For two years The Vatican Cookbook has been on our family wishlist, and this Christmas we finally added it to our collection of cookbooks. We picked several recipes from the Vatican Cookbook and tried our hand at this collection put together by the Pontifical Swiss Guard.
The recipes are easy to read, the full page pictures are colorful are fantastic. And in between the recipes in this book are stories of the Swiss Guard, their customs, where they eat, the pope’s who enjoyed these meals, and the history of foods origin, pairing suggestions, and traditions surrounding it make it a rich and fun read right away. Some of the recipes in the Vatican Cookbook are items you will never find in a restaurant, making this recipe book an experience that even the best traveled foodies would be jealous of.
I was excited for the Vatican Cookbook, but I’ll admit I was also a little hesitant. What if it didn’t live up to two years of expectation? What if my skills in the kitchen weren’t up to task?
My hesitation, while understandable, disappeared after trying a few recipes. Easy to read recipes, fantastic pairing suggestions, a history of the food when served at the Vatican, and sooooooooo good! My plates have yet to look as the gorgeous photographs of each recipe (thank heavens for this visual learner), but they are still beautiful, colorful, and my kids (6, 4, 2) are yet to dislike anything put in front of them! Several of the recipes in the Vatican Cookbook have even been written in my “to impress company” list!
I love the whole experience as a family. Today I put a Regensburg Sausage Salad together (a favorite of the Bavarian Benedict XVI). The cookbook was on the table where the kids could flip through it while I put the finishing garnish on the salads. We were able to show the kids pictures of Pope Benedict XVI from the book, eat a dish he loved, and the discussion about religious life was so fun around the table as the salad quickly disappeared. All of this was done without having to search the house (or search engines) for additional information or resources! The Vatican Cookbook does it all.
We weren’t sure how much our two year old was understanding, but when he heard it was the Pope’s food, and saw the picture of the Swiss Guard, he ran out to find his new set from Naturally Catholic (pictured with the meal above) to put on the table. It was so perfect!! Making the Faith come alive (and into food!) was not what I had planned when I ordered the Vatican Cookbook for our family. I just wanted a fun cookbook for my husband and I to enjoy together. I couldn’t be more thrilled at how our kids have joined in the fun with us. Not only is the Vatican Cookbook a new favorite, I’m excited for all the memories we are going to make as we whip up some beautiful new favorite meals!
Don’t wait two years like we did, order your copy right now by clicking here!