José Andrés has rapidly become
one of the top stars Spanish cuisine.
Just in the past few years, Andrés,
chef-partner and creative force behind
THINKfoodGROUP, which owns and
operates several several restaurants–most
of them Spanish (his Jaleo and Mini–
Bar by José Andrés at Café Atlantico)
in Washington, D.C. In 2007, José and
this group partnered with SBE Hotels and
designer Phillippe Starck to create SLS,
a luxury hotel brand built around the
group’s food and beverage concepts. The
first SLS hotel is due to open in Beverly
Hills this summer.
He has a very popular prime-time
television cooking show in Spain called
Vamos a Cocinar and he is the host of
American PBS-TV's new series, José Made
In Spain, which focuses on a different
region each episode and features Spanish
products, dishes from many different
Spanish chefs and demonstrations on how
to make the dishes. Andrés has published
several books, including Tapas: A Taste
of Spain in America, two cookbooks in
Spain in Spanish and the companion
book to his PBS-TV Series.
Andrés has won many awards, but perhaps
the most prestigious yet awaits him. This
year, he has been nominated (along
with just five other great chefs working
in America) for the Outstanding Chef
Award by the James Beard Foundation.
Over the past several years, I have
been with José Andrés several times–in
Washington, D.C., in New York, in
Galicia and, of course, Madrid. For this
interview, after several attempts, I finally
caught with the peripatetic Spanish food
personality, back in Madrid again in April
at the XXII annual Salón Internacional
de Gourmets, a stellar four-day show of
Spanish food, wines and spirits products,
cheeses, cooking demonstrations and
chefs awards run by the dynamic Grupo
Gourmets crew. (www.gourmets.net).
I tracked José down in the large pavilion
of his native Asturias, then accompanied
him on a walking tour through part of
the massive Arenas pavilion, where
he was stopped every few feet by a
producer, well-wisher or a fan wanting a
photograph with him. “Walking through
a Spanish gourmet products show with
José is like following a Semana Santa
(Easter) procession, stop and start, stop
and start.....,” quipped one of the group
with José.
After stopping for a wonderful glass of
Asturian sparkling cider, Pomea Aurea
(from Trabanco), which could almost pass
for a cava, I steered José to the Pabellón
de Cristal, where I knew my friends
at the La Catedral de Navarra (www.lacatedraldenavarra.com) – producers
of some exceptional jarred vegetables
(white asparagus, artichokes, pimientos de
piquillo, habas beans) from la Ribera de
Navarra – would give me a table upstairs,
where we could have some privacy for a
short interview. (José was racing off to be
on a Spanish television show).
Q: What impresses you most about
Spanish food?
JA: For me the great culinary heroes are
the artisans, fisherman, shepherds and all
the people that are behind the production
of any Spanish product. The real future of
Spanish cuisine is in its unique products.
Q: How do you see traditional Spanish
cuisine these days?
JA: Traditional cuisine that does not evolve
will disappear. Traditional Spanish cooking
is in constant evolution and it is in its best
moment. Without traditional cuisine, we
would not have the distinctive modern
cuisine that we see in Spain today.
Q: How is your American PBS-TV series,
José: Made in Spain doing?
JA: It has been great. We are in 80% of
American markets, while most cooking
programs only reach about 30% of the
market.
We are interrupted by someone offering
us some succulent baby white asparagus.
JA: Americans need to learn more about
great Spanish products such as these.
There is a whole world of products to
discover from areas all around Spain.
For example, excellent tinned fish and
shellfish from places in Galicia such as
Cambados; raf tomatoes from Almeria
and Murcia, which also has Jumilla
wines, Calasparra rice, Murcia al Vino
goat cheese and more; olive oils from
Cataluña, Jaén and all around the warmer
areas of Spain; saffron, serrano and Ibérico
hams. . . I could go on forever, but I am
expected shortly at a television studio. I
have become a trobador (troubador) for
Spanish cuisine and Spanish products.
With that, we head for the exit, and José
Andrés is off to spread the word about the
greatness of Spanish food. ~ Gerry Dawes
