Visit most kitchens in Australia and it’s likely you’ll find a well-worn copy of The Cook’s Companion. Stephanie Alexander AO’s seminal work, which has sold over 500,000 copies, turns 30 years old this month. To celebrate, the decorated chef and force behind the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is releasing an anniversary edition, updated with more than 90 new or revised recipes.
We caught up with the Melbourne-based culinary icon to find out where (and what) she’s been eating in Melbourne lately.
Favourite bakery
“I have several. Irrewarra seed breakfast loaf is my breakfast favourite for toasting. I enjoy Woodfrog baguettes and Phillippa’s boule – a country loaf is excellent to serve with a plate of cheese and sausage. And Baker Bleu’s caraway and rye loaf.”
Special occasion spot
“Gimlet is a favourite. I appreciate how it succeeds in serving a lot of people, and yet the acoustics are very good. Most Melbourne restaurants are too noisy for me to enjoy when I dine with more than two people. I really enjoy Andrew McConnell’s menus and have enjoyed them at several of his other venues, notably Marion and Cumulus.”
Favourite regional restaurant
“Du Fermier, Chauncy and Tedesca Osteria are all excellent and worth the planning to get a booking and travel there.”
Melbourne restaurant you wish could make a comeback for a night
“Two Faces under the guidance of chef Hermann Schneider set the standard for excellent menu design and expert cooking during the ’80s. Nowhere else could one find sweetbreads, other offal dishes, occasionally goose and venison cooked with uncommon vegetables.”
Best place for solo dining
“I would trust Lupino on Little Collins Street in the city or Rosella in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy to be welcoming to a solo diner. They’re both small restaurants that I have enjoyed over the years. Friendly staff, interesting food, both Italian influenced, and [have] corners to be tucked into so one can eat and observe.”
Venue you’ve visited the most over the years
“Definitely one of Andrew McConnell’s restaurants; maybe Cutler or Cumulus, as both pre-dated Gimlet.”
Best place for a drink and snacks
“My own place. I always have some wine in the fridge and can rustle up a snack or two. We can choose to sit outside in the courtyard if the weather is balmy or inside if not and admire the gum trees through the windows.”
Stephanie Alexander appears at the Melbourne Writers Festival from Thursday May 7 to Wednesday May 10 7-10 May. Tickets available via mwf.com.au. The Cook’s Companion 30th Anniversary Edition is released Tuesday March 24.
Dining and Cooking