They travelled from far and wide to see the celebrity chef in action and Antonio Carluccio did not disappoint, charming hundreds as he prepared another truffle-infused meal before sitting down to sign scores of his recipe books.
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The 77-year-old lit a cigarette and was handed his woollen gloves as he answered questions, but seemed to enjoy both the foggy start and the relaxed atmosphere at the Capital Region Farmers Market on Saturday.
"It keeps the head clear," he said, referring to the chilly start not the smoke.
"[The market] is very fresh and very genuine.
"What people produce they produce with integrity - we are too much surrounded by supermarkets and politics."
Farmers market manager Tamara Arnold said no other visiting cook ? as Mr Carluccio, awarded the Italian equivalent of a British knighthood, likes to call himself ? had attracted the same level of attention, with an estimated 300-plus people watching his early morning cooking demonstration.
"I've had people say we're leaving from Sydney at 4am, can you reserve a seat?" Ms Arnold said.
Francesca Barbiero, 62, was one who had travelled from Sydney (although on Friday), and was happy to be part of a long queue of at least 75 people waiting with book in hand for the culinary master's signature.
"I've always loved his shows on TV and his books - his recipes are simple, the things you can cook at dinner at home," she said.
The headline act at this weekend's Canberra and Capital Region Truffle Festival, Mr Carluccio cooked a truffle and mushroom pasta and passed on some tips in his usual honest way, saying only "idiots" would wash pasta in cold water or pour oil on it.
Mr Carluccio leaves the region on Monday after an extended stay at the Braidwood truffle farm of Peter and Kate Marshall, but fans have their final chance to catch him at the Fyshwick markets on Sunday.
Where to see Antonio Carluccio on Sunday:
10.45am-11.45am: Fyshwick Markets. Carluccio will tour the Fyshwick markets and sign copies of his book Pasta. Free. Dalby Street, Fyshwick.
12pm-3pm: Fyshwick Markets Carluccio joins chef Andrew Haskins from 3Seeds for a cooking class featuring four truffle dishes. Tickets are sold out but you can can watch the cooking class from the viewing platform at 3Seeds.
