\n Photo by Ab Hassett<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nDolci!<\/em> is all about the melding of Renato\u2019s 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. \u201c[Dolci!<\/em>] 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.\u201d Embrace what you bring to the table, literally and figuratively.<\/p>\nWe\u2019ll never be using a measuring cup again. Says Renato: \u201cIf you’re scooping a cup of flour, the weight will vary wildly depending on how you scoop it. But if you’re measuring 500 grams of flour, it’s always going to be 500 grams of flour. It’s like, case closed.\u201d Baking is a science. The recipes are tried and true experiments. Replicate accordingly.<\/p>\n
Renato studied art and design before fulfilling a dream of opening a coffee shop. Now, he owns his own bakery, Ciao, Gloria<\/a> and a new restaurant, Pasta Night<\/a>, both in Brooklyn. How\u2019d he get there? He never let doubt get in the way. \u201cI didn\u2019t really have the experience in the beginning,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen we opened, I was like \u2018Oh okay, now I need to learn how to bake.\u2019 You just have to put your face to the fire.\u201d So, maybe your dream job appears a little later in life and in a different form. Just keep an open mind. This goes for recipes, too. You may think ricotta in a black and white cookie is an unnecessary addition, but as we can attest from trying it at the sweets swap, it may be the exact thing it needs. In short, dream big.<\/p>\n\n