Veronika Čopíková, a well-known food blogger and author of the successful cookbooks Lazy Cook, takes readers back to childhood in her recipes – to yeast cakes, the scent of poppy seed filling, and memories of Sunday family lunches. Her blog Lazy Cook has become an inspiration for all who long for tasty homemade food. On the occasion of Mother's Day, we talked with her not only about family recipes but also about the power of cooking together, love for simplicity, and dairy products that are an inseparable part of her kitchen.
1. Veronika, what was your journey to cooking like? Was it a natural process and did you cook in a toy kitchen as a child, or were you inspired by something specific later on?
Food fascinated me from a young age, but in the kitchen I mostly helped out since I grew up with five siblings and everyone had to lend a hand somehow. Therefore, my childhood is more associated with frying schnitzels, making pancakes that disappeared faster than I could make them, cleaning vegetables, and pulling weeds in the garden ???? But also with homemade pizza, yeast blueberry cake, and poppy seed filling in strudel, as my mother loved baking and cooking, and her Sunday lunches were an unforgettable taste experience. However, I only got into cooking and baking during university studies, when baking helped me relieve stress from exams and tests.
2. Mother's Day belongs to our mothers and grandmothers, whose food always tasted somehow different, that taste was and is unique – do you know that? Do you have any traditional recipes in your family that are passed down from generation to generation?
I know this feeling very well ???? That’s why I was extremely happy when my husband’s grandmother gave me all her old and worn notebooks full of recipes. They are full of treasures – recipes she cooked and baked for us, her notes and shorthand, and also recipes from her colleagues that she typed on a typewriter. Last year I spent trying her recipes, my mother’s and mother-in-law’s recipes, and transforming all those unique flavors into the third cookbook dedicated to unforgettable recipes from grandma. At home, recipes for yeast cakes, pizza with lečo, doughnuts, and Sunday golden broth are passed down. From grandma, I inherited recipes for great dolky, apricot balls made from potato dough, and green bean soup.
3. Your Lazy Cook 3 has the subtitle Grandma’s Unforgettable Recipes and is interwoven with stories and memories of your childhood and grandmother. What food evokes the most beautiful childhood memories for you? Was there a special treat your grandma prepared for you?
The book Lazy Cook 3 was created in honor and memory of my husband’s grandmother because our grandparents and parents passed on many tasty memories that we still lovingly recall today. The book contains time-tested recipes full of flavors and traditions, with a touch of nostalgia and memories of grandma. The most beautiful childhood memories for me are evoked by the smell of yeast dough, probably because of its versatile use in the form of soft dukátové buchtičky soaked in vanilla cream, homemade pizza with thick fluffy dough, yeast plum or blueberry cake, or Moravian cakes with curd filling and crunchy streusel.
4. Did you get involved in cooking as a child? If yes, which recipes did you like to prepare the most and whom did you assist most often? Do you think cooking together can be a way to spend quality time with loved ones?
As a child, I mostly sneaked tastes of cooling poppy seed filling from the pot, hot baked dumplings, or freshly baked cookies from the tray. I enjoyed eating more than cooking or baking, but maybe that was because my mother was an excellent cook and everything went smoothly in the kitchen. My older sister and I occasionally tried to bake something for Mother’s Day or mom’s birthday, but it ended with a leaking bundt cake and a small disaster in the oven or partially melted plastic bowl along with melted chocolate ???? In my opinion, cooking together is one of the best ways to spend quality time with our loved ones. It relaxes you, and for a moment you focus only on simple tasks like chopping, mixing ingredients, or watching the dough rise in the oven. You share your experiences, stories, and often funny anecdotes. And when after cooking together we all sit at one table without phones, computer screens, or TV, the time spent together over good food is literally a reward. It just requires enough time, planning, and good organization, but the result is always worth it!
5. If you had to choose one recipe to pass on to future generations, which one would it be and why? Or is it still "too early" to choose the right recipe? Do your recipes mature with age?
If I had to choose only one recipe, it would be banana bread. It is a universal recipe with simple and quick preparation, perfect for using overripe bananas – which usually no one wants to eat because of their excessive sweetness and unappealing texture. But in the bread, they work perfectly, and the recipe can easily be adapted to gluten-free and lactose-free versions. However, all recipes I want to pass on I also include in my cookbooks because printed form can be gifted, inherited, or shared ???? Regarding recipes maturing with age, I think it definitely happens with me. But it’s not just age, it’s also the passage of time, trying new ingredients, learning, and the desire to constantly experiment even with recipes I already consider excellent. Sometimes just adding a new herb, spice, or changing the preparation method makes the result tastier or more interesting.
6. We know you are familiar with SABI products – do you remember when you first tasted SABI and which product it was? Which SABI product is your favorite today?
Since I come from a village in eastern Slovakia, I have known SABI products since early childhood. But I remember best the chocolate-banana yogurt because it is an unusual yet so tasty combination ???? Today I most often buy plain yogurt, acidophilus milk, curd cheese, or sour cream.
7. Many moms have their "secret tricks" or "hacks" in the kitchen. Do you have a guaranteed tip from your mom or grandma that you still use today?
My proven tricks are patience and perseverance ????. Because it can always happen that something doesn’t work out, usually when we try to do several things at once, quickly, and skip some steps in preparation that turn out to be crucial for a perfect result. So not only in the kitchen, I try to be prepared for failures that happen in cooking and baking, and at the same time be patient and follow the steps carefully. A proven tip is to use quality and, if possible, seasonal ingredients, and even though I didn’t like it at the beginning of cooking, it really is true what our moms and grandmas say – sometimes it’s necessary to add some ingredient by eye ????. The key for me is also knowing that every oven bakes differently, so even if we follow the same recipe and use the same ingredients, the result can be completely different. Therefore, it’s good to know your oven and watch for the signs of baking the particular dessert.
8. If you had to choose a simple cake to celebrate Mother's Day that anyone could bake – even with little culinary skills – what would you bake? Or what would you recommend?
I would choose my favorite fruit sponge cake, where you can use seasonal, preserved, or frozen fruit. The sponge cake is fluffy, full of fruit, and crunchy on top thanks to almond slices. And if you add a scoop of sour cream and a bowl of fresh raspberries or strawberries, it will disappear in no time. Moreover, even a complete beginner in the kitchen can handle the preparation. You can find this recipe in my third cookbook and especially in the MILK-AGRO leaflet and newsletter.
9. What place do dairy products have in your kitchen? Which dairy product can never be missing in your fridge and which SABI product do you miss in our offer?
I use dairy products daily. Recently, I really liked acidophilus milk, which I like to blend with banana and a pinch of cinnamon. I never miss butter, sour cream, whipping cream, and plain yogurt in my fridge. I really like Greek yogurt and also buttermilk, which I use to make fluffy pancakes. Unfortunately, these two products are not in the SABI offer, but they would definitely find regular customers.
10. What message would you send to all moms on their holiday? And do you have any message for those who want to prepare something tasty for their mom but don’t have much cooking experience?
That they are amazing, kind, and selfless beings, and I wish them to receive enough support and care from their surroundings that they deserve. And if adults or younger generations read this interview and want to please their mom with something homemade, they should check out my blog Lazy Cook, where they will find plenty of simple and tasty inspirations for sweet and savory recipes. If your mom likes sweets, try making her a fluffy sponge cake, lava cake, or surprise her with breakfast in bed – delicate pancakes with a scoop of sweetened yogurt and fruit will surely bring a smile to her face ????.
Veronika Čopíková is the 2017 food blogger of the year and author of three successful cookbooks. She loves tasty homemade food made from quality ingredients that are commonly available. On her blog Lazy Cook, you will find quick and simple recipes including gluten-free and lactose-free versions, with less sugar and using whole grain flour.
