A PLATE OF HOPE

Nobel Peace Prize nominee and chef José Andrés strives to feed the world.

For Andrés, cooking has always been about more than food. Growing up in Asturias, Spain, he learned that cooking is about people, and when he began working as a chef on a navy ship, fresh out of cooking school, he had a far greater goal than feeding sailors: He wanted everyone around the world to have enough to eat. Even when Andrés moved to the U.S. and became renowned for his food, he sought ways to use his talent to help others, a mission that took him from a D.C. soup kitchen to a humanitarian mission to Haiti to the foundation of his own NGO, World Central Kitchen. The refrain “It wasn’t just” (“the rice,” “a restaurant,” “a trip”) helps readers learn to look beyond the surface of things, to discover new possibilities, surprises, and opportunities, even in the face of tragedy. At times Andrés’ biography seems to be pressed into the service of U.S. patriotism, but the message of collectivism beyond borders saves the book from an overemphasis on American individualism. The engaging story is perfectly paired with gorgeous, whimsical illustrations full of color and texture that vividly convey emotion and add nuance to the text.

Lush illustrations and a captivating narrative make this biography shine.