The Cook's Companion ─ The Complete Book of Ingredients and Recipes for the Australian Kitchen

The Cook's Companion has established itself as the kitchen 'bible' in over 300,000 homes since it was first published in 1996. Stephanie Alexander has added over 300 new recipes as well as 12 new chapters to this thoroughly revised and updated edition. Stephanie believes that good food is essential to living well: her book is for everyone, every day. She has invaluable information about ingredients, cooking techniques and kitchen equipment, along with inspiration, advice and encouragement and close to 1000 failsafe recipes.

Stephanie Alexander ran the acclaimed Stephanie's Restaurant for 21 years before closing it in 1997, then for eight years was a founding partner in the popular Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder. Stephanie was awarded a Medal of the Order Of Australia in 1994 for her services to the hospitality industry and to tourism, and for encouraging young apprentices, and become Victorian of the Year in 2010. Since 2001 she has led the groundbreaking work of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, promoting a primary school kitchen garden program that can be integrated with the general primary school curriculum, now operating nationally in 500 schools and growing. 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 through life. In 2013 Stephanie was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia for this project. Among Stephanie's other books areStephanie's Menus for Food Lovers, Stephanie's Seasons, Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion,Stephanie Alexander & Maggie Beer's Tuscan Cookbook, the widely acclaimed Cooking and Travelling in South-West France, and her memoir, A Cook's Life. stephaniealexander.com.au