In this book the prestigious chef Joan Roca, at the head of the celebrated restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, introduces a top selection of traditional Cata­lan recipes from among those his mother, Montse­rrat, has always prepared at the Can Roca restaurant in Girona, where he began his professional training.

The foundations of the cuisine that now bears the name of this master chef are encompassed in the­se pages: from the fried calamari to the delicious crema catalana, as well as the festival cannelloni and the fish suquet. The recipes are explained in a straightforward fashion for the inexperienced cook and  complemented by interesting observations about the different products, preparations, versions and presentations of each dish. Over one hundred twenty recipes that comprise a small tribute to traditional Catalan cuisine, the ROOTS for that of El Celler de Can Roca.

The author
Joan Roca Fontané (1964), chef at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, trained professionally at Can Roca, his parent’s restaurant, and academically at the Es­cola d’Hostaleria i Turisme in Girona. Since 1986, he has overseen his own restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca, together with his brothers Josep, maître d’ and sommelier, and Jordi in charge of desserts.

He has won a series of awards, including the Tou­ristic Merit Diploma from the Catalonian Gover­nment, the National Gastronomy Award for best chef by the Spanish Academy of Gastronomy, and the Best Chef of the Year award by the Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía guide. He also holds an honorary doctorate degree awarded by the University of Girona.