A Plate of Hope

December 11, 2023
Leaning into themes of community, imagination, and storytelling, this concept-driven biography of a chef renowned for global disaster relief efforts traces how he came to feed “the few AND the many.” As a boy in Spain, José Andrés (b. 1969) tended the fire that cooked his family’s paella, but he wanted to do more, including re-creating his mother’s flan, whose “cool spoonful... told a story to his senses.” Later, at culinary school, he imagined “the stories that he wanted to tell with food.” After his work in New York City and Washington, D.C., garnered fame, Andrés’s volunteering at a D.C. soup kitchen and cooking in Haiti following an earthquake leads to his founding World Central Kitchen for those experiencing disasters, including Huracán María. An italicized Spanish refrain (“No era solo”) emphasizes the idea that it isn’t just one experience or person but many moments and individuals that lead to success. Focusing on scenes of people and food, Escobar’s luscious digital images add visual savor via colorful spirals of enticing aromas. An author’s note and photographs conclude. Ages 4–8.