Dolci! American Baking with an Italian Accent

For a limited time we have copies signed by Renato Poliafito.

New York-born to Italian immigrants, Renato Poliafito–whose Brooklyn bakery is called Ciao, Gloria–offers a creative perspective on the intersection between two baking cultures.

The book’s subtitle implies that it offers Italian-inflected American baked goods, but a case could be made that it’s vice versa. For every recipe such as ciambella della mattina, a traditional citrusy breakfast cake which Poliafito studs with blueberries, there is the likes of rice crispy treats made with mascarpone, espresso powder, cocoa, and rum.

So where the book falls on the continuum is probably less important than the fresh perspective it brings with delights such as:

• Limoncello pistachio tart

• Cacio e pepe arancini

• Spumoni loaf, visually reminiscent of Italian-American rainbow cookies

• Aperol spritz cake

• Malted tiramisu

Because you’re taking advantage of a professional baker’s insights and imagination, measurements are provided by weight, though also by volume in case you’re still holding out.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.