Stephanie Alexander with Adam Liaw on 30 years of The Cook's Companion

Since 1996, The Cooks Companion has been a bible for Australian kitchens, a reliable friend who can tell you how to boil an egg, bake some bread, roast a chook, whip up a lemon delicious pudding — and much, much more. What is it about this book that's made it such an enduring go-to for household cooks for generations?

This event was recorded live at the Sydney Writers' Festival at Carriageworks on 21 May 2026.

Vote now in ABC Radio National's Top 100 Australian Books.

Speakers:

Stephanie Alexander

Author of 18 books including The Cooks Companion

Founder of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

Chef

Adam Liaw (host)

Author of Two Asian Kitchens, Asian After Work: Simple Food for Every Day, Adam's Big Pot series, and more

Host, The Cook Up with Adam Liaw (SBS)

Recipe writer — The Good Weekend