Pontiff In The Kitchen: The Vatican Is Releasing A Cookbook

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In addition to being the mouthpiece of God, it's no secret that Pope Francis is a lover of food. After all, he once said the only thing he misses about his pre-papal lifestyle is being able to order a pizza in peace. His doctor also reportedly told him to lay off the pasta for his own health.But now you can eat like His Holiness without taking a trip to Rome, because the Vatican has released The Vatican Cookbook: Presented by the Pontifical Swiss Guard, an official Vatican cookbook that was originally published in 2014, but has been released for the first time in English.

The book will be available in hardcover on April 5, and is described as "500 years of classic recipes, papal tributes, and exclusive art and images of life at The Vatican." The book specifically pays tribute to the last three popes: Pope Benedict XVI and Holy Pope John Paul II and of course, Pope Francis, who currently holds the papal office, but there are also older recipes from popes of centuries-past.  

The original title of the book when it was first released in German in 2014, was "Buon Appetito: Swiss Guard," and featured favorite recipes from the Pope's small army of highly trained soldiers.

The book also reveals that Pope Francis has a sweet tooth: One of his favorite dishes is dulce de leche, and he also enjoys "colita de cuadril," or grilled sirloin steak; both dishes are staples of his home country, Argentina. Benedict XVI enjoyed culinary delicacies from Germany like wurstel salad, and a pork dish called "schweinsbraten," while John Paul II, who was Polish, was unsurprisingly fond of pierogi.