Australian culinary legend Stephanie Alexander has revealed she’s never stepped inside a McDonald’s as she reflects on a lifetime spent reshaping how Australians think about food.

Alexander contrasts homegrown food knowledge with today’s influencer-driven cooking culture, arguing that recipes alone miss the deeper understanding of ingredients and technique.

“Maybe they’ll get most of it (recipes) online,” she says, but adds that when it comes to understanding how and why ingredients work together: “I’m not sure.”

Best known for her popular cookbook The Cook’s Companion, Alexander also runs the Kitchen Garden Foundation, which teaches children in more than 1000 schools about the journey of food – from soil to table.

For her, food has never been content – it’s connection.

–with Eve Swain

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