Andrés attributes his joy and hope to the positive influences in his life, including teachers, family, and friends who always had his best interests at heart. He believes in the power of empathy and the importance of showing love through simple acts like cooking.
Andrés' transition began with his involvement in DC Central Kitchen, where he saw the power of food to improve communities. This experience, along with the impact of Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake, led him to found World Central Kitchen.
World Central Kitchen emphasizes adaptability over rigid planning. Andrés believes in embracing complexity and being ready to jump over obstacles rather than sticking to a plan that may not account for unforeseen challenges.
World Central Kitchen operates with a small core team but leverages local resources and partnerships. In Ukraine, for example, only two people from the organization were initially on the ground, but they quickly mobilized over 5,000 local team members.
Andrés believes in cooking local dishes because the people helping know how to cook them, and local ingredients are readily available. This approach also respects local culinary traditions and preferences.
Andrés highlights the disconnect between political rhetoric and actual delivery on food security promises. He calls for more serious and effective action from governments, including the appointment of national food security advisors.
Despite his encounters with human suffering, world-renowned chef José Andrés exudes joy and hope—what’s his secret? The World Central Kitchen founder talks to Ted Danson about his pivot from fine dining to feeding those in crisis zones like Haiti and Ukraine, why plans are overrated, how changing the world is like rewriting a bad Thanksgiving turkey recipe, and much more.
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