The Good Life

Dolci!: American Baking with an Italian Accent: A Cookbook 

My guest this week is RENATO POLIAFITO, a two-time James Beard Award nominee and the owner of Ciao, Gloria, a bakery and café in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, that opened in 2019. This is his fifth cookbook, but he considers Dolci! his first “solo album.” CASEY ELSASS is a food writer, recipe developer, and cookbook author living in Brooklyn, New York. Learn more about Renato on Facebook and Instagram

 Recipes that capture the flavors of la dolce vita, from Bologna to Brooklyn—Italian and Italian American-ish cakes, cookies, pies, and pastries, from the James Beard Award–nominated brains behind one of America’s best bakeries.

A joyous celebration of Italian, American, and Italian American tastes and traditions, Dolci! is a compendium of molto delizioso baked goods from both sides of the Atlantic. In almost a hundred recipes, James Beard–nominated baker Renato Poliafito pays homage to pastries of the Old World and the New—with perfected versions of classics like Pastiera and Torta Caprese, Honey-Ricotta Black and Whites, and Butter Cookies.

Poliafito puts his own unique spin on the baking traditions of both countries with recipes of his own invention that are a mashup of Italian flavors and American innovation. Think Aperol Spritz Cake, Italian Krispie Treats, Malted Tiramisu, Panettone Bread Pudding, and Mocha Orange Whoopie Pies. In addition to the many cakes, pies, tarts, and cookies, Poliafito also shares a host of savory recipes: Sourdough Focaccias, Perfect Grissini, Cacio e Pepe Arancini—and for good measure, Italian-inflected cocktails (Amaro Root Beer Float!). A vibrant comingling of two great culinary cultures filtered through the mind of an American with the heart of an Italian, Dolci! hits the sweet spot between Italian and American baking.  Order a copy today!  Watch this video on Instagram

“Renato Poliafito perfectly illustrates the Italian love affair with desserts
in this breathtaking new book. If you’re interested in becoming a more precise and authentic Italian baker, Renato is your man and Dolci! is your book.” —Giada De Laurentiis

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Josh NV Prosecco from Italy
Made from Glera grapes in the Prosecco DOC region of Northeastern Italy, Josh Cellars Prosecco is sparkling and bright, with a refreshing acidity and a touch of sweetness from ripe fruit. You may smell scents of pear, green apples and citrus. In the mouth, the light effervescence provides a vibrant, racy texture.

Wines are always available at Jacob Liquor Exchange on North Rock Road…
…or your favorite wine store.

More about Prosecco, the region and the wine:
One of the world’s most popular and playful sparkling wines, Prosecco is a specialty of northeastern Italy, spanning nine provinces of the Veneto and Fruili-Venezia Giulia regions. A higher-quality version of Prosecco wine that must meet more stringent production requirements is known as Prosecco Superiore and must come from the more rugged terrain between the towns of Valdobiaddene and Conegliano. Prosecco can be produced as a still wine, a semi-sparkling wine (“frizzante”), or a fully sparkling wine (“spumante”)—the latter being the most common. While Prosecco wine is typically produced in a “brut” (dry) style, its fresh and fruity character makes it seem a bit sweeter than it actually is. “Extra dry” styles, incorporating higher levels of residual sugar, are quite popular, however.

Prosecco wine is made from the Glera grape, which was formerly and confusingly called Prosecco, these wines are notable for pleasant flavors of peach, pear, melon, green apple, and honeysuckle. Lower pressure during the carbonation process (also called the tank method) means that the bubbles are lighter and frothier than in Champagne or other traditional method sparkling wine, and less persistent. Prosecco is also a great choice to blend with orange juice for mimosas for a classic brunch beverage.