflection of your personality, your character. E.S.: What is this “Quanto Basta” philosophy you keep mentioning? D.R.: Qaunto Basta – QB for short – means loosely “A much as you need” in Italian. I’m not a chef, I’m more of a domestic cook – I’m Italian – and with that I bring in this philosophy of QB. I don’t know if you know this but a lot of Italian cookbooks don’t have quantities in their recipes – especially when it comes to making bread or gnocchi –it’ll just say QB. So when you ask someone in Italy what makes something taste so great, they’ll say, a little of this and some of that, and its QB – as much as you need. No more, no less. E.S.: Do you have to be Italian to get it? D.R.: Well I’m hoping that my book will help people get it. It’s about letting go and trusting yourself. Many of my recipes are so basic, you can practice making things to taste. It’s really about...