The new kitchen classic
Our Generation chats with one of Australia’s most revered restaurateurs, cookbook authors, and food educators, Stephanie Alexander AO, who is celebrating the 30th anniversary of her iconic book, The Cook’s Companion.
By Nadia Howland
Stephanie Alexander has established a reputation as Australian food royalty, having been the owner-chef of several restaurants, the author of 18 books, and for her groundbreaking work in establishing the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, which helps educate children about food and health.
Her fifth book, The Cook’s Companion, first published in 1996, is regarded as an Australian classic, and has sold more than 550,000 copies.
With 2026 marking the 30th anniversary of this iconic kitchen bible, Stephanie and her publisher, Penguin, have released a 30th anniversary edition with approximately 70 new recipes, some of which were originally published in earlier books that are now out of print. The new edition also includes an updated introduction, ingredients, equipment, and a new ‘how to use this book’ section.
Reflecting back on the original release of The Cook’s Companion, Stephanie says she had no idea it would become an Australian classic, revered by both home cooks and celebrated chefs.
“I hoped to write a useful and friendly guide to the ingredients most often used in the average kitchen, to provide information as to how to best use this ingredient, with a few thoughts and recipes to start you off,” she explains.
“I was aware that cooking seemed to make many anxious, and that this anxiety prevented action. I was confident in my ability to convince a reader to have a go.”
Everything Stephanie has achieved and worked towards has been driven by her desire to break down anxieties about cooking, to emphasise the beauty of produce fresh from the garden, and to promote the pleasures of sharing food around a table.
Stephanie says, “Sharing food is a joy and unrivalled as a way of convincing others to enjoy good, fresh food. Some of the best dishes are the most simple, and good fresh food does not have to mean high prices. Nor does it have to take hours.”
She says the digital revolution and the introduction of the internet has been the biggest change she’s seen during her career.
“The internet has been a massive change shaper and has changed the publishing industry among others,” Stephanie says.
“Alongside this change has come the phenomenal growth of the convenience food industry, which has convinced too many that they do not need to cook anything—just open a package or thaw something.
“The difference between experiencing or growing raw ingredients, selecting them with care, and then cooking with them as opposed to simply choosing a finished product leads to an indifference to how one’s food is made.”
That growing sense of indifference sparked Stephanie’s desire to help younger generations learn about food. Her strong belief is that the earlier children learn about food through example and pleasurable hands-on experience, the better their food choices will be throughout life.
She established the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation in 2004, and it has continued to grow and evolve as an outstanding example of health education for children.
“The Kitchen Garden Foundation is being supported by a mix of government, corporate, and private philanthropists, and is increasingly to be found in larger community projects,” Stephanie says.
“An example is the current model kitchen garden being established on the roof of the new Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta, Sydney, which will be available to all the children of Western Sydney.
“I am very proud of it and continue to meet parents of kitchen gardeners who are delighted by the changes they see in their children.”
Asked what she wishes more Australians understood about food, Stephanie says, “That it can be a source of joy for every day and one that is entirely possible for everyone with just a little experience. Parental modelling is hard to beat as a positive early experience.
“Passing down knowledge of food and cookery from older generations to younger generations is such a powerful force. Especially if it leads the younger generation to appreciate the full story of growth by growing something at home.”
The Cook’s Companion 30th Anniversary Edition is available in bookstores and online now.
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