José Andrés Pens Book and Honored as Humanitarian of the Year

Chef José Andrés has been named the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year after he led the charge to feed millions of people in Houston, Puerto Rico, and Southern California after natural disasters struck those areas. Andrés will receive the award at the foundation’s May 7th ceremony in Chicago. The celebration is part of the foundation’s Rise campaign -- which celebrates the community of chefs and industry leaders who rise to the occasion. The honor comes on the heels of the world-renowned chef penning a new book. Set to be released in September by celebrity foodie Anthony Bourdain’s publishing line, We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time, is Andrés' personal account of how he and his team managed to prepare over three million meals. The restaurateur is also the founder of World Central Kitchen, a network of chefs dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger through education and job training (a portion of Andrés' book’s sales will go toward the nonprofit, according to a press release). The book will be co-authored by Richard Wolffe, who worked with Andrés on his cookbooks and Spanish cooking TV series. More here.