Local restaurateur Bruno Serato's new cookbook combines food and sensuality.

"Nine-hundred and fifty. Do I hear ten-fifty? Nine-fifty going once, going twice … sold!" the auctioneer said as a blond Euro model slipped back into his shirt after showing off his muscles.

Bruno Serato was selling cake, but nothing like the gourmet desserts with the eye-popping presentations that he usually offers at his White House restaurant in Anaheim.

This time, he was hawking beefcake in the form of male models who appear in his new cookbook, "Temptation at the White House." At a Hollywood-style launch party on the grounds of his restaurant, Serato was autographing books and auctioning off dinner dates with some of the models for his favorite charity, Caterina's Club, an organization that assists underprivileged children. VIP guests included "American Idol" singer Lisa Tucker, "Under the Tuscan Sun" director Audrey Wells and Ducks defenseman Joe DiPenta, who also appears in the book. Money raised at the auction will go to the club, as will a percentage of the proceeds from the book after Serato pays his publication expenses.

Inside "Temptation," which is as visually sumptuous as a coffee-table tome, we see scantily clad men posing with exotic foods in exquisite preparations. The 136-page book sells for $39.95 and is catching the attention of foodies in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China. It showcases photos of the models first, and the recipes, including Serato's famous white chocolate mashed potatoes, can be found in the back.

With cuisine this delectable does he really need the sexy packaging? "Bruno doesn't do what other people do," Serato said in his charming French-Italian accent. "I have to be different. I think that 'Temptation at the White House' will heat up kitchens across America and beyond."

For more information on Serato's cookbook, visit www.anaheimwhitehouse.com or call 714-772-1381.