A Cook's Life by Stephanie Alexander, ISBN 9781921382789

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With her Cook's Companion front and centre in half a million kitchens, Stephanie Alexander is the very definition of a household name. Each day thousands turn to this 'food Bible' for definitive recipes, encouragement and advice. But before Stephanie Alexander penned a word for the emerging food media let alone for The Cook's Companion she had spent decades avidly documenting food experiences.

Shaped by her mother's dedication to good food and her father's love of reading, she trained as a librarian and all the while observed, notated, assessed and re-created the dishes she loved. Her monthly university allowance rarely lasted more than a week all spent on pan-fried flounder and chestnut Mont Blanc. She was seduced over pain Po lane while working as an au pair in Paris, and later over ackee and saltfish in London. In 1966, with no formal training and a newborn baby, but brimming with confidence and sheer determination, she opened Jamaica House with her first husband. The personal toll was great and it was eight years until she emerged on the restaurant scene again.

Stephanie's Restaurant has become part of Melbourne food folklore, permanently raising the bar for restaurant dining in Australia. At the time of its opening, in 1976, a salad to most people meant iceberg lettuce, no-one had heard of goat's cheese and ginger came in a tin. Over the next twenty-one years, in order to obtain the best-possible produce, the likes of which she had enjoyed while travelling in Europe, Stephanie championed small local suppliers or grew it herself.

Her indefatigable determination and single-minded vision have influenced and sometimes intimidated a generation of chefs, cooks and diners. And now her Kitchen Garden Foundation is inspiring tens of thousands of primary school children across Australia to grow and cook their own food.

A Cook's Life is a very personal account of one woman's uncompromising dedication to good food, of how it shaped her life and changed the eating habits of a nation.

RRP: $39.95
QBD: $32.99

About the Author: Stephanie Alexander

Stephanie Alexander is one of Australia's best-known chefs and food writers - a national treasure who possesses the rare talent of writing as well as she cooks. Originally trained as a librarian, she ran her Melbourne restaurant, Stephanie's, for 21 years before closing in 1997 to concentrate upon other ventures. The restaurant was the recipient of many national and international awards and accolades and was regarded as the quintessential Melbourne experience. Stephanie is now a partner in the Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder. She has long been an outspoken champion of the quality and diversity of Australian produce and the importance of good food in our lives. She has been a guest chef at many of the great world restaurants, including the Ritz Carlton, London's Inn on the Park, and Sydney's The Regent Hotel. In 1994 Stephanie was awarded an Order of Australia for her services to the hospitality industry and tourism, and she received an Australian Achievement Award in 1995.

Stephanie is the author of several best-selling books, including the widely acclaimed Stephanie's Seasons and The Cook's Companion, and she is co-author of the recent Stephanie Alexander & Maggie Beer's Tuscan Cookbook. She also contributes regularly to The Age and Good Weekend Magazine. Her next project is to produce and present a seven-part television series on Australian food and wine for ABC Television

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