The proof is in the Italian pudding recipe

Biancomangiare is a cousin to blanc-manger and manjar blanco — and a delightful discovery in Renato Poliafito's new book "Dolci!"

Hello! Hello!

Whether you’ve been with me for years or you’re new here, I’m guessing that you won’t be surprised to discover that I love cookbooks! I get excited when I get a new one and ecstatic when I find a cookbook that presents a dilemma — stay put and read it through or run into the kitchen and make something. Renato Poliafito’s lastest book, written with Casey Elsass and beautifully photographed by Kevin Miyazaki, Dolci!:American Baking with an Italian Accent poses that delightful dilemma. Of course, I did both and I’m betting that you will too.

Renato Poliafito’s Dolci! // Photo: Kevin Miyazaki // Get on Amazon // Get on Bookshop.org

Renato, the owner of the Ciao, Gloria bakery and café in Brooklyn (DavidLebovitz called it his favorite), was born in America and has deep family roots in Italy. As he takes us to those places that shaped him and his passion for pastry, he shares recipes traditional, reimagined and new, from cocktails and street food to torta and tall layer cakes. I …