My mother, step-father (Zdeněk) and I were best friends throughout these many years together. We live just down the street from each other and share our daily lives.

Of all the beautiful memories, I will never forget that Zed was there for me in the most difficult moments of my life. He sat with me, patting my back, pouring cold beer into my cup, talking me through my challenges. He offered deep emotional support and empathy, which demonstrated the kindness of his heart and dedication to truly helping us.

In loving memory of Zed, please enjoy one of our favourite beers—which we loved to drink together in times of joy and times of crisis. Whatever the situation, it is likely a good time for a Czech beer:

Pilsner Urquell
Czechvar Lager or Dark Lager
Samson Dark Lager
Velkopopovický Kozel

Zdeněk’s Sourdough Bread

Ingredients:
1⁄4 – 1/2 cup bubbly, active starter
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp warm water
4 cups plus 2 tbsp bread flour (feel free to experiment with rye, whole wheat, and other wheat flours)
1 tablespoon fine sea salt (don’t be shy!)

It may take some time to figure out how to make these, but once you master the art, you will enjoy the best homemade sourdough bread!

Recipe:

Make the dough: Whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl with a fork or spatula. Add the flour and salt. Mix to combine, finishing by hand if necessary to form a rough dough. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: After 30 minutes, grab a corner of the dough and pull it up and into the center. Repeat until you’ve performed this series of folds 4 to 5 times with the dough. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes and repeat the stretching and folding action. If you have the time: do this twice more for a total of 4 times in 2 hours.
Bulk Fermentation (first rise): Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours at 70°F (21°C) or even less if you live in a warm environment. The dough is ready when it has increased by 50% in volume, has a few bubbles on the surface, and jiggles when you move the bowl from side to side.
Shape: Coax the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a round
Rest: Let the dough rest seam side up rest for 30 minutes.
Proof (second rise): Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour or for as long as 48 hours.
Score and put in Dutch oven
Bake: 450ºF (230ºC) Bake the dough for 25 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 350ºF and continue to bake for 10 – 15 minutes more.

Zdeněk’s Clay-Pot Beef Stew with Red Peppers

**Cook Time:** 2 hours
**Total Time:** 2 hours, 30 minutes
**Yield:** Depends on size of the roast

**Ingredients**

1 – 2 1/2 pound rump roast or bottom round
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sunflower oil ( you can substitute olive or canola oil)
1 large yellow onion
1 1/4 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2/3 cup red wine bouquet garni (see below)
4 red peppers
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper – to taste

How To Prepare At Home

Start by soaking the clay pot in cold water for at least 20 minutes, then drain. Cut the garlic cloves into thin slivers. These will be inserted into the beef for added flavor.

The onion needs to be diced and a bouquet garni needs to be prepared.

What is a bouquet garni?

It is a little bundle of herbs, tied together or placed together in in a piece of cheesecloth, used to enhance the flavor of a soup or stew. The classic combination of herbs is parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.

The red bell peppers need to be halved lengthwise and seeded. Be sure to remove the ribbing.

You are going to make a thickener with the butter and flour which is called a beurre manie. It is easier to work with when the butter is soft so take out the butter now and let it sit until soft. If you have to heat it up a little in a pan or in the microwave.

We should be ready to go now.

Using a paring knife, make a bunch of small incisions throughput the meat and insert the garlic slivers into them. Season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides.

Clay pot cooking

Heat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat, add the oil and let it get hot. You want the oil to heat up just to the point of smoking. No more.

Now add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove it from the pan and set aside uncovered.

Add the onion to the pan and saute the onions until golden. Remove the onions from the pan and transfer to the clay pot.

Put the beef on top of the onions and get the beef stock ready. You do this by combining the stock, tomato puree and wine together in a bowl and then pour it over the beef in the clay pot.

Add the bouquet garni to the clay pot, cover and place in the COLD oven. We don’t want to preheat the oven when using a clay pot. Remember, a cold clay pot does not do well with extreme temperature changes.

Crank up the oven to 400 degrees F and cook for 1 hour. Now it’s time to remove the cover from the clay pot, baste, add the bell pepper halves and continue cooking Uncovered for about 45 minutes or until the beef is tender.

Making the Sauce

Remove the meat, peppers and onions from the pot and reserve them on a large serving dish. Pour off the liquids from the clay pot into a sauce pan and heat over medium heat. This one-pan cooking just turned into three pans. You can always use the pan you browned the meat in but I think it is better to work in a sauce pan.

Blend together the flour and butter in a small dish to make a paste. Slowly and in small spoonfuls, add the flour butter combination to the reserved liquid. What we are trying to do is thicken the sauce.

Raise the heat to medium high and bring the sauce to a boil. Immediately lower the heat and simmer the sauce until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Be sure to stir or whisk the sauce during the process or it will burn.

When the sauce is at the consistency to your liking, pour it into gravy boat and serve it with the beef.

Serving Alternative

In our house, we like to plate the food before serving it to our guests. This way we have better control of the portions and everyone is sure to get an equal amount. And if it just so happens I make a mistake and don’t prepare enough of one ingredient, I can fix it by distributing it as best I can.

Zdeněk’s Famous and Fabulous Fruit Cake

This cake was meant for breakfasts and cappuccinos!

Ingredients:
15 dkg grain sugar
15 dkg butter
15 dkg cake flour
3 egg whites
3 yolks
Lemon rind
Grated coconut
Plums or blueberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches, apples

Instructions:

Stir sugar, butter, yolks to foam consistency, than work in gradually 15 dkg cake flour with some finely ground lemon rind.

Whip 3 egg whites to a firm foam (for best results add knife’s tip of salt and a teaspoon of cold water). Stir egg whites foam gently in with the other part.

Smear baking dish with butter and sprinkle with grated coconut. Spread the batter evenly and cover with halves or thirds plums – depending on size – cut side up. Don’t be stingy with butter crumble (butter, grain sugar, cake flour). Slowly bake, 40 minuts at 165 ºC (329 ºF) and 10 minutes at 185 ºC (365 ºF).

Use blueberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches, apples… instead, if desired.
Don’t forget to serve with a cappuccino!

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Zdeněk’s Traditional Czech Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 pc carrot
1.5 l water (may substitute with broth)
1 pc parsley root (or celery stalks)
100 g smoked bacon
200 g lentils
1 pc large onion  
garlic
ground black pepper
salt
dried marjoram

Instructions
Soak the lentils in cold water for three hours.
Meanwhile peel and chop to small cubes onion, carrot, parsley root and bacon.
Pour oil to the cooking pot, bring to heat and roast the bacon and onion until glazed. Now add the rest of vegetables and a glass of water/broth to prevent the content from sticking to the bottom. Stew for five minutes.
Pour off excess water and add the lentils with 1.5 l of water (eventually, drain the lentils and add to boiling pot with 1.5 l of broth). Stir, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are nicely tender.
To finish, add crashed garlic, salt and marjoram leaves to taste.
Note: Using a pressure cooker obviates the soaking step. The soup is ready in 40 min. Make sure to prevent sticking setting the pressure cooker burner to moderate heat.

Zdeněk didn’t just cook—he fed people in the way only someone who truly loves you can. His kitchen smelled like fresh bread, sizzling onions, and comfort. From the first time he taught me how to properly cook a roast or to properly measure flour for cake, he passed on more than recipes—he passed on a way of living. As my stepfather, he didn’t stand back—he leaned in, teaching me not just how to cook, but how to take care of myself, run a home, and take care of my family. Our shared love of gourmet food became a language of closeness. Every soup, stew, or crêpe was a lesson in how to enjoy life. How to live in positivity.