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His new memoir, “Changing the recipe: Because we can’t build a better world without breaking the eggs” (published April 22nd by ECCO), Jose Andrescheff, founder of the humanitarian organization’s World Central Kitchen, offers life lessons and easy-to-teach moments about shared responsibility and commitment to humanity.
Read the excerpt below and don’t miss out on Kelefa Sanne’s interview with Jose Andres “CBS Sunday Morning” April 6th!
José Andrés’ “Change recipes”
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I’ll commit to something important
I came from a world of finesse restaurants, finesse and creativity. Therefore, the tapas restaurant was not what I was looking for. But my new partner in Washington, DC had a clear idea. They wanted to open a fun Spanish restaurant. They called it Jaleo. This means “Merrymaking, a fun celebration.” It lives in Boston, but travelled on loan to the National Museum of Art in Washington, and they saw there. They even drew that on the walls of a new restaurant.
I understood that sense of joy. I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like tables. I like to get up at the bar. If possible, I like to jump on to five different bars and eat delicious food in each. Jaleo was my chance to show how I enjoy life. These small plates of tapas were also an opportunity for people to gain more access to different flavors, different Spanish cuisines from different regions of Spain. Maybe people didn’t know what they wanted to eat, and the small plates would be a way to move a little further from their comfort zone. Of course, it was an opportunity to mark myself. And I make it a kind of ambassador of my country, the capital of the United States, not far from the White House or the Capitol. It feels like an extension of my military service, moving from the port of historic tall mast ship to the port, showing the best Spain in the world.
I knew before me there were immigrants who brought Spanish food in every corner of America. They opened a restaurant, but maybe some of them played guitars and danced flamenco. They were mythical places. Baltimore Tiopepe. Café San Martin in New York. The El Internacional at Montse Guillen at Tribeca was short-lived, but he put Spanish food and drinks on the map. Washington already had a high-end Spanish restaurant called the Taverna del Arabardelo, and Adams Morgan had a more unofficial Churelia Madrid.
Washington at the time was not considered a cooking mecca by the people of DC, and Jaleo opened in a downtown neighborhood known as the Pen Quarter, which was empty at night. But that’s not the case. It would become a very important part of the city and not far from where all the big decisions were made that had an impact on the country and the world. It was part of a city that brought together senators, lawmakers, lobbyists and executives. It was home to new businesses like America’s online and many other amazing new companies. Slowly and surely, Jaleo was a huge success.
That’s not to say it was easy. I was young, only 23 years old, and still learned how to run a kitchen. The film in my head cast me as a creative guy, but now I had to learn how to run the place. Luckily I had an amazing patient doctor. Jaleo’s first executive chef, Ann Cashion, taught me how to do my job properly, despite my favourite creative side of things.
We really didn’t know if American diners would accept these little plates or accept the idea of ​​sharing plates at all. What if people don’t want to share? Our waiter was worried and often told me that some people say that some are not used to sharing. There was a simple answer. If you don’t want to share, you can move the plate close to 10 inches and use a knife and fork to protect the plate yourself. I had no intention of Americanizing tapas for them. That’s what we did in southern Spain and Catalonia. They would adapt as being with friends was a fun way to go. Who doesn’t want to dig a fork into the person’s plate across the table?
My heart was filled with joy that comes from introducing Spanish cuisine to new people. That joy was translated into a happy guest who had eaten the food I knew. Jaleo was a place where I could share what I know about Spanish cuisine: Croquetas, Gaspacho, Gambas al Azillo, Sangria. But it was also a way to learn more about things I didn’t know about Spanish cuisine. I was 23 years old and had not travelled to Spain, and I didn’t know all about Spanish gastronomy. And it’s far from there. The reality is that you need to continue learning at any job. People say I am one of the biggest experts in Spanish cuisine, but I still feel ignorant at times. Every time I return to Spain and discover new ingredients and new dishes, I feel the same way as seeing the stars. You can see some, but how many more are you unable to see? You can read books, and you can travel, but learning is a lifetime of curiosity and discovery.
Sometimes the work is less joyful and more struggle. In particular, in its early days, purchasing the right ingredients was a challenge. Believe it or not, I’m a practical guy. For example, you can buy local fruits and vegetables. However, there are some ingredients that cannot be exchanged. I observed Italy’s success. There they are incredibly successful in supporting a small town where their unique food is being produced. They believed that small Spanish towns and food producers could do the same. Manchego cheese is unparalleled. The sweet roasted piquillo peppers are unique. Our olive oil is a European vy hope and may even be repackaged in the Italian name. Our sherry vinegar is unparalleled. And there is nothing comparable to the purebred Iberico ham, the best ham in the world. You can’t do Spanish cuisine without some staples. It was a symbiotic relationship.
Still, importing food is not always easy. There are regulations, policies and regulations to protect consumers and businesses. The USDA argues that if you want to sell meat in the United States, the Genocide House operates according to American standards, not European standards. Despite Europeans eating these foods for centuries, they need to be tested. It was crazy, but charming. Of course, it wasn’t just a safety issue. There were concerns that ham from Spain would hurt American ham. One day I met a bearded man visiting Washington, and he happened to be a producer of the great Iberico Ham who had invested in complying with US regulations at his slaughterhouse: Santiago MartÃn, owner of Ebutidos FermÃn. He helped producers like Santiago navigate these challenges with Congress and the administration, and helped Italians find lawyers who helped lead Palmaham to America. Because in reality, these European hams are much more expensive than American ham and helped raise awareness of all American pork products. It was an advantage for both the US and Spain.
That’s the world of work. Your commitment to your values, your commitment to what is important can make a kind of small decision – as big as international relations, such as buying roasted pepper or slices of ham.
Your sense of responsibility is important. How was it like being a Spanish chef without all these ingredients? I had to work like any other chef or importer who made Spanish cuisine available in the US. People like Tim Harris, who created the incredible Spanish grocery store Latienda, and Juana Guimeno Faraan, who started La Española meat. Or Almudena de Laguno and Steve Metzler bring Spanish wine to America. Jorge Ordoñes walked around the streets of Manhattan with a large bag filled with bottles of wine, trying to put wine in several restaurants. The entire Spanish food people ecosystem kept me going and I had to play my part too.
So Jaleo has become more than a restaurant. This was a way to build a bridge between these two countries, encourage American chefs to buy and cook with Spanish ingredients, and spread the culture that made me. 80% of all restaurants close before their 5th anniversary. Jaleo has been open for 30 years now, with new Jaleoz in Orlando, Las Vegas and even Dubai. Because we have committed to what we cherish: what matters, even if we haven’t had all the expertise to make it happen since our first year.
I am delighted when I see Iberico ham, Spanish anchovies, or wines from the Bierzo region of restaurants and shops. I know that nothing would have happened without the permanence and vision of many people that may be forgotten now. They cared so deeply that they built a bridge that lasted forever.
Follow what you feel is your purpose. Otherwise, you lose your soul and become a product. Please do not become a product. Be faithful to yourself.
Jose Andres excerpted from “Changing the recipe: Because you can’t create a better world without breaking eggs.” Copyright©2025 by José Andrés. Excerpted with permission from ECCO, which is a trace of HarperCollins’ publisher.
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José Andrés’ “Change recipes”
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