'Dolci' cookbook desserts are a marriage of Italian and American flavors

Renato Poliafito is a James Beard-nominated pastry chef, cookbook author and bakery owner. The youngest child of Italian immigrant parents, Poliafito became an art student, learning about his culture through paintings and sculpture. Later he launched a career in advertising. And though he embraced his Italian heritage, he says he always felt like an American looking in.