(Chef José Andrés: source: New York Post)
As a chef myself, this man is my hero! When I went to culinary school, I felt like the standalone person who was learning to cook exquisite food so that I could make a difference. Everyone else was doing it so they could make a profit. For them, it was about quantity, instead of quality. There is a reason that so many food sites focus in on “feeding your eyes,” because while the food looks pretty, it often lacks flavor. I went on to become a personal chef that helped the elderly with special diets. It meant that when their doctors were telling them to scale back on their favorite foods, I was supplanting them with more delicious creations, rather than taking away their joy. I kept people happy and out of the hospital and they learned that life is so much more than ‘what you’re used to.’
(Food is Life: source: US News and World Report)
Food IS personal! Every culture, every people, and every country have their own regional specialties. Moreover, most people, when confronted and told they must change their diet because of health reasons or because of displacement from their homelands, shriek, and shudder in response. Thankfully, I was the kind of chef that helped people make the changes they needed to, while also making them feel healthy, happy, and heard through the process. No other chef was doing what I was doing.
"Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” - James Beard
Which is why José Andrés is an incredible human being and chef too! Besides all the other TV and professional chefs out there, he was not focused only on building an empire. It is not to say that he has not also sought international acclaim with his restaurants. Indeed, “he is the only chef to hold both a two-star Michelin restaurant and four bib Gourmands” (StarChefs). Additionally, in 2018, he earned widespread acclaim by making TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list (José Andrés: The World’s 100 Most Influential People). He is legitimately the only chef I have heard of who helps people around the world who are in dire straits. The man is a culinary icon and hero. It is so rare in this world to find other chefs that use their culinary talent to help people too!
“Even today with the public’s growing interest in food and diet issues, politicians rarely include food as part of their public platforms.” - Chef José Andrés
You may be asking yourselves, how is this political? It is simple. Since the first catastrophic earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, José and his wife Patricia, have been going to areas all over the world that have been ravaged by “humanitarian, climate, and community crises” (“World Central Kitchen | World Central Kitchen”). The World Central Kitchen is their empire which specifically organizes and coordinates volunteers, first responders, and professional cooks from disaster-stricken areas to provide fresh produce and free meals to the people who desperately need them. Many of these have been war-torn countries. Wherever you can think of, that has been a disaster in modern times, the World Central Kitchen has been on the ground to provide food for the people affected by it.
(Chef Andrés serving meals to Ukrainians displaced by the war: source: CBS News)
Fun Facts: When the COVID pandemic spread, and there was both fear in being around other people and supply chain issues, WCK hit the ground running and coordinated with over 2500 restaurants in more than 400 cities to ensure people would have access to meals (“World Central Kitchen | World Central Kitchen”). This also extended to the Dominican Republican and to Puerto Rico. When war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, WCK volunteers were on the borders to give meals to fleeing families because when you are literally running for your life, the last thing you think of is grabbing a snack along the way. Volunteers were waiting to hand out millions of those meals to the people who needed them. When Cyclone Batsirai pounded Madagascar and wiped-out thousands of villages, WCK prepared over 68,000 meals in one month alone (“World Central Kitchen | World Central Kitchen”)!
(WCK chefs preparing free meals for those in need: source: Audacious Project)
WCK has also made appearances during the Maui fires, they have a strong presence in Gaza right now, they are helping with the wildfires in Chile, they promptly arrived after the Japanese earthquake, and they have shown up repeatedly to help those affected by hurricanes and tornadic disasters (“World Central Kitchen | World Central Kitchen”). Too often, governmental response in each country compounded by these disasters has been devastatingly slow. Many times, it takes years to rebuild infrastructure and oftentimes, these people are left to fend for themselves while their governments ignore them to focus on other things. Even here in our own country, we must wait for our stale-mate Congress to pass laws that will provide aid to our own communities. Arguably, WCK and José Andrés are better than every single member of the government! They never wait. They never prioritize themselves. They just go and start feeding people! That makes you better than God in my book! I am not the only one who thinks so apparently.
“Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well.” - Michael Pollan
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Jim McGovern, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have nominated José Andrés for the Nobel Peace Prize because of his impeccable and profound humanitarian work “of serving more than 350 million meals worldwide” (Howell). When thinking about the costs of his restaurant food, while atrociously expensive, like for example, one of his paellas on the Disney Springs menu going for $150 (Menus - Spanish Cuisine in Disney Springs - Jaleo by José Andrés), I at least can rationalize these food prices to directly helping other people worldwide. Thankfully, not everything on the menu is this costly. As both a chef and business owner myself, I know what food prices should look like. However, I do not worry about it with his restaurants specifically, knowing that the cost is used to purchase food for people in need.
(The Man, the Myth, the God! source: American Latino Museum)
I sincerely hope that he wins! He deserves it, but whether that happens, I am so proud that others are taking notice of the decent human being he is too! It is fantastic news all around! Congrats to you, Chef Andrés! His beacon of light and goodness gives me the ultimate hope for humanity and that should absolutely be celebrated!
José Andrés: The World’s 100 Most Influential People. time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217571/jose-andres.
“World Central Kitchen | World Central Kitchen.” World Central Kitchen, wck.org.
American Latino Museum. “Home - &Nbsp;” American Latino Museum, 30 July 2020, americanlatinomuseum.org.
Baer-Sinnott, Sara. “Sustainable Food Is Good for You and the Planet.” US News & World Report, 25 Mar. 2021, health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/sustainable-food-is-good-for-you-and-the-planet.
Salo, Jackie. “Missile Hits Chef José Andrés’ Humanitarian Kitchen in Ukraine.” New York Post, 17 Apr. 2022, nypost.com/2022/04/17/missile-hits-jose-andres-humanitarian-kitchen-in-ukraine.
(WCK chefs preparing free meals for those in need: source: Audacious Project)
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