CHEF JOSÉ ANDRÉS NAMED 2019 JULIA CHILD AWARD RECIPIENT
BY THE JULIA CHILD FOUNDATION
5th annual award presented at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
(LOS ANGELES, CA, JUNE 11, 2019): Today, The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts announced José Andrés as the recipient of the fifth annual Julia Child Award. Andrés will receive the Award at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. during the Museum’s gala on November 7, 2019. The Award is accompanied by a $50,000 grant from the Foundation, which Andrés plans to give to World Central Kitchen to further its humanitarian efforts around the world.
“On behalf of the Foundation’s Trustees, we are delighted the Julia Child Award jury has recognized the profound and significant impact José Andrés continues to make on the way America cooks, eats and understands its relationship to the rest of the world,” said Eric W. Spivey, Chairman of The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. “José’s passion and ability to act independent of conventions or the status quo, combined with his commitment to the greater good, has made him not only an innovative and supremely influential teacher, but also someone Julia would have both admired and applauded.”
“For me to win this award, it is such an honor. Her influence is everywhere,” said Chef Andrés. “I still think about her show, the one with the chicken. She took her cooking seriously but at the same time knew how to have fun with the food. This is what cooking is all about.”
The Award, which celebrates its five-year anniversary, will be presented to Andrés at the National Museum of American History during the museum’s gala and kicks off the fifth annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend, held November 7-9, 2019. The gala features multiple award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and teacher Andrew Zimmern as emcee and inaugural Julia Child Award winner Jacques Pépin will present the Award to Andrés. The 2018 IACP Julia Child First Book Award winner, author, teacher and TV personality Samin Nosrat and award-winning chef and restaurateur Ann Cashion will both speak. Previous Julia Child Award recipients Rick Bayless, Danny Meyer, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger will also be in attendance to commemorate the five-year milestone. The gala supports the Museum’s American Food History project. Andrés and his team will create the evening’s menu to reflect his prestigious career and culinary inspirations.
The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts established the Julia Child Award in 2015 to continue to foster Julia’s legacy, while also honoring an individual (or team) who has made a
profound and significant difference in the way America cooks, eats and drinks. After honoring Andrés, the Foundation will have made $250,000 in award-related-grants to culinary non-profits and non-profit projects in the last five years. Created by Julia Child, the Foundation is one of the leading grant-giving private foundations solely dedicated to supporting the field of gastronomy and the culinary arts.
This year the Julia Child Award welcomed two new jurors, Andrew F. Smith and Tina Ujlaki, both of New York City. Smith teaches food studies courses at the New School in New York City and is the author, or editor, of more than thirty-two books. Ujlaki was the longtime Executive Food Editor at Food & Wine and is currently a freelance consultant, editor, recipe tester and developer. They join Carla Hall from Washington, D.C, a chef and cookbook author, formerly a co-host of ABC’s Emmy award-winning series “The Chew,” and competitor on “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars” and Stephan Pyles, chef/proprietor of Flora Street Café in Dallas and a founding father of new southwestern cuisine and modern Texas cuisine, as well as jury chair, Jim Dodge of San Francisco, Director of Specialty Culinary Programs for Bon Appetit Management Company. The Award is overseen by Award Director Tanya Wenman Steel, journalist, author, conceiver of the Kids’ State Dinner at the White House and Executive Director of IACP. For more information on the jury go to: juliachildaward.com/jurors.
To learn more about the Foundation and its work, please visit: juliachildfoundation.org. To learn more about the Julia Child Award, including past recipients, please visit: juliachildaward.com. Information about the Smithsonian’s fifth annual Food History Weekend and tickets to the November 7, 2019 gala can be found at: http://s.si.edu/FoodHistoryWknd.
About The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts
The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts was created by Julia in 1995 and became operational in 2004. Its mission is to honor and further Julia’s legacy, which centers on the importance of understanding where food comes from, what makes for good food, and the value of cooking. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, the Foundation is a non-profit which makes grants to support research in culinary history, scholarships for professional culinary training, food writing and media as well as professional development and food literacy programs. Over the last decade, the Foundation has made more than $2 million in grants to other non-profits. For more information, visit: juliachildfoundation.org.
About Chef José Andrés
Twice named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” and awarded “Outstanding Chef” and “Humanitarian of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, New York Times best-selling author, educator, television personality, humanitarian, and chef and owner of ThinkFoodGroup. A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States, he is also known for his groundbreaking avant-garde cuisine and his award-winning group of more than 30 restaurants, including two with two Michelin stars: minibar by José Andrés in Washington, D.C., and Somni at the SLS Beverly Hills. As a naturalized citizen originally from Spain, Andrés has been a tireless advocate for immigration reform. In 2010, Andrés formed World Central Kitchen, a non-profit that provides smart solutions to end hunger and poverty by using the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies. Notably, his team served nearly 4 million meals to the people of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, an experience about which he wrote the bestselling book We Fed An Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time. Andrés has earned numerous awards, including the 2015 National Humanities Medal.
About Food History at the National Museum of American History
Through research, programs, and collections, the Smithsonian Food History project at the National Museum of American History welcomes everyone to participate in exploring the history and ongoing significance of food cultures in the United States. By engaging in activities and conversations about food history, Museum visitors will gain a greater understanding of the roles they play, individually and collectively, in shaping the future of food production, distribution, and consumption. In addition to its foundational exhibition, FOOD: Transforming the American Table, the Museum has developed a diverse menu of programs and demonstrations that bring visitors together for relevant discussions that start with history and expand to the present and future of American food. These activities include free daytime programs, including “Cooking Up History,” for millions of museum visitors each year, and the annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend. As the home of Julia Child’s kitchen, the National Museum of American History is committed to examining the impact of food, drink and agriculture on American history. Join us around the table and learn more at http://s.si.edu/FoodHistory.