the sunday session 21 - just keep stirring

hello  - well it's been another great melbourne week and one where i got to experience a little more of the great melbourne offerings.  i took a trip to the brighton farmers market which happens each month. i really loved this as it gave me a little taste of one of the things i miss in brissy. the davies park outdoor market.

it was where i would get my ritual saturday breakfast - the spinach and cheese pie from the pie guy and have impromptu meetings with people as we crossed paths on our saturday morning forage.  in a couple of weeks my son is coming to visit and he is under strict instructions to fill his hand luggage with some pie treats for his mumma.

on saturday it was probably my first real taste of the chilly weather and of course i decided to hot it up with some gold liquid pants from target and go about trying to cause some panic at the disco.  my plan come summer is to upcycle these pants to shorty shorts.  well maybe not, but maybe..... like really, if kylie minogue can do it, then surely i can!

this wasn't my fave look of the week - and why i don't know - cause it pretty hot, but it was a toss up between the spots on spots craziness and the adidas chopped up T look.  Adidas won out. and why, cause i'm a bit of a tomboy at heart.  when i was little,  i was nicknamed fred.  I kinda like that name and although i am as girly as all fuck, i still have that little tomboy streak.  i like beer, cars, motorbike racing and obviously dressing in a muscle shirt...

this was an outfit that turned heads -  believe it or not - and oozed some sassiness and a confidence undercurrent.

the jeans come from target, the boots are mollini,  the hoops are from fiji. i had a black singlet under the T, cause i decided to give it the chop.  i cut off the sleeves, cut off the chocking neckline, gave it an underarm cut, down the side. so there was a fair bit of side boobage, but too bad. if it's good enough for those 20 something's, then it's good enough for me. i was owning it big time.

so let's get back to food shall we, following my excitement of the farmers market.  I am doing an old recipe share - cause not only is the weather turning chilly, but i am in need of some good quality homemade risotto.  my first risotto encounter was about 20 years ago in new york. it was a joy to watch being cooked and a joy to eat.  it's a really solid meal, but having quality over quantity is a risotto treat. enjoy the beauty of the risotto with a side of something else. let it be the subtle standout in the meal. here's one of my faves - stinging nettle risotto - enjoy.

it doesn't matter how many times i make it, i always want to have it with fresh pesto, a simple rocket salad and panko fried gluten....eeewww i hear you say - well eeeewww back to you.  feel free to come over and enjoy this delicious number anytime. 

I am sure that in melbourne that stinging nettles will be somewhere and I am going to be on the lookout.  But really a great risotto can have so many variations and for a vegetarian like me what comes to mind is roasted beetroot or sage risotto or what about zucchini and lemon, or Jerusalem artichoke  - so many great options.  but today, i'm sticking with the green goddess.

Remember stinging nettles sting, hence the name and you will require some special tools such as a pair of scissors and some thick gardening gloves to prepare the first part. come on, be a devil and live on the stinging nettle edge....

so you will need

stinging nettles. a big bag of them. (available from a market or in some gardens or derelict parks) and if you can't get them, then you are fucked really and there would be no point going on reading. but feel free to adapt and use some other exotic item such as what ive suggested above.  let's go.  get:
a knob of butter
a big splash of olive oil
an onion
a clove of garlic
arborio rice
white wine and lots of it
stock (massel vege is my stock of choice) this way there is no competition between the veg and non veg. a largish saucepan will work for this and you can always top up the stock as you go along if you start to run low. But, keep the stock hot.
salt & pepper
more wine

first up take all the leaves off the nettles using the gloves and scissors. i didn't use the stems at the bottom of the leaves, but did use the softer top bits.

once done, you need to blanch them. you can give them a rinse in a colander if you like but DON'T TAKE THE GLOVES OFF TILL DONE. either put them in a boiling pan of water for about 30 seconds, or submerge them in a dish of boiling water from the kettle. This was the easier way.

drain them and then you need to put them in a wizzer and make a kind of paste adding a bit of water if needed. it doesn't need to be a runny puree though.

heat the stock in a large saucepan till boiling then turn to simmer
while that's happening, dice the onion and peel the garlic
once the stock is boiled or nearly boiling you can kick off with the rest
using a deep style frypan or specialised risotto pan (like the fancy one below),

ladies, one with a wider bottom is bound to work, i relate to the wider bottom, so am okay with this.

add the butter and oil.

once it's melted, add the onion and fry, then add the clove of garlic.
when the onion is a bit soft and browned, add the rice. now there's no measure for this that i use, but you start with a cup or so.
once the rice looks all glistening and covered in oil (after a couple of minutes) add a big splosh of wine - at least a cup full and it will sizzle and fizz then start to evaporate.
give it a bit of a stir, then the fun starts. add a bit of salt and pepper and once the wine has evaporated, it's time to start adding the stock.

NB: this is when the extra wine comes in, cause risotto is just like the ocean - you never turn you back on it and you will probably need a full glass to drink while doing the stirring part

using a soup ladle, start to spoon a ladle full into the risotto

NB2: i know it's all looking complicated, but go with it

keep the risotto on the move as much as possible (ie - stir) the liquid will evaporate and once it has, it's time to add more stock. no brainer really, but keep on doing this

after about 10 minutes, add the nettle mix. (or your other vege of choice)

the vibrant green will mesmerise you.

so quite simply, keep on doing this adding, stirring, waiting and sipping your wine business till the rice is cooked.
it's probably going to take about 20 - 25 mins in total to be ready, but well worth the wait.
once the rice is cooked, but not gluggy - just a bit creamy - it's ready to go. It should not be runny at all
you can always add more butter in at the end if you want.
serve it up and add a bit pf Parmesan and enjoy with whatever salad you fancy.

i myself was a bit over being offered gluggy risotto when i went out anywhere, but it's been a while and i got a hankering for some good old fashioned italian comfort food.

good luck - and happy risottoing.

as like fashion, there is no right or wrongs with what you dish up - but if you are like me and have an adventurous side, then i say go for it, let your recipe for risotto be as exciting as your recipe for life. 

and you are more than welcome to come and join me at my dinner table to get into a risotto frenzy.

the sunday session 19 - what a tart

how's things lovely fashionistas. hope you had a lovely week. i did - but then, i always try to find the shining light every day.

i loved my looks this week - a mix of thrifted, home sewn, upcycled, some classic, some modern and of course colour. i never like to find myself locked into one look, it messes with my sense of adventure.

i think my favourite look was this one - the one i likened to a big dollop of whipped cream with strawberry.  i find this one quite out of character for me, but it felt amazing.  it felt quite classic and old fashioned and i really just wanted to go somewhere with equally stylish ladies and enjoy a high tea.  who am i!

the skirt was made by me using fabric from darn cheap fabrics at port melbourne. they have a few stores around melbourne and their fabric has a mix of low and high end quality and pricing, including fabric from dolce gabbana and other designers.  there is a price tag attached to some, but they do have a good bargain area, which is where i found this fabric.  it's a textured piece and it cost $6 per metre. the blouse was thrifted in the brotherhood of st laurence op shop in the city.   i teamed this with my red mary janes from jo mercer and a thin red belt from a $2 shop at south melbourne opposite the markets.

what i loved about this fabric was its texture and rather than cutting the skirt with the stripes across - the way they were meant to go - i let them run down and used the edge of the fabric as the hem detail. if you were ever wanting to make a super simple skirt, this is the one.  just requires the side seams and elastic around the waist.  it's super simple, super spunky and it worked a treat  i didn't have a slip to go underneath it, so i just used a satin flowery skirt which gave the skirt and extra hint of mystery.

now speaking of strawberries and cream, i have another recipe share..... and it's for these super fun tasty yumbo jumbo mumbo strawberry tarts.

get some medium size strawberries
some puff pastry
a bit of castor sugar
a hot oven
some icing sugar for later
and some whipped cream if you feel so inclined.

**
wash the cooties off the strawberry's, get rid of the green stuff and make the bottom flat, then turn them upside down and with a sharp knife, score the top - start to cut the strawberry like you were going to slice it in half from top to bottom, but stop about half way cause you don’t want to cut it in half. then cut it the other way like you were going to slice it in half from top to bottom, but stop, cause you don’t want to cut it in half right!

line a baking tray with baking paper.

cut some pastry into rounds a bit bigger than the strawberries (i did have to use 2 layers, cause i wanted extra puff). use a scone cutter, or a glass and a knife, or make a little template from paper if need be.

sit a strawberry ever so delicately in the middle of one of the puff pastry rounds (flat side down) and give it a good sprinkle of castor sugar. repeat with all strawberries.

whack them in the hot oven, for about 15 mins

and if you are like me, then keep opening the door to see how they are doing, and make sure they haven’t slid off the pastry

after the 15 mins, if the pastry looks puffed and a bit coloured, then those little tasties are ready. if you find that your oven has a mind of its own, then by all means adjust the cooking time.

and voila

if you are an eager beaver like me, you will try to eat one straight away, which could end up with a mouth injury, so wait a while, then sprinkle them with icing sugar before serving.

if you want to add a little dollop of cream before serving, then go for it.

here's to strawberries and cream, for both clothing and for the mouth. till next time xxxxx @janijans

the sunday session 17 - butterfly kisses

and before you know it, it is wednesday.....

so i am not going to beat around the bush this week, i got business to do - cake business, but first, all my looks from last week. i just love getting up each day and deciding what to wear - some days are more traumatic then others, but i always leave the house happy, even if it means leaving a trail of maybes behind me as i get to the dressing finish line. oh the passion and the pain.

my favourite outfit this week was casual friday - jeans, boots a black long sleeve T, a beaded belt and the hair ribbon. the hair ribbon was killer and was very much talked about....so i just worked it to the max. it felt fun, and frivolous and took me back to my youth, where i was a big fan of the side pony.

this look was simple, but effective and the ribbon is a great detractor to any other bits you mightn't want attention drawn to.

on sunday i had a wander round the city and came across a group of people who were out with megaphones and placards - they were drawing attention to fashion revolution day and had speakers there who were involved in the Rana Plaza collapse two years ago, where many workers were injured or killed whilst satisfying our love of fast fashion. i guess that's  another reason why i love to create my own clothes, i know where they come from and that makes my soul feel good. something to think about as we get dressed each day.

last week, was the butterfly cake revolution. at work we were talking about all things cakes and the subject turned to butterfly cakes. in the world of cupcake overload the butterfly isn't something that's seen much. but it is so so good.  i reckon though the old grannies in the country shows would be lining them up for a blue ribbon in the competitions, not to mention good old country bakeries (actually they are probably just brumbies now).

So the cakes got a bit of love on instagram and the lovely @style_moi expressed her love of the butterfly cake and asked if i'd share the recipe.  hell yeah, i love to share a recipe when i get the chance and this once deserves to do the rounds.  so, here it is.

Old fashioned butterfly cakes - this makes about 12.

125g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (add to the milk)
cream - whipped - 1 carton is plenty
strawberry jam
icing sugar

patty pans - i used the small old fashioned ones - they were harder to find, but i did get some and stocked up.

heat the oven to moderate - 180 degrees
put the patty pans into the patty pan tray - a muffin tray also works fine
in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar
add in the eggs bit by bit and mix through
start to add the flour and milk alternately - some flour, mix, then some milk, mix and so on. i did have to use a little extra milk, but not much
mix to a smooth batter
divide the mixture between the patty pans
pop into the oven and cook for 12 - 15 mins.  I am still getting used to my oven, so it was a little longer - but test with a skewer (if it comes out goop free, you are done)
i didn't worry too much about ensuring they were browned on top, just cooked.

while they are cooking, it's your chance to lick the beaters and do a spot of washing up.

once cooked, remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
i stored mine over night and assembled next day and they were great.

to assemble
have the whipped cream, jam and icing sugar at the ready

take one cake and cut a circle across the top - i didn't cut straight across, but rather dipped it down a little.  the cut off top makes the butterfly. i left about 1/2 cm from the edge of the cake. (roughly)

TOP TIP - i used a teaspoon and gently scooped a little extra of the cake out from the centre - this gave a bit more room to add the jam and cream.

spoon in some jam (there is no rule as to how much) and then top with whipped cream (there is no rule as to how much)

slice the cut off top in half and pop onto the cream to give it the butterfly touch.

do this for all the cakes and then sprinkle liberally with sifted icing sugar.

you are done. these are a great little old fashioned treat and really quick and easy to prepare.  i'd love to see a pic if anyone makes them.

buon appetito fashionistas.

dinner party delight

on my recent trip to sydney, i got the opportunity to cook a meal for the host and the hostest with the mostest.

as i have been living lean since my move to melbourne, having the opportunity to cook something more exciting than a dish of dahl was great for me as i got to do something i truly love - cooking. And the dinner guests got to do something they truly love - eating and eating my food, which they often got to enjoy when we all lived in the same city.

as i was cooking the meal, it occurred to me that this meal, which consisted of gnocchi done two ways, 2 salads, a broccoli dish and some bread was a really varied meal, which actually came in pretty cheap and could be perfect for someone wanting to throw a small dinner party that was easy and economical.  so here's what we had.

gnocchi gorgonzola
gnocchi with olive oil and chilli
rocket, baby beetroot and fetta salad
caprese salad
fried broccoli
bread stick

so yep there were 2 types of gnocchi and this was to provide a dryer option to complement the very creamy and cheesy gorgonzola dish and in case any guests were put off by the stinky cheese.

and now i am going to share all this goodness, so you can make any or all of it for yourself or to entertain. Here is what you will need for this amazing meal.

for the gorgonzola gnocchi
some good quality gnocchi (i used a pack and a half for both dishes and we still had leftovers)
small carton of pure cream
gorgonzola dolce - to taste
small amount of butter
sage leaves - as many as you fancy
grated orange skin

for the gnocchi chilli
gnocchi
olive oil
fresh chilli
salt and pepper
parsley

rocket salad
rocket
tin of baby beetroots - drained
fetta cheese (optional)

caprese salad
fresh tomato
buffalo mozzarella
basil leaves
olive oil
balsamic
salt and pepper

fried broccoli
broccoli
olive oil
salt
chilli (optional)

Bread and parmesan cheese also required.

Let's get cracking then.  any, and all of these work together or can complement other dishes you may decide to cook.

and maybe you are going - what the fuck, what the fuck - too much..... but the beauty here is that you pre-prepare most of it and it can just sit and wait until the magic happens in the last minute.  don't be afraid, cause here is the order of cooking.
1. heating the water
2. the broccoli
3. the salads
3.5 the bread
4. the pasta sauces
5. the pasta.

first up. heat a big saucepan of water - keep topping it up if need be, but have it ready to go.

the broccoli - cut up some broccoli and give it a quick cook in the boiling water. add some olive oil to a saucepan, heat with the optional chilli and then add the not too cooked broccoli.  give it a shit load of salt - i use Himalayan or sea salt.  put the lid on and fry the fuck out of it on a low heat.  stir occasionally and then put it aside till dinner time.  it should be soft and salty.  thanks to my new york sister for this beauty.

next up....the salads.

starting with the rocket and beetroot.

wash your rocket, open the beetroots and add both to a serving dish.  sprinkle on some fetta if you wish.  i left this a dry salad, as there was a lot of other moisture to wet this down.  set aside till dinner is served.

time for the caprese.

my hosts had fresh basil and i picked off some leaves. (damn them - i can't even grow a weed and they get this)

slice your buffalo mozzarella and put on a serving plate.

slice your tomato and add to the plate. there are no rules with this.  as you can style it any way you like.  layer it, stack, separate it. whatever! tear up some basil leaves and put on the plate.  drizzle, the oil, balsamic, salt and pepper just before serving.

the bread - you don't need instructions for this.

now to the gnocchi. so the water has been bubbling away patiently and we are nearly ready to go.

gorgonzola gnocchi and chilli gnocchi - these can be done at the same time.

in a frypan, add the carton of cream, a knob of butter, some sage leaves. some grated orange skin, and gorgonzola to taste.  i used nearly half a block (it was igor gorgonzola from coles).

for the oil and chilli - add some olive oil and some chilli to a pan. i have added a diced chilli and a half chilli for fun and i chopped the parsley in readiness.

 

so - it's nearly time.  put these items on to heat.  the cheese will melt slowly and the chilli maybe a bit quicker.  (start the cheese first or just turn the chilli down if the cheese isn't done) neither should be bubbling erratically.

when both the sauces are nearly heated through, put the gnocchi in the boiling water. when it rises to the top it is ready.  simply use a slotted spoon and split between both sauces.

add the parsley and some salt and pepper to the oil dish and stir both gently so the sauce finds its way into the gnocchi.

you are done. two great gnocchi dishes to add to your other prepared stuff - you can even serve them straight from the frypan for that "i don't want too much washing up" feel.

serve it up, go put on some lippy, so you look as hot and as effortless as the meal you have just prepared, and enjoy. buon appetito.

if you do try this or any of this, i'd love to know how it went, because i feel confident that it will work a treat.

the what i wore project - week 45

hot diggity-dog, i have had a week of fun and colour with the undoing of the pandoras box that was my storage pod.  i got to retrieve clothes, shoes, handbags and other loved items to make me feel like i am really at home here in melbourne.  it still doesn't feel real in some ways, but it is and one of the fave things i got from the box is my pushbike.  it's so great just to be able to ride - anywhere. melbourne is such a cycling city and as i live in southbank, it was great to be to able to pedal off when i felt like it - in between coughing that is.

when i was out on sunday afternoon another sore throat had set in and it wasn't your usual sore throat, it was sore right at the bottom of my neck - very strange and voila - sick - again.  but that didn't stop me putting on my finery and getting through the week.  i'm a bit funny about taking time of work, given i am so new still, but i made it through.

having a 4 day weekend was just what i needed (apart from being sick) which by the end of the week was really wearing me down - not to mention wearing down my bank account as i stocked up on immune boosters, vitamins, cough medicine (i was offered one for day and one for night cough medicine mind you - just give me the one that's gonna make the cough fa-cough thanks). ka-ching. and then there was the raw garlic and chilli.  i started building an internal fire and fueling it up to sweat this bugger out.

by yesterday arvo, when i was feeling pretty ordinary, i took out the bigger big guns.  the raw garlic and chilli earlier in the week was the big guns, but i needed bigger guns (actually come to think of it, i wouldn't mind having a squeeze of some big guns). Hang on that's single lady problems - a whole other story.

but i did brew a tea that i had in a book called Beaming with Health which i got way back in the 90's. don't you love a remedy from the olden days?  It's great book and one that i am going to re-read. anyway it has a tea to help you sweat out the germs, not to mention stuff about our poop....

fresh ginger, cinnamon stick, fresh thyme and honey in hot water.  i added the kick of fresh chilli and black pepper.  wham bang thank you mam.  it has certainly made a difference and tonight i think i will give myself another dose before bed.  i probably could have had some shots of whisky, but i think this was the better alternative.

 

anyway, here's all the looks of my week.

I did also manage to delete all of my pics from my phone for most of the week - genius, but onward.

monday - no work. yippee.  i headed out for coffee wearing my ever trusty target skinny jeans, my birkys and this sheer top from tree of life. is tree of life not a melbourne thing, because people i speak to don't seem to know it, but i have loved it for so long.

tuesday - cough cough cough i wore my birky's again a tshirt that is as old as the hills and this amazing sequined skirt i got from odel in sri lanka.  whenever i put this skirt on, it always make me feel good cause when the light hits it, i am at an instant disco. love that. i have had to replace a few sequins, cause just like hansel and gretel left a trail of breadcrumbs, i seem to do the same but with silvery sparkly sequins.

wednesday i went a bit dotty. now i never like to weigh (pardon the pun) into the weight debate, cause it's just not my thing, but damn these pants felt loose. i remember my sister telling me that she put on something like 9kgs when she moved to melbourne cause there was so much good food, well i think the opposite is happening to me and i can only put it down to the following. 1. walking, 2. riding a bike. 3 eating different and not as much food.  to be honest, i am watching my pennies, cause i am still getting into my financial routine, so i don't buy as much, i don't eat as much and i'm probably eating a bit simpler.

i made these great pants.  the top is from suzanne grae, the shoes are from mollini and the super cute necklace is one i picked up in india in 2000.

thursday it was more goodies out of my goodie bags and as it was raining outside, i decided to set up my own backdrop.  i do love an art filled backdrop.

i wore shoes from famous footwear, pink pants that i made like a zillion years ago and a dress that i made which i pretended was a shirt. i popped up the hair and let the heart earrings do their thing - and what is their thing - well just be cute of course.

friday arrived and it was still raining and i was still coughing.  lucky i had some more great art that i could pose with - given that i was wearing an indian kaftan, it seemed fitting to be near my art that i purchased india.

i wore jeans from target, shoes from jo mercer, sequined kaftan top from romafour in sri lanka. earrings are from fiji, but they are hidden by my hair which someone asked if i've had cut - no, just woke up like this....

saturday the mercury dropped. i'd toyed with the idea of packing away some of my winter clothes. melbournites - when does this happen.  when do you transition from winter to summer wardrobe space? cause i was ready, then bang a chilly day hit me and i had to rug up.....

i wore boots from jo mercer, jeans from target, jumper from uniqlo and this great poncho from huudaverti. by the arvo, i had stripped down a bit for my trip into the diwali festival at fed square. but just like a boy scout - i am learning to be prepared -umbrella, pashmina and layers.

sunday - you are killing me - the weather was amazing - the coffee was bad, i got spat at by a crack-head (don't know why i hyphened that - a crack head doesn't care about hyphens - surely?) and the cough was not good..but thanks to the home brew, i think i have cracked it, just like the walking crack-head did when he decided that he owned the road.  i don't think i have ever been spat at before. there is no excuse for that.

i should have worn PPE, but instead i wore my tree of life wrap around skirt, sandals from india, t shirt from k-mart, earrings from sri-lanka and glasses from west end market.  i wasn't sure if the glasses worked with the outfit, but fuck it - if a 50+ woman can strip down to her underwear and run around in the rain, then a 49 year old can surely follow suit and do whatever the fuck she likes......

my week was pretty good especially since i set up my sewing machines after nearly a year of not sewing and i am pretty determined to help some women i love who need to get back on their feet. this weekend i have been helping someone put together a resume.  easy peasy - but not if you find yourself needing to get a job in order to put a roof over your head and food on the table when you find yourself in your late 40's and over, having to start again......one step at a time hey!

cacio e pepe

last year we watched a program from Anthony Bourdain and he was in italy. I love italy and anything to do with italy, including the food and the language.

i studied italian for many years, but sadly i rarely get to speak it.  when i did show an interest in the language, it became quite apparent to me at the time, that i should learn the language after i began having dreams in italian, where i was talking to old italian women and in my dream i was speaking the language, even though i had no idea what i was saying.  so i took myself off to the Dante Alighieri and then onto study at university and then it all just fell by the wayside.

so back to anthony bourdain and the show.  he was in a particular town and ordered what he said was a very traditional pasta dish called cacio e pepe, which is just basically pasta with cheese and pepper. i was quite intrigued by this and set about googling till i found something that looked like it did on the good old telly, so i decided to give it a try. (not my photo by the way)

when making this dish, the aroma is quite intoxicating, as you have to fry the pepper on its own, similar to what you do when tempering indian spices.  I love the smell so much that i actually got some pepper oil from perfect potion and use it in a burner. apparently it promotes confidence and focus.  what's not to like about that!

i caught up with some girlfriends on the weekend and we went to lunch at the spaghetti house in south bank and there was so much great vegetarian food to choose from but i was instantly drawn to the cacio e pepe.

 

I would know if i was on the right track having tasted it from an italian establishment.  mine came served in this parmesan basket which was super tasty and the spaghetti was lovely - with all the right flavours, and it hate to say it but there is a but....one thing i found when making mine was that if you put the cheese in while it's too hot, it goes sticky, not saucy and my dish at the restaurant had this happen - but it didn't stop me eating it.

I am going to share my version of cacio e pepe, cause i was right on track with what i made taste wise, as to what i had at the restaurant.

You need spaghetti ( i used about 2/3 pack of barilla spaghettini 3, which takes 5 minutes to cook), pepper, butter (about 2 ounces) and quite a lot of grated parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup or more if you love it) and a little bit of olive oil.

Trick for new players - you can either cook the spaghetti slightly beforehand and keep some of the pasta water or hot water to dunk it back into to wash the starch off, or cook the spaghetti and sauce simultaneously and drain the pasta straight into the sauce.

 

start by dry frying the pepper - you will want quite a bit to give it the warm flavour that it creates. and it will only take a few minutes for this. once it begins to give off the aroma, you can then turn down the heat and add the butter and let it just melt into the pepper and then let it start to sizzle a bit.  even add a little bit of olive oil here just to add extra moisture and let it heat as well.

turn the heat down and it's now that you add the pasta - either straight from the hot water, or from what was cooked earlier.

gently stir it through to coat the pasta with the pepper sauce.  if you intend to put the cheese in at this point, don't do it while it is still really hot, or it will split and not become sauce like.  last night i added the cheese in 2 goes, off the heat and stirred one section trough then let the next lot just sit on the top and slowly melt.

the first time i made it, i served it with rocket as i thought the peppery flavour of the rocket would enhance it, but it didn't, it just seemed to make it a bit bitter. so now, i either have it by itself, or like i did last night with baby beets and tomatoes and a flat bread i love to make using flour, yoghurt and topped with garlic and oil.  sadly that picture must have happened in my mind, cause i can't find it anywhere.

enjoy. and my plan is that if i go back to italy, i will be testing cacio e pepe in every village or town and i hope that it's something that you might try to make.

buon appetito, mangiare sempre e buona fortuna!