Stephanie Alexander is a national icon: an internationally renowned cooking guru, best-selling writer and inspirational founder of a nationwide kitchen-garden scheme for schoolkids. She's also the final arbiter of kitchen disputes in homes all over Australia – resolving disagreements about how to store tomatoes and when to take the sponge out of the oven – as the author of Australia's most famous cookbook, The Cook's Companion. The 2.8-kilogram culinary doorstopper turns 30 this year, and Alexander joins Good Weekend senior writer Amanda Hooton for a chat about restaurants and writing, eating and air-fryers.

Stephanie Alexander is a national icon: an internationally renowned cooking guru, best-selling writer and inspirational founder of a nationwide kitchen-garden scheme for schoolkids. She's also the final arbiter of kitchen disputes in homes all over Australia &ndash; resolving disagreements about how to store tomatoes and when to take the sponge out of the oven &ndash; as the author of Australia's most famous cookbook,&nbsp;The Cook's Companion. The 2.8-kilogram culinary doorstopper turns 30 this year, and Alexander joins Good Weekend senior writer Amanda Hooton for a chat about restaurants and writing, eating and air-fryers.

Good Weekend Talks features in-depth conversations with the people fascinating Australians right now, from sport to politics to the arts, business and beyond, interviewed weekly by the country's top journalists. Consider it a magazine for your ears.

Good Weekend Talks features in-depth conversations with the people fascinating Australians right now, from sport to politics to the arts, business and beyond, interviewed weekly by the country's top journalists. Consider it a magazine for your ears.

Good Weekend Talks

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series. 

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series.&nbsp;

New episodes

Stephanie Alexander on writing, eating, air-frying – and The Cook’s Companion turning 30

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/473eb337-6206-4597-9142-b4110053daa7/transcript

Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe has made a career out of chasing the kinds of stories that most people would be wise to leave alone. The New Yorker writer is drawn to powerful institutions and the people at their heart – from the Sackler dynasty, whose pharmaceutical company created the opioid painkiller OxyContin in Empire of Pain, to the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in Say Nothing. His latest book, London Falling, delves into the story of 19-year-old Briton Zac Brettler, who had been living a double life, pretending to be the son of a Russian oligarch, before he mysteriously fell to his death from a luxury apartment building in London. Radden Keefe, the so-called “journalist’s journalist”, joins us to discuss London Falling, the ethics of true-crime reporting, and a reporter’s need for scepticism. Plus, we get our own scoop on what he might tackle next – and why it could bring him to Australia. Today’s episode is hosted by Spectrum editor Melanie Kembrey.

Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe has made a career out of chasing the kinds of stories that most people would be wise to leave alone. The&nbsp;New Yorker writer is drawn to powerful institutions and the people at their heart &ndash; from the Sackler dynasty, whose pharmaceutical company created the opioid painkiller OxyContin in Empire of Pain, to the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in Say Nothing. His latest book, London Falling, delves into the story of 19-year-old Briton Zac Brettler, who had been living a double life, pretending to be the son of a Russian oligarch, before he mysteriously fell to his death from a luxury apartment building in London. Radden Keefe, the so-called &ldquo;journalist&rsquo;s journalist&rdquo;, joins us to discuss London Falling, the ethics of true-crime reporting, and a reporter&rsquo;s need for scepticism. Plus, we get our own scoop on what he might tackle next &ndash; and why it could bring him to Australia. Today&rsquo;s episode is hosted by Spectrum editor Melanie Kembrey.

The New Yorker's Patrick Radden Keefe on investigating 'an unnatural death'

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/ad4e58cf-7b3b-453b-87a7-b426017a563e/transcript

New York food writer, editor and podcaster Laurie Woolever spent the early years of her career assisting two very famous chefs: first Mario Batali, then Anthony Bourdain, for whom she worked for nine years. Woolever was also, for much of this time, an addict – using alcohol, marijuana and sex to get through the ups and downs of work, marriage and motherhood. She writes about all of this in her candid 2025 memoir, Care & Feeding, which suggests that while she did a lot of care and feeding for others, it took some time to learn how to do it for herself.
Hosting today’s episode is Good Weekend senior writer Katrina Strickland.
Lifeline: 13 11 14.

New York food writer, editor and podcaster Laurie Woolever spent the early years of her career assisting two very famous chefs: first Mario Batali, then Anthony Bourdain, for whom she worked for nine years. Woolever was also, for much of this time, an addict &ndash; using alcohol, marijuana and sex to get through the ups and downs of work, marriage and motherhood. She writes about all of this in her candid 2025 memoir, Care &amp; Feeding, which suggests that while she did a lot of care and feeding for others, it took some time to learn how to do it for herself. Hosting today&rsquo;s episode is Good Weekend senior writer Katrina Strickland. Lifeline: 13 11 14.

Bourdain and Batali's 'right-hand' woman Laurie Woolever on her tell-all book

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/c15c2eac-43f8-43bc-b334-b4200046717e/transcript

Marianne Perkovic spent decades working in the finance sector. In 2006, she was the youngest chief executive of an ASX-listed company and in 2018, as a banking executive, she faced a grilling at a royal commission. This is not the standard path for nailing the best seat at Australian Fashion Week. In fact, becoming executive chair of the Australian Fashion Council in 2023 was meant to be her “fun board” (while giving her couture credibility with her two daughters).
Perkovic joins us to discuss her unlikely role determining the future of fashion in this country, and how she wrested control of Australian Fashion Week in her best Carla Zampatti outfit. She’s also the subject of a profile in the current issue of Good Weekend – "Seriously invested" – and today's episode is hosted by the writer of that piece, fashion editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Damien Woolnough.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Good Weekend Talks celebrates 300 episodes in May, and to observe the occasion we’re hosting a special live event podcast at the Melbourne Writers Festival, where Good Weekend deputy editor Konrad Marshall will be on stage in conversation with the iconic environmentalist, Bob Brown. We’re pleased to offer a 10 per cent discount on a limited number of tickets to the event. Just hit this hyperlink  and then enter the promo code “GOOD10”, while tickets last.

Marianne Perkovic spent decades working in the finance sector. In 2006, she was the youngest chief executive of an ASX-listed company and in 2018, as a banking executive, she faced a grilling at a royal commission. This is not the standard path for nailing the best seat at Australian Fashion Week. In fact, becoming executive chair of the Australian Fashion Council in 2023 was meant to be her &ldquo;fun board&rdquo; (while giving her couture credibility with her two daughters). Perkovic joins us to discuss her unlikely role determining the future of fashion in this country, and how she wrested control of Australian Fashion Week in her best Carla Zampatti outfit. She&rsquo;s also the subject of a profile in the current issue of Good Weekend &ndash; "Seriously invested" &ndash; and today's episode is hosted by the writer of that piece, fashion editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Damien Woolnough.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Good Weekend Talks celebrates 300 episodes in May, and to observe the occasion we&rsquo;re hosting a special live event podcast at the Melbourne Writers Festival, where Good Weekend deputy editor Konrad Marshall will be on stage in conversation with the iconic environmentalist, Bob Brown. We&rsquo;re pleased to offer a 10 per cent discount on a limited number of tickets to the event.&nbsp;<a href="https://your.theage.com.au/gwt300">Just hit this hyperlink </a>&nbsp;and then enter the promo code &ldquo;GOOD10&rdquo;, while tickets last.

From finance to front row: Australian fashion boss Marianne Perkovic

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/00766a48-6102-45c1-a358-b41900676206/transcript

Stephanie Alexander on writing, eating, air-frying – and The Cook’s Companion turning 30

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