If you’re an older GenX American woman like me, you have feelings about Martha Stewart.
Maybe you liked her in the 80s and had a few linen skirts that looked just like hers. In the 90s, maybe you started to find her annoying when your friends threw over-the-top wedding showers that made you feel inadequate. Then maybe you were indignant that authorities had the GALL to put Martha in JAIL in 2004 on ridiculous charges and she took it like a champ and helped the other women she met in the slammer.
And maybe after that, you found Martha & Snoop an amusing duo and realized that no matter what she does, you will pay attention because she is Martha Stewart. And you are not.
On that note, I made Martha Stewart’s Cacio E Pepe With Lemon last night. Yes, I was annoyed that the “Grana Padano” cheese she uses is not readily available in stores. The Whole Foods cheese guy hadn’t even heard of it. How very Martha! (I substituted Parmigiano-Reggiano and it was fine.) And yes, I was irritated that I had to grind 4 teaspoons of pepper by hand, because everyone knows that when Martha calls for “freshly cracked pepper” she means it. And finally, NO I did not happen to have a MEYER lemon on hand, but thankfully Martha made it clear that any lemon would do.
The result was good. Very good.
I doubled the recipe so I could use the whole package of spaghetti, rather than half.

“Cacio e Pepe” is simply pasta with cheese and pepper and it’s a classic Roman dish.

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Looks delicious! It’s one of older daughter’s favourite dishes!
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Thank you! I’d never made it from a recipe before and the one time I had it in a restaurant, it was awful. I liked Martha’s version with the lemon zest a lot.
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I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to get that fancy Martha cheese here either lol
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Yeah, it’s probably only available in Italy and like two shops in Manhattan 😉
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That photo of Martha!! I’ve never actually paid much attention to her, but damn that is inspiring. You think that’s achievable? I’d like to think so…
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Martha is an icon and we are mere mortals but yes, I think a version of it IS achievable for us Shelly. 💪🏼😊
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I feel like tacking this up on my wall. I lost a lot of muscle when I left my gym to get on the road, and then I gained a lot of weight when I left the road. But, she’s *been to prison.*
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🤣
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As if Martha hasn’t made me feel inadequate enough in the kitchen and the garden, now she looks better in a bathing suit … damn her.
🤣
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Right to hell! 🤣
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She and Snoop were an unlikely pair, but it worked! I thought jail was a bit much, but maybe she got some street cred from it
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You know, you’re right. She handled the jail time very well and made everyone respect her more.
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Wow, what a coincidence. I was just chatting with another blogger about Martha and her Netflix documentary. I like her, and the collaboration with Snoop was a stroke of genius.
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It really was! I’d like to think it happened naturally- like the two of them just randomly hit it off. 😊
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I think it did. They met at Martha’s lowest point, and their relationship just flourished.
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Good to know!
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