‘A time capsule’: Readers share tales of battered Stephanie Alexander cookbooks

Whoever said you can’t judge a book by its cover never owned a copy of Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion. Just ask Good Food readers.

On the 30th anniversary of what is arguably Australia’s best-known cookbook, we put out a call for our readers to share photos of their book’s “battle scars”.

Alexander’s magnum opus – which was first published in 1996 and went on to sell more than 550,000 copies – became known as Australia’s “kitchen bible”, and not only has it been a reliable assistant in the kitchen, it’s been beaten up in the process.

Overwhelmingly, the photos Good Food readers sent were of books that have seen things. Some have missing spines and torn pages, others have faded covers. Some are inscribed with handwritten notes, others have protruding Post-It notes, and many recipes are marked with red-pen variations. All are plastered in cooking splats.

What follows is a snapshot of the beautiful words detailing the role this cookbook has played in our readers’ lives, and the lives of those in their orbit.

The book has been given as wedding gifts and received on milestone birthdays. One person cooked Alexander’s muffins first for her children and now her grandchildren, while another made her lasagne to show a mother-in-law that yes, she could, in fact, cook. One reader even used the book to tell a story about his daughter’s eating habits.

Yes, The Cook’s Companion is a comprehensive collection of recipes and lunch ideas, but it’s really a time capsule, and evidence of a rich cooking life.

In March, when the third edition was released for the anniversary, Alexander told Good Food’s recipe editor, Roslyn Grundy, “Those who bought the first edition 30 years ago have learned they can rely on it.”

As you’ll read, she’s spot on.

What Good Food readers said

“In 2004 I bought two copies of the kitchen bible with the plan to give one to my daughter, which I did when she turned 18 in 2007. For my book, I replaced the (great) photos with my own to illustrate how my daughter’s taste buds had been shaped over the years. It should be clear from the other photos that Stephanie’s book is by far my favourite cookbook. I always tell my gastronomically inclined friends this is the only cookbook you need. Needless to say, my daughter and I love food and cooking, and use Stephanie’s bible frequently.” Alex Barthel

“Most pages are stained, torn, written on, and meals in themselves, actually. But I use it every week. Trust. Delight. Function. Honesty. Dedication. Simplicity and more. (Good pics by Earl Carter, too.) Thank you, SA.” Norman Day

“I heartily agree with Roslyn Grundy that Alexander’s quince recipes are rock stars; they’re among my favourites. Probably our top three recipes are beef bourguignon (modest splatter), oxtail braised with black olives (mid splatter) and chocolate and almond cake (maximum splatter, plus notes). Our copy also features a broken spine from being dropped over the years. I loved this book so much, I gave a copy to my best friend as a wedding present (along with a Pillivuyt butter dish) in 1998. Thanks for the memories.” Nerida Phillips

“On Good Friday, over breakfast reading The Sydney Morning Herald, I opened my 28-year-old copy to make spanakopita for friends coming over that afternoon. I was delighted to read your article and feel very much like a member of a special club. In 1998, when I was 34, single, a caterer, my then-boss, Pira (I was also her bridesmaid), and another bridesmaid, Wendy, gifted me the ‘bible’. Pira’s two- or three-year-old son, Declan, also signed the book. Spanakopita, Sue’s meringues and egg custard have been on high rotation ever since. I had forgotten about Mrs Atkins’ perfect after-school slice until I read the article – a much-loved favourite. Many, many thanks for these lovely memories.” Kathryn Wiedemann

“My parents-in-law migrated from a small town in Sicily in the 1950s. My mother-in-law’s main source of pride was her cooking, and I never dared to prepare Italian food as this was her territory. In the late ’90s, I learnt I would be hosting relatives visiting from Italy who ate only Italian food, so I turned to Stephanie’s Cook’s Companion for inspiration and found her recipe for lasagne. I followed it to the letter. The meal was a huge success, and I was praised effusively. Apparently, Zia said in Italian, ‘I thought you said she couldn’t cook!’ My mother-in-law didn’t believe I had prepared the meal myself, even accused me of buying the lasagne and actually searched the kitchen and my rubbish bin for evidence of deception. Eventually, I produced The Cook’s Companion, and she admitted defeat. To this day, I still get a kick out of it. Thank you, Stephanie!” Sue Amoddio

“I would love to say that my most-used page features something exotic, but after 30 years of living in Singapore, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai and back in Singapore, my photo will attest that pages 76 and 77 have copped a beating. I bought my copy at Mary Ryan’s bookshop in Brisbane on a trip home, and Stephanie’s simple banana cake recipe has been a constant travel partner ever since. May I be making this recipe and many others from this incredible book for 30 years more.” Geraldine Gibb

“For 30 years, all our food questions have been answered with: ‘What does Stephanie say?’ One of our favourite recipes is the potato gratin, with the quandary of what happens to the remaining 20 grams of butter? Would not trade it in for the world.” Shannon Brand

“This was my Christmas present from my grandma on moving out of college and having to cook for myself for the first time. I think 90 per cent of the stains are from the chocolate and almond cake – it’s still our family go-to when we can’t come up with an idea. I’ve looked into having it rebound but there’s so much love in its threadbare appearance that I can’t do it! Happy anniversary to the best book ever.” Kate Heard

“Stephanie Alexander’s Cook’s Companion is just that. It’s like calling up my mother (sadly deceased) and asking for a basic recipe, whether it be for a cheese sauce (find under F for fennel with simple cheese sauce); meringues (under E for eggs); or pesto (under B for basil), and it’s handed over. It’s also a community, where friends and relatives can request that someone brings Stephanie’s carrot salad to a gathering, and we all know they’re referring to the carrot salad with Thai seasoning. Or Claudia Roden’s Middle Eastern orange cake. We have all either cooked it or eaten it; it is a staple. My version (the original orange book) may not include recipes for the latest viral dish, but Cook’s Companion is like a warm hug from home.” Barbara Bagot

“The internet will never replace The Cook’s Companion in our family. My mother is giving her grandchildren a copy of the latest, and they’re very pleased to have their own copies. One of my family’s ‘ultimate puddings’ is Stephanie’s lemon delicious pudding – a regular when my mother-in-law comes for dinner, often thrown together (hence the ripped page!). As for my mother, the rhubarb and cinnamon cake is sentimental, as I bake it with the family heirloom rhubarb with Gippsland provenance from nearly 100 years ago.” Jane Wright

“I was sitting in the audience at a library author talk when I overheard two ladies talking about The Cook’s Companion. They were raving about the plum cake. I didn’t own my own copy at this stage, but when my husband presented me with the book, I remembered that conversation and searched for it. The recipe is Mieze’s plum cake on page 744. It’s not a showstopper visually, but the taste is next level. I think the secret is using large home-grown blood plums at the peak of ripeness. I love this book and really like that it’s arranged by the main ingredient, which is so useful when you have excess produce from the garden. Everything I have tried has been superb.” Kay Delahunt

“The muffins (often with choc chips instead of blueberries) were a staple of my daughter’s school lunches, and I still make them most weeks for the grandchildren. The flourless chocolate cake is everyone’s most requested birthday, Christmas or coeliac-visitor’s request ... I have gifted this book to my children, as engagement, wedding and birthday presents, as well as to so many friends and relatives. You could call me a frequent buyer ... Along with my Complete Shakespeare, Heaney poetry and Pride and Prejudice, this would be one of my desert island books. Thank you, Stephanie, for improving this reluctant cook’s offerings.” Julie Gainey

“My partner and I once managed a Collins Booksellers in Melbourne’s Chadstone. Stephanie’s daughter, Holly, worked with us for a time. Our original copy of the book was faulty – some pages blank. Instead of replacing the book, we photocopied the missing pages, stuck them in and Stephanie kindly signed them for us. We sold hundreds that first Christmas of release. It’s still our go-to cookbook.” Joanne Webb

“My sister gave me The Cook’s Companion in 1997 for my 40th birthday. It saw me through my two-month-old daughter’s growing years. I found tucked into the book Stephanie’s quirky recipe for ‘plastic bag ice-cream’, torn out of The Age (melbourne) magazine. I can only recall that I thought it’s a very determined child that will shake a bag vigorously for four or five minutes with the promise of an ice-cream-like dessert at the end! Thus, my notation, ‘really?’” Vivienne Halat

“Even for me, my Cook’s Companion is in a bad way. If only I could blame a pack of ravening wolves or an extremely localised weather event – alas, I think it’s just that I am a messy and impatient cook, as is my daughter, and we have literally torn it to pieces in our enthusiasm. Favourite recipes? I love the pavlova and all the souffles, and the shortcrust pastry (in Basics). My only complaint: no Anzac biscuit recipe! And (a recent discovery) no hot cross buns! Another edition required, clearly.” Amanda Hooton

It’s true Amanda, Alexander recently discovered that one of her best-loved recipes had been accidentally omitted from the latest edition. Good Food tracked it down and published it here, or find it on the Good Food app.