The tightest of security surrounded the meals being prepared for Pope Benedict XVI during his April 15-20 U.S. visit. Even the menus were being kept secret.

“We were told by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, nuncio to the United States, to not reveal the menus, the budgets or even the ingredients of dishes we’re preparing,” said Franco Nuschese, the owner of Cafe Milano, an Italian restaurant in the Georgetown section of Washington.

Nuschese, executive chef Fabio Salvatore and 23 other professionals were responsible for Pope Benedict’s 81st birthday lunch April 16 at the Vatican Embassy, or nunciature, in Washington.

“When Franco first told me, I thought he was joking. But then I quickly realized he was being serious,” said Salvatore, a graduate of the Istituto Professionale Albergiero in Pescara, one of Italy’s finest culinary institutes.

“I was glad initially because it’s an incredible honor to cook for the pope but the full weight of it didn’t really hit me until about a week later. And then I got really nervous,” Salvatore told Catholic News Service April 14 in a telephone conference call with him and Nuschese from Washington.

Following Archbishop Sambi’s instructions, Nuschese and Salvatore had little to say about the four-course menu they were preparing for the pope.

“Though the nunciature has very good kitchen facilities, we will be bringing some of our own equipment along with the ingredients and a brigade de cuisine of about 23 individuals including our executive pastry chef, Mary Lee Orr,” who was in charge of the pope’s birthday cake.

The question as to whether the birthday cake was angel food cake or devil’s food cake solicited a chuckle from Nuschese but mum was still the word.

“Even though the pope is German, we won’t be serving any German dishes. We are sticking with Italian cuisine,” Nuschese said. “The dishes we will be preparing for the pope are served at the restaurant for VIPs but do not otherwise appear on the menu.”