The Cook's Companion: The Complete Book of Ingredients and Recipes for the Australian Kitchen

This is my way out ahead choice for the one cookery book I would keep if I could only have one. I have been a fan of the original 1996 edition for many years, but had to buy the 2004 (striped) revised edition when I realised that it doesn't just have 300 extra recipes, but is also far better indexed so that all Stephanie's "margin recipes" are searchable now. Like the original edition it is still the perfect book to turn to when you want to experiment with some unusual ingredient and wonder what to do with it and what it goes with, and yes, it is highly reliable. Stephanie really knows her stuff.

What can one say! If you were allowed only one cookbook, this magnificent, encyclopaedic work would be it. Nowadays everyone knows what you mean when you refer to 'Stephanie'.