LUKA JEZERŠEK (DVOR JEZERŠEK)

Autumn is a very special time, rich in seasonal ingredients. Which ingredient is most often on your menu at the moment?

Looking back over the last few days, we definitely had root vegetables, apples, persimmons, lettuce grown in raised beds, fish from the Fonda fish farm, a capon supplied by my friend Srečko Kunst, pogača flatbreads featuring cured meats produced by the head of the family, Franci Jezeršek... Not to mention wine and homemade spirits. All seasonal, all very good.

How do you spend time with your family now that you’re home more than usual?

We cook, have fun, take walks. I was just thinking today how grateful I’ll be for this year when I’m old, especially for the time spent with my family. At the same time, I’m doing my best not to think too much about the state of the business, as the situation is far from ideal. To put it in culinary terms, it’s a very bitter state of affairs.

When cooking at home, do you prefer making dishes that have already been tried and tested, or do you experiment more?

A combination of both, actually. At the moment, my thoughts revolve around the Japanese soufflé cheesecake. After many attempts, I have yet to see real results.

Do you take more time to involve your children in the cooking process during this period? What kitchen work do you think is best to start with to interest them in cooking?

Yesterday, my son and I made pogača flatbreads, this morning we all cut apples for strudel. Today, my son made his first Turkish coffee, and my daughter and I will make the dough for the bread we’ll be baking tomorrow. I think these are good beginnings in the kitchen, along with a good work ethic.

Did you develop any new business ideas in 2020, a year which brought so many challenges to the restaurant industry?

Although the situation is far from ideal, we have quite a few rewarding culinary stories behind us. We successfully tendered for the long-term lease of Gostilna na Gradu and the Grajska Kavarna café at Ljubljana Castle, while Dvor Jezeršek received a Michelin Plate. We also launched a new service, Jezeršek e-catering, which enables simple online ordering of high-end catering, as well as contact-less payment and delivery. It is intended for smaller events held on various occasions, and offers an excellent quality-to-price ratio.

Does the Jezeršek family have anything special in store for November Gourmet?

St Martin’s Day is approaching, a time when the aromas of all things homemade fill the air, and we proudly bring traditional St Martin’s Day dishes to the table. It’s well-known that the Jezeršek family knows no rest, and this time of year is no different. The Jezeršek e-catering service prepared special St Martin’s Day packages and festive autumn delicacies. For the now traditional November Gourmet Ljubljana festival we devised a special St Martin’s gourmet package because we wanted to bring the spirit of St Martin’s Day to people’s homes. The gourmet package will help people turn into true chefs, amaze their loved ones and pamper them with mouth-watering treats from the Jezeršek family. To make St Martin’s Day feast even more delicious, we made a video in which I reveal cookery tricks on how to use the St Martin’s gourmet package quickly and simply to prepare an excellent duck, perfectly cooked mlinci flatbread and delectable red cabbage.