My mother and I are safe from the fires. 🙏🏾 We’re blessed to have been welcomed into a home with power far away from the raging Kincade Fire and evacuation line, where I can continue critical medical treatment — while millions are tragically displaced, forced to flee, lacking electricity, suffering under smoke, watching their homes, businesses and communities burn, as flames continue to blaze. Thank you for your prayers and concern about my situation and health; we’ve been

Nothing passes us by without impact. Nothing is ever fully behind us. Nothing exists only in our past. That is true of some moments or happenings or days more than others — like September 20, 2017 when Hurricane Maria made landfall and devastated Puerto Rico from east to west. As we rallied/rally together to ensure Puerto Rico Se Levanta — that the island will continue to rise physically, socially, economically, politically, spiritually, in all ways — we recognize, remember a

I am not Puerto Rican and I am not a chef. Why then have I spent the last seventy days leading #ChefsForPuertoRico, the island’s largest feeding operation? Because I am a human being, an American, a living breathing organism whose very survival depends upon the consumption of food and water – and because Hurricane Maria has left millions of people, citizens of the United States, without access to basic necessities. The news cycle and political landscape are sheer madness, so

“In the room where it happened!” 🇵🇷 🎭 Hamilton is here in Puerto Rico… and I am not giving away my shot to see Lin-Manuel Miranda and a brilliant cast perform the masterpiece on our island. I truly feel lucky to be alive right now— and to be invited to the final dress rehearsal of Hamilton last night, before it begins a long-awaited, internationally-acclaimed, sold out run as we speak. The messages, lyrics and storyline of the show resonated even more powerfully against th

You’re eight years old. You’ve been battling a rare form of leukemia for six years. You have a wish: to give food, water and toys to the children of Puerto Rico. I feel blessed to have been entrusted with making Zelaya’s wish come true alongside the Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties and Make A Wish Puerto Rico and our incredible #ChefsForPuertoRico team! Zelaya’s toy drive gathered thousands of items, which were shipped to my house and we then set up for the event in a community cente

Took Martha Stewart and some friends to the farm!!! 🇵🇷What a day sharing about our year plus #ChefsForPuertoRico journey in food and agriculture with the legend, whilst getting our hands dirty and seeing the progress and possibility firsthand with our partners at Frutos del Guacabo farm lab in Manatí. Even after knowing of/watching/reading her my whole life, Martha blew me away— an incredibly intelligent, phenomenally well-versed, savvy, witty, active, present, dynamic powe

Wherever there is a fight so that hungry people may eat, we will be there. Such is the foundational belief and guiding principle of my dear brother and visionary humanitarian Chef José Andrés. Just as we did with #ChefsForPuertoRico here after Hurricane Maria, our World Central Kitchen team is now on the ground in hardest hit areas to serve hot, nutritious meals to those most in need in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Michael. Showing up, giving what you can and extendi

Newsflash from Puerto Rico: – The Trump Administration did not do a “fantastic job” in any way, shape or form – Nothing about the response to Hurricane Maria could be deemed an “incredible unsung success" – We do not “under-appreciate” the inadequate failure of a federal response – There is not one piece of the relief or recovery landscape that resembles anything close to “the best job” President Trump came here on a day that we will never forget: at the most treacherous mome

A changed home, a changed man, a changed spirit. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about discovering Don Jose’s inhumane living conditions while delivering #ChefsForPuertoRico food in Toa Baja — an elderly man living under a blue tarp with nothing but a broom, extension cord, and pair of pants with a rusty lawn chair to hold it from flying away. Everything inside the humble home his mother left him was mildewed and corroded, including his small mattress, single chair, few clothe

"This is where sustainable farming came in. World Central Kitchen wanted fresh, local food for their operation and to support the people who could provide it. So in January, the #ChefsForPuertoRico COO, Erin Schrode, held a meeting for every Puerto Rican farmer the group could find. Schrode said she told the group: “I don’t know what our long-term mission will be, but I know I want to buy from you.” Now, their four kitchens take deliveries regularly from a dozen farmers. “It’

A broom, an extension cord, a pair of pants with a rusty lawn chair… to hold down a blue tarp on the house of Don Jose. 🙏🏾 These living conditions are inhumane — and no one has come to help the eighty-year-old man in the tens months since hurricane Maria. Such is the reality of too many Puerto Ricans all across the island… but we don’t stand by idly. Because “not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” as James Baldwin said (w

Pastel y cazuela en las montañas.🍴🇵🇷 My dear friend and longtime #ChefsForPuertoRico champion Ventura Vivoni just opened a new spot in Adjuntas — serving phenomenal Puerto Rican dishes straight off the fire in the fogón each Saturday and Sunday. The plates may look fancy, but these are classic recipes prepared with fresh, local ingredients. We made the drive for simple, yet spectacular flavor, scenery and ambiance. Who’s going back to Restaur-Arte Vida Ventura en La Hacien

Ricardito has taught me more than most. He and his mom Iris have volunteered with us since the beginning of #ChefsForPuertoRico — when he would sit with headphones and wrap hundreds of sandwiches on his own. He gives the best hugs in the whole world, and shares them widely throughout the day to anyone and everyone who takes a moment to say hello — and lovingly never lets go. One day, he made so many sandwiches that he clearly deserved a trophy — so our team all signed a ketch

Our #ChefsForPuertoRico team serves up magic every day. 🇵🇷🙏🏾♥️ I just delivered boxes of fresh local produce from our partner farms to a church that has long been picking up hot meals from our kitchens to serve those in need across the community. Their parishioners have now also begun scratch-cooking from a small basement kitchen in the tough neighborhood. And today, with incredible commitment, heart, and faith — as well as the support, donations and meals of our team and

Keep Puerto Rico in your hearts. 🇵🇷🙏🏾 Beryl may no longer be a hurricane, but for the hundreds of thousands of American citizens still living without roofs, walls and windows since Hurricane Maria’s devastation, the winds and rains of a tropical storm are daunting, not to mention the fear and trauma of another direct hit. I’ve received numerous messages in the past two days from terrified people across Puerto Rico, who are still struggling to recover after nine months, an

This is the heart of what we do. 🙏🏾🙏🏾 If you’ve volunteered with #ChefsForPuertoRico over the past six months, chances are you know Lola. She drives an hour to pick up hot food from our kitchen every day to continue to serve those most in need across a few municipalities outside of San Juan. This walking angel goes door by door, house by house, street by street — always reassessing the changing recovery landscape to ensure those who need a fresh, hearty meal still get one

Who run the world? Girls! 🙋🏽‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️🙆🏿‍♀️ And this group of high school volunteers rocked the veggie prep, which means more fresh locally-grown produce going into meals for those in need across Puerto Rico. Come serve with us! 🔪🥒🇵🇷 #ChefsForPuertoRico

‪Chef-driven emergency response is an idea we piloted here in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria… and it’s now serving Guatemaltecos in this time of critical need. The wild vision of Chef José Andrés together with the incredible heart and unwavering commitment of our #ChefsForPuertoRico team has led us to feed over 3.6 million scratch-cooked meals from a network of 26 kitchens to the most vulnerable populations here across this island. Our World Central Kitchen family is now s

Grow your own! 🌱🇵🇷 A #ChefsForPuertoRico edible garden was but an idea in my head… yet with a few upcycled palettes, seeds and starts from local farmers, and heaps of organic soil, we are already harvesting! I wanted to demonstrate the depth of our commitment to sustainability, local farms, and access to fresh food by creating a physical example for volunteers and team at our main San Juan kitchen. So I had our resident-master-gardener Christopher create this huertita with

I love Puerto Rico. I love our familia. I love what we do. 🙏🏾🇵🇷Humbled to be a part of our #ChefsForPuertoRico movement to serve here on the ground… and loved getting to celebrate our island of enchantment at #DineNDash last week. Pa’lante!