Aside from the gratitude of his patients, Dad was always rewarded by some holiday food.Many of his patients were Italian; one of them always insisted that Dad stop by her house on his way home from the office, no matter how late it was. Thus, torta di ricotta (hers included a fine layer of unsweetened cocoa powder), struffole, and sesame giugiulena (another tooth-breaker)–all festively wrapped in colored cellophane– found their way to our table. Now we make them ourselves, proving that Italian food has truly become part of “American” food culture.