A Life in Food: Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer

Culinary icons Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer have inspired generations of home cooks and fundamentally transformed how we think about food. They reflect on their decades-long friendship, and their partnership in running a cooking school for Australians in a medieval villa in Italy. They also talk about their influential books on preparing, cooking and savouring delicious food, including their co-authored Tuscan Cookbook, which was recently optioned to be made into a feature film. They are joined on stage by cook, writer and presenter Adam Liaw.

A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

ABOUT STEPHANIE ALEXANDER

Stephanie Alexander’s unparalleled career in food has spanned five decades. She was the force behind Stephanie’s Restaurant, and author of 18 books, including The Cook’s Companion – the bible for Australian cooks. In 2001, she launched the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, operating in more than 1,000 schools and early learning centres around Australia, teaching children about growing, preparing, cooking and sharing delicious, seasonal food. Stephanie has launched hundreds of careers, inspired generations of home cooks and fundamentally transformed the way we think about food in this country.

ABOUT MAGGIE BEER

Maggie Beer is a culinary icon and founder of Maggie Beer Products and the Maggie Beer Foundation. A legend of the food community, Maggie has many beloved cookbooks and has appeared on culinary TV programs including MasterChef, The Great Australian Bake Off and the iconic The Cook and The Chef. In 2022, Maggie was honoured to be awarded Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for “distinguished service to the tourism and hospitality industries as a cook, restaurateur and author, and to aged welfare”.

ABOUT ADAM LIAW

Adam Liaw is a writer, cook, television presenter and former lawyer. He is host of the SBS series The Cook Up. Adam is the author of seven cookbooks, host of the long-running and award-winning SBS series Destination Flavour, and UNICEF Australia’s ambassador for nutrition. He has also been appointed by the Japanese Government as an official goodwill ambassador for Japanese cuisine.