I S S U E N I N E

N I N E

ALAN FAENA

51499>

JOSÉ ANDRÉS KEN GORIN 9 781495 134456

$14.99 ISBN 978-1-4951-3445-6

I S S U E

HARIF GUZMAN THE FAT JEWISH MICHAEL MELDMAN JULIO LE PARC WOLFGANG PUCK SHOZO SHIMAMOTO RUSSELL SIMMONS JESÚS RAFAEL SOTO KEHINDE WILEY

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José Andrés

GLOBAL EMISSARY

Chef José Andrés on Miami as a connector of mankind; opening new restaurants and how to be an agent for change.

W

hen I caught up with Spanish-born,

erance and a quality that helps humanity to elim-

DC-based chef, chef José Andrés at

inate the things that make us as humans, not a

his Miami Beach restaurant, Bazaar,

perfect race.” It’s such an interesting perspective

located in the SLS hotel on Collins Avenue, the

for me as a born and raised Miamian. It’s also a far

naturalized US citizen looked every inch Europe-

stone’s throw from the topic we came to discuss

an. His cool, blue puffer vest a stark difference

which has more to do with his impact on the culi-

from the bikini-clad bodies that saunter through

nary scene globally and locally, given the impend-

the hotel as a reminder that there’s always some-

ing opening of his new Bazaar location at the SLS

one vacationing in the Magic City. But that’s the

Brickell, Bazaar Mar.

beauty of it, he points out. Everything there is to love about Miami is because it’s “in a very good

I proceed to congratulate him on his recent

position;” he explains, referring directly to its

award. President Barack Obama had just present-

geographic location. “It’s almost like this arm of

ed Chef José Andrés a National Humanities Med-

land trying to reach out and connect people.” And

al for cultivating our palates and shaping our fu-

you know what? He’s right. “There’s a strong Latin

ture. He’s one of only 175 to win any of these

influence but that’s not to say that the guy from

honors since their inception in 1996 and he’s

Spain is the same as the guy from Peru;” was the

amongst twelve to be acknowledged in their re-

example he used, “but if you think about it, we

spective categories this year. He’s modest: “After

have plenty in common.” The differences he listed

seeing all of the people who were receiving the

included popular dances, accents and even tradi-

award, people that I adore, I felt that maybe I was

tional dishes; the commonalities, all the things

a little bit too young to receive this kind of award.

that make us equals and the tie that binds, the

Of course you think about how many unsung he-

qualities about Miami that make everyone feel at

roes there are out there, men and women that de-

home. He goes on to say how in places like Miami

serve this as much as you do or more, but if they

where people from all parts of the world live to-

recognized me for my little contributions plus as

gether “there seems to be a different degree of tol-

a recognition to the food industry, an industry

WORDS _ JILIAN SANZ PHOTOS _ CAMILO RIOS WHITE

continues

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that never, ever used to receive this type of award,

them a craft.” Today, he is chairman, sponsor,

well, then it’s really good.”

fundraiser and the like, crediting the organization with teaching him so much. He spearheads

Little contributions? Oh, he must be referring to

events to raise money to build out the required

his international organization, World Central

kitchens. In Los Angeles, for example, he says the

Kitchen, and how he’s quite literally saving lives,

need amongst the elderly and veterans is such

globally. “We’re affecting social issues;” he says,

that it became a focus for him in his spare time.

“the food industry is more and more involved every day, specifically with things that have to do

And we can all get involved. It’s as simple as

with hunger, obesity, the environment and every

knocking on their door he says: “Sometimes we

other thing that connects food with the world we

are in the comfort of our homes when natural di-

live in. With World Central Kitchen, it was the

sasters happen and we want to help our fellow hu-

need to have a presence beyond my city. I learned

man kind and we don’t really know how. That’s

a lot about certain solutions to make your neigh-

when you realize that relief efforts are not always

borhood and city better by joining a place like

done in the most organized way; in fact, some-

World Central Kitchen and it’s founder Robert

times it’s actually very badly handled and some-

Egger some 25 years ago and it’s an organization

times what is needed most is to feed people. After

where helping and feeding others becomes like

Hurricane Sandy, for example, I went to volun-

any other business. It’s an organization that real-

teer and truly if you’re not there, it’s very difficult

izes that waste is wrong. They work with farmers,

for you to come up with a solution that sounds

for example, and all production is rechanneled to

logical. I’ve been doing this for some time when I

a kitchen; taking people out of the streets, teach-

have had the opportunity to see and witness these

ing them to be cooks and in the process teaching

things.”

continues

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The driving force for him was after the earth-

free. And it’s great to see these things happening

quake in Haiti and he invites people to become

but sometimes they happen too slowly. And it was

what he calls humanitarian tourists—people who

really after the earthquake in Haiti that my wife

take the initiative to go and see the aftermath

and I decided to concentrate on being agents of

with their own two eyes and who make the com-

change.” It’s clear to me that the awards he de-

mitment to do their part to help by joining organi-

serves are many but unfortunately the buck

zations that provide first response. “I see a lack of

doesn’t stop there. Truthfully World Central

that. When something happens it seems often

Kitchen is an agent for change always. There’s

help is scarce for days or weeks. Even if the gov-

doesn’t need to be a natural disaster for humans to

ernment, and the police do a great job, it’s not

ail over the conditions in which they cook.

enough. When something catastrophic happens you need to think outside the box. Take laundry

Unfortunately, for many people, daily catastro-

for example, you don’t think about people worry-

phes have to do with their use of charcoal and

ing about cleaning their clothes after an earth-

wood for cooking. Women burn themselves while

quake; but yes, after some time they have to and

feeding their families; they inhale the smoke,

it’s great to see people like Tide who developed

they die. About four million people die every year

these trucks so people can wash their clothes for

from inhaling that smoke. He tells us that young

continues

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ISSUE NINE

girls are not being sent to school because they

a little bit of money to buy protein. We will be cre-

have to spend hours each day fetching water or

ating little shops; a store doesn’t exist for them.

looking for firewood in the forests: “Things hap-

We want to create micro-credit next to that. And

pen to them, they cut trees which leads to ram-

there are hundreds if not thousands of organiza-

pant deforestation in tropical areas…the rain

tions around the world trying to do the same

comes, but the mountains are sick. The water

thing.” In an effort to further spread word of

doesn’t penetrate; so big waves slide down the

these initiatives, World Central Kitchen was in-

mountains. They get to the farming areas and strip

vited by the White House to host an exhibit for

the topsoil that’s meant to provide good farming

their SXSL festival on how clean cook stoves can

output. There’s no food. That dirt ends up in the

change the world. SXSL (South by South Lawn)

ocean; making the water dirty and cloudy…no cor-

was a festival focused on how art, ideas, and ac-

al, no reefs, no fish. Everything starts with the

tion are being used to tackle the world’s toughest

kitchen,” he says. Much of what they do is about

challenges. At the event, the World Central

education in a sense; it’s entrepreneurship, to a de-

Kitchen team revealed the impact a clean cook

gree. The kitchen can become the solution to a su-

stove can have on the environment and the health

per big problem. There are close to three billion

of a community.

people still cooking with charcoal and he’s committed to finding solutions. “With the right kitch-

Totally touched by his vast world improvement

ens, with no smoke, with more time for the girls to

efforts we circled back to the great news of the

study; there will be a reverse affect. There will be

opening of his second Bazaar outpost in Miami.

more trees, more fish…all of this starts with the

Bazaar Mar, the brand’s Brickell location comes

kitchen.” In Haiti, for example, they have even cre-

only a few year after his original Beach restau-

ated a bakery. The bakery is in an orphanage, so

rant opened and is highly anticipated by lovers of

some of the orphans are already learning a profes-

the restaurant, it’s offerings and it’s eclectic,

sion. There’s also a restaurant. They created a

Philippe Stark design. “Bazaar is not a super old

partnership for these orphans with the Minister

restaurant, but it already has that feeling of hav-

of Tourism and the Culinary School of Haiti; four

ing been there forever and that makes it very

classes have already graduated.

cool;” he says proudly, “sometimes restaurants are hip for only a period of time, but this one has

“We like things that are super sustainable;” he

legs. And so when the second SLS was opening I

says, “And we are learning that sometimes it’s

thought: ‘Bazaar has legs!’ I don’t know if it will be

easier to say than to do, but we are a young orga-

like that forever; but I know that the relationship

nization and we are still in our learning moment.”

between SLS and Bazaar and Bazaar and SLS is a

The learning isn’t just for them; it’s about an edu-

unique symbiosis unlike any other hotel and

cation for the masses. They have done a docu-

restaurant relationship. Another Bazaar exists in

mentary on PBS and National Geographic, tell-

Los Angeles; Bazaar Meat, a steakhouse as the

ing people about Haiti’s beauty. But the work

name suggests, is based in Los Vegas and Brick-

doesn’t stop in Haiti, there are many. “We have

ell’s Bazaar Mar will be the fourth SLS-housed

changed some 800 kitchens with our partners in

installment of The Bazaar by José Andrés.

800 schools. That affects hundreds of thousands of children. The next project will be trying to use

Bazaar Mar pays an homage to seafood and will

these schools to tell families, even one at a time,

feature a totally different menu than it’s sister

that they should be incorporating this kind of

restaurants, although Philippe Stark will also

cooking into their homes where there’s less

have his hand on the décor only his famous Mi-

smoke and less danger…it’s also less time-con-

ami Beach bullhead will be represented at Mar by

suming and can be less expensive, in turn leaving

a giant fish head, appropriately instead.

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