Italian chef David Rocco shared boyhood memories of hiding his mother’s gourmet sandwiches from kids eating peanut butter and jelly, amongst other things, with Divya Kaushik
He made the most of his Indian shoots. He was in Chennai and the South Indian coffee found special mention on his website.
“It’s hard to explain how it’s made. It’s wild,” wrote David Rocco, along the top of a picture of a man in the web page, wearing a traditional lungi, tossing steaming coffee between two steel tumblers.
After Chennai, it was Mumbai, Jaipur and Delhi. “I am not glamourising stuff, or putting it on camera. I am presenting India the way it is — both traditional and modern. And people are passionate about their food. Everywhere you go, you find a different take on a meal or recipes that they are willing to share, or argue over, with each other.”
He continued, “I am travelling to cities like Delhi and Mumbai, traditional places like Jaipur and even Indian villages. You will see me cook with a Maharaja, Bollywood stars, tasting champagne at the Mumbai Harbour and cooking in Bandra for a group of people. I also visited the slums in Mumbai and tasted street side food with people there. So it is the diversity that has fascinated me in India,” said Rocco. And Delhi remains his favourite place, “because it is a mix. There are places like old Delhi. There is greenery. Modern buildings. In a nutshell, the city describes what India stands for.”
The renowned Italian chef was shooting for Dolce India. And we met him at the ITC Maurya, while he was chatting with a few female food bloggers. like the true charmer that he is, David held the ladies’ attention with witty talk, tongue-in-cheek remarks and humorous inputs to the discussion.
Rocco, known for his food series Dolce Vita, which airs in 150 countries worldwide, told us he has also visited the capital’s countryside and wanted to see its mustard farms. And how the oil is extracted from the seeds. “I think you get emotionally connected with the seeds as you sow them, watch them grow and extract the oil. I wanted to experience the process. I found out this amazing place, Flanders Dairy Products. They manufacture European cheese and have been supplying to most restaurants in Delhi. So the city has many surprises that I wish to capture.”
His fans, who are used to watching him toss the pan and travel, would be surprised to learn that he doesn’t have professional training in cooking. Being Italian and someone fascinated by cooking and recipes, it was not difficult to adapt. His mother has been his culinary teacher from the beginning. “Cooking was never a-ha moment for me. I always loved food and was in an Italian household where food was an important part of family life. We united over meals. My love for cooking came with me liking a dish, eating it and wanting to make it,” said David.
The celebrity chef informed that as a kid, he was not proud of the food that he ate.
“I initially grew up in an anglicised English environment. Our family was different. While others ate roast beef, we ate rabbit. Growing up in an area where you are an outsider can be difficult. There is always this fear of being part of the group and fitting. Some early memories I have are of other kids getting peanut butter and jelly in the lunch box. While my mother gave us gourmet sandwiches — nobody in the 70s knew what those were. My mother cooked great food, which I would eat on my way home. It was a distance away. I deliberately walked, so I could eat my food in peace. My friends would come for dinner and my mother served rabbit. They would say, ‘Mrs Rocco, the chicken is good.’ I would kick my mother under the table in fear that she would reveal it was not chicken. So as a boy I shyed from disclosing our food habits. Italian food was not so familiar then. later I learnt about the culture and today I am proud to have taken it across the world,” he said.
Rocco wanted to be an actor and thought a cookery show would be an easy opening. “But then I began enjoying its. And 12 years on, have only been doing cookery shows. There isn’t anything else I want to do. My job gives me a chance to travel, learn about food, eat, cook and meet interesting people.” David, who loves his pasta the most, feels that Italian is one of the most simple and universally loved cuisine. “It has everything and I think it is popular because it is simple and also has a lot of vegetables for the vast majority of vegans on this planet,” he ended.