At our December Cookbook Club Sweets Swap at Food52 HQ on Thursday night, dried oranges hung on a balsam fir tree, pomander balls dotted the tables, and trays (and trays and trays) of sweets from Renato Poliafito’s Dolci! adorned our office’s countertops. And while the desserts satisfied our sweet tooth, we all left with a lot more than a box of cookies. Here are the three biggest lessons we took from the night.
Photo by Ab Hassett
1. Celebrate Where You’re From
Dolci! is all about the melding of Renato’s Italian and American cultures. His parents left Sicily for Brooklyn in 1957 and, as the youngest, he considers himself the most Americanized. His book is a mosaic of his identity in food form. “[Dolci!] is packed with the flavors I grew up with, the techniques I acquired later in life, the shared traditions of nonnas from Bensonhurst to Bologna, and the collective hearts and imaginations of Italians in two countries.” Embrace what you bring to the table, literally and figuratively. Read More >>
