For José Andrés, Food Makes Everything More Interesting, Vibrant and Delicious

The star chef, 56, debuts a new cookbook, ‘Spain My Way,’ and reveals his favorite dishes, what living well means and how he’s getting out of his comfort zone

Jennifer Bradley Franklin,

AARP

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Published May 15, 2026

José Andrés is known for many things: a James Beard Award-winning chef, a savvy restaurateur with nearly 40 locations, an Emmy Award-winning television personality, and a global humanitarian who serves meals in disaster zones through his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen.

a photo shows José Andrés’ Spain My Way cookbook

"Spain My Way" is a lively collection of José Andrés' most beloved recipes from his home country.

Ecco/Courtesy HarperCollins

Cook With Chef José Andrés

The globetrotting Spanish chef shared three recipes from his Spain My Way cookbook for AARP members to try at home:

Tortilla de Patatas

This classic Spanish favorite, made with eggs, potatoes and onions, is a delicious, protein-rich dish for any time of the day.

Huevos Revueltos con Setas (Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms)

Chef Andrés shares a simple — yet ingenious — technique for scrambling eggs to get the perfect, creamy texture. While some might think this dish is just for breakfast, he likes to enjoy it as a pre-dinner snack, alongside a glass of wine and a piece of toasted bread.

Turrón de Chocolate (Chocolate with Crispy Rice)

This easy-to-make dessert uses milk, dark chocolate and cereal to create something fun and craveable.

With his latest cookbook, Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard, the 56-year-old New York Times bestselling author is returning to his birthplace, sharing time-honored recipes and intimate stories that bring the dishes to life.

“This, my friends, is what life is all about,” he writes in his book. “I love to eat, to drink, to enjoy time in the kitchen and around the table. Everything is more interesting, more vibrant, more delicious when there’s food around — especially when I am in Spain. My home is in the U.S., but my roots run deep in Spain, where I think some of the best ingredients and most fascinating techniques are celebrated every day. Spain is where I learned to cook, learned to eat, and most importantly, learned to love food.”

AARP caught up with Andrés on Zoom from his home in Bethesda, Maryland, to learn more about the inspiration behind the new cookbook, how home cooks can elevate their kitchen skills and how he lives well, enjoying simple pleasures every day.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Your new book, Spain My Way, is very personal. Was that intentional?

Take a look at the cover: There I am in one of my favorite towns, overlooking all the little fishing boats. I’m there with a green bottle of cider in Asturias [a coastal region of northwest Spain], a big cider region. I was there, not doing a photo for the book, but just being natural. So this was not so much, “Let’s do the cookbook.” It was more, “I’m going to Spain, things happen, and we can put all those things in the book.” That’s why many recipes have essays that are very personal, with real insights from the people who told me those dishes, the places I’m visiting or why that dish is important.

Spanish cuisine is often rooted in simplicity. How do you balance honoring that tradition with a chef’s instinct to innovate?

Innovation sometimes looks very sophisticated and very complicated. But innovation is much more simple. The simplicity of experience, ingredients or dishes — everything is simple. The octopus Galician-style is simply boiled and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Spanish pimentón (smoked paprika) and a little bit of sea salt. It cannot be simpler.

You will say, “but you are not adding sauces, you are not adding herbs.” I think it is very liberating because you are not concentrating on many ingredients and a lot of steps, but you are putting all your persona and all your attention into just one thing. It’s very beautiful.

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How do the stories you tell help home cooks level up their skills?

This is more of a feeling book than a technical book. It obviously has a lot of recipes, and you’ll understand how to cook the dishes. But the story itself is 50 percent of the dish. And if you then stick to the basics, you’ll have great, simple dishes.

For example, the Migas My Way recipe includes breadcrumbs that we saute with some garlic, olive oil and a fried egg. It cannot be much simpler. But the important thing is that you have the breadcrumbs moist enough so they don’t burn, so they get nice and crispy and chewy and soft. You’re able to make an amazing dish with just bread, which to me is fascinating!

Our AARP audience is often thinking about longevity — not just how to live longer, but how to live really well. What does living well look like for you now?

Living well for me is going for a long walk with my wife along the Potomac River. It means being outside, not only for enjoying life, but for eating and entertainment. If you can eat outside, that is my happy moment, even when it’s hot. Living well is a big glass of gazpacho that you cook yourself from scratch, which is a brilliant soup with tomatoes, green peppers, cucumber and a touch of garlic and olive oil and vinegar.

You’re 56. What is one new thing you’re learning lately?

Moving a little bit away from my comfort zone! Comfort is good, but I love when I go beyond the horizon. I realize now, at 56, and as I grow older, I didn’t want to meet more people because I already know so many people! But then I realize that it is very good to always keep exploring these new moments where you learn from people that you never imagined in your life.

You have a demanding schedule, between writing and managing your restaurants and your humanitarian work. How do you stay energized?

I don’t know. I’m getting a little bit grayer, I can tell you! I love to go to the market every Saturday and Sunday, and I love to come home and cook. I love to get in my car with my wife and go to the wineries of Virginia. I love to go to restaurants I know, but I love to go to see the new ones that just opened. I think finding this balance between the moments of peace and rest and the moments of excitement is what keeps me going.

You’re the father of three daughters. What do you hope they understand about who you are, not just as a chef and a humanitarian, but as their dad?

I think on this one, you’d need to ask them! I cannot believe I have a 27-, 23- and 21-year-old. It’s fascinating when you see that one moment it seems they are learning from you and you’re protecting them. Without you realizing it, suddenly you are learning from them and they’re protecting you. Life never comes with instructions, and you learn as you go. That’s life itself, right? It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

What can Americans learn from your approach to Spanish food?

Many of these recipes in the book are recipes that I make at my house or whatever place I am in Spain. I like to cook as I go, gathering everybody around my kitchen with a glass of wine or beer. I want them to eat right there as I’m finishing cooking. Then I do another dish. There are only so many people you can talk to if you sit down at a table. When you are mingling, you have more opportunities to connect with other people. Spanish cooking is a lifestyle. It’s a way of life, too.

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Jennifer Bradley Franklin is an Atlanta-based journalist, editor and author who has contributed to the Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, People magazine, USA Today and others. She's an avid traveler, ballroom dancer and is more than a little coffee obsessed. Read more of her work at jenniferbradleyfranklin.com.

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