UPFRONT/THE A LIST
5 Surprising Things About José Andrés
1. He believes work can always become play
If you do everything with joy, it’s like, OK, this is not work; this is fun. For me, that is true of cooking and anything related. Going to the farmers markets, or going to a new bar that nobody knows in a city, to discover it like you were Marco Polo. Or I like to go hunt for mushrooms when I have the time.
2. Allowing dignity, he feels, is critical to his work feeding poorer communities with World Central Kitchen
Somebody is always coming from the outside, imposing a solution rather than listening to the locals about what the response or solution should be. In the end, you’re the wind behind them. You don’t need to be the boat.
3. He concentrates on simplicity in his recipes …
If you stick to the basics, you’ll have great, simple dishes. People say, “You are not adding sauces; you are not adding herbs.” But it is very liberating because you are not concentrating on many ingredients and a lot of steps—you are putting all your attention into just one thing.
4. … and in life
Living well for me is going for a long walk with Patricia, my wife, along the Potomac River [in Maryland, where they live]. It means being outside, not only to enjoy life but for eating and entertainment. If you can eat outside, that is my happy moment, even when it’s hot. I love to get in my car with Patricia and go to the wineries of Virginia or go to restaurants I know. But I also love to go to see the new ones that just opened. Finding this balance between the moments of peace and rest and the moments of excitement is what keeps me going.
“I want them to eat right there in the kitchen as I’m finishing cooking.”
—José Andrés, 57
5. He still loves meeting new people
As I grew older, I didn’t want to meet more people, because I already know so many! But then I realized that it is important to always keep exploring those moments where you can learn from people something that you never imagined in your life. That happened when Patricia and I walked the Camino de Santiago [in Spain], a few kilometers every day, staying in different towns every night in different hotels—and along the way meeting new people. —As told to Jennifer Bradley Franklin and Christina Ianzito
José Andrés, the Spanish American global humanitarian, is a James Beard Award–winning chef, a restaurateur with nearly 40 locations and an Emmy Award–winning television personality. His latest cookbook is Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard.
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To hear more from José Andrés and get three free recipes from Spain My Way, go to aarp.org/jose.