'Lidia' of Public Television Fame to Cook for Pope in New York

[isilzha]

'Lidia' of Public Television Fame to Cook for Pope in New York

(Source: Catholic News Service)


NEW YORK (CNS) -- Lidia Matticchio Bastianich has cooked for her fair share of VIPs, including first lady Laura Bush and the presidents of Japan and Chile. Nothing, however, comes close to cooking for Pope Benedict XVI.

Bastianich, better known as simply "Lidia" to the fans of her public television cooking shows, is working her magic in the kitchen the two nights, April 18 and 19, the pope will spend in New York during his U.S. visit.

"I would say in my life this is the pinnacle," she said in an April 15 telephone interview with Catholic News Service in advance of her papal assignment.

The Italian-born chef and restaurant owner, 62, said she was "flabbergasted" last winter when Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's representative to the United Nations, asked her if she would consider cooking for the pope. Both meals will be served at Archbishop Migliore's Manhattan residence, where Pope Benedict is staying.

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[Food Network Fan]

Are they SURE she has cooked for all those people.

[isilzha]

[BerryBaby]

I don't think she would lie to the Pope! That, could be dangerous for later on...

[Food Network Fan]

Good point.

[BerryBaby]

Can you imagine the penance she would have if they found out it wasn't true? Definitely, not worth it.

[ibcheft]

wonder if they have a barbecue going down below, if it ain't the truth she might up cookin for the other guy

[isilzha]

You guys are funny.

[isilzha]

Saturday Lunch

Lunch on Saturday was a relatively light repast that Lidia and her colleagues, Mark Ladner (Del Posto) William Gallagher (Becco), and Fortunato Nicotra (Felidia), improvised on the spot to work with what the nuns had already prepared for the pope:

• Italian cherry tomatoes with celery and grana Padana alongside some fresh mache
• Asparagus soup thickened with boiled potato and sautéed asparagus
• Baked monkfish Sicilian-style with seasoned breadcrumbs
• Peach fruit tart that, according to Lidia, almost went directly from the oven to the table

Saturday Dinner

Dinner on Saturday was for 52, including all the cardinals from around the world who had gathered in New York City for the pope's visit. Most of the recipes can be found in Lidia's most recent book, Lidia's Italy.

• String bean salad with sheep's milk ricotta and pickled shallots and toasted almonds
• Ravioli with fresh pecorino and pears
• Risotto with nettles, fava beans, and ramps
• Whole roasted striped bass with boiled fingerling potatoes and a frisée salad
• Apple strudel with honey vanilla ice cream (with honeycomb intact)

It sounds like a lot of food, and it was, but when you serve the pope, Lidia said, you can't give him too much food at once. Each plate is presented separately because the pope can't be seen as gluttonous, gluttony being one of the seven deadly sins.
Lidia said that, after this meal, she asked the pope whether he enjoyed it. The cardinals laughed, as that's not a question one is supposed to ask the pope, who is supposed to be preoccupied with profoundly important spiritual matters. Nonetheless, Pope Benedict XVI smiled and said he had indeed enjoyed himself.
Sunday Dinner

Dinner Sunday was for the pope's entourage, a mere 24 people. Here's the menu:

• White and green asparagus salad with fresh 30-day pecorino, fava beans, and green chickpeas with lemon and olive oil
• Agnolini (little flying-saucer-shaped pasta filled with roast meat that Lidia served because they look like hosts) in free-range chicken soup with grana Padana on the bottom of the bowl
• Beef goulash made from Wagyu-style flat iron beef with a side of patate in tecia (pan-fried potatoes with bacon and onions that Lidia says remind her of hash browns) served with sauerkraut and sour cream
• Chocolate-hazelnut cake with "Tu Es" inscribed on it, topped by a two-foot-high marzipan mitre made by Bruno Bakery owner Bruno Settepani
• Apricot and ricotta crostata

After the goulash, the pope said to Lidia, "These are my mother's flavors." Lidia said she almost cried when she heard this.

After the goulash, the pope said to Lidia, "These are my mother's flavors." Lidia said she almost cried when she heard this. All the wines, Lidia said, were selected by her son, Joe Bastianich, and came from the Bastianich vineyards in Italy.

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[BerryBaby]

I think it would have great to serve wines from America. We have so many wonderful vineyards and I'm sure the Pope has had many Italian wines. Just a thought.