“Let me tell you a story about when I was growing up in Spain. Many Sundays, we would invite 30, 40, 50 people to the countryside, and my father would make a big paella. He put me in charge of the fire and the 'stove' - the rocks that hold the pan. But he wouldn't let me cook. I got so unbelievably upset.”

Spanish and American chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian

José Ramón Andrés Puerta is a Spanish and American chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian. Born in Spain, he moved to the United States in the early 1990s and built a career that spans food, business, and public service. He has opened restaurants in several American cities and has received awards for both his cooking and his humanitarian work, including several James Beard Awards. He is also a professor and founded the Global Food Institute at George Washington University.