The Pope who landed in the United States yesterday, will be visiting Washington, D.C. and then the Big Apple. And who is to be his special NYC chef? None other than the host of television’s Lidia’s Italy and famed cook and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich.

She was asked over two months ago by Vatican officials and couldn’t breathe a word of it until a few weeks ago. From the NY Times:

Ms. Bastianich, 62, an owner of the restaurants Felidia and Del Posto, said she considers herself a devout Catholic, and she’s interacted with Vatican officials based in New York. She’s been active as well in the local Italian community. These associations, she said, seemed to be among the reasons organizers of the Pope’s visit chose her.

She said that she would write the menu and help prepare the food for a dinner for 52 on April 18 and a dinner for 24 on April 19. Both will be private. Neither will be in a restaurant.

Of course the interesting thing is: sure, the Pope hails from Vatican City which is a country in Italy and surrounded by Rome, but Pope Benedict XVI is himself German.

{16 Apr 2008}