INTERVIEW WITH THE CHEF – CRISTINA ROJAS

Hello Cristina.  How should we address you? As a chef, as a gastronomic creator or as the heart and soul of Sarova Catering which is now turning on its stoves at La Finka 4.1.
I am the heart and soul of Sarova Catering, together with David Sales. But really, I identify myself simply as the chef of Sarova Catering, a passionate and nonconformist professional!

Which are the three basic ingredients that could use to describe your kitchen?
Honesty, taste and product.

 La Finka 4.1 has its own garden.  What are your essential products for each season?
In summer, it’s tomatoes in all their endless varieties, together with a wide range of lettuce types. In autumn, we would start with pumpkins and yams to then transition to planting artichokes, as well as a wide variety of cabbages and spinach in winter.
Once the weather gets nicer in spring, we take advantage of the local classics, like the extraordinary peas and broad beans. We also have fruit trees which we use for making different jams and marmalades.

Is there any project you wouldn’t dare to take on?   From a huge wedding to a breakfast for the press, appetizers between meetings, catering during a shoot or a nutritious breakfast for a yoga course. Where do you get your inspiration for each project?
We like to get to know our clients and their gastronomic tastes, what they do and do not like, what they want to convey and how we can support them through our gastronomy. From there we think about the perfect product and a mood or ambience with which the client can identify. 

Do you have any characteristic traits that identify all the proposals that come from Catering Sarova or do you like creating unique experiences for each occasion?
Our characteristic trait is transparency. What you see is what you get, and when you try it, it’s exactly as you had imagined. Each client is a world of its own and we adapt their needs without straying from our essence or our character.

What does your creative process look like? What is your blank canvas like and how do you start building the idea of taste, aroma and texture?
We immerse ourselves in all kinds of related literature and keep informed of the latest gastronomical trends with the goal of using them within our own style. We want to surpass all the limits that the staging of an event presents. We also use classic cooking as the foundation from which all of our dishes derive, contributing our “savoir faire” in using all the culinary currents that are within our reach.

Sarova is mediterranean.  You work with local products, with vendors that you know well. Do you have any special recipe that truly fully represents the highest expression of taste of products from the area?
Green peas and beans with a hint of mint, a recipe I learned 20 years ago in the Emporda area and that now, being in the Maresme with the same ingredients, I cannot forget.

What impression do you want people to go home with after having an event with you and your team?
I hope people leave La Finka 4.1 having felt at home the entire time.

Thank you, Cristina.