Been, and theres even more. We are going until 8 00 tonight, so thank you for being here. I hope you are having a wonderful day. For those of us online in streaming online, im carla hayden the librarian of congress, and this is one of my favorite as you could imagine. And our next author is not only a local celebrity, hes also an international one, jeff jose andreas is well known for the many extraordinary restaurants that he runs as he is for his humanitarian efforts. In fact, he will be leaving directly after this program to go help others. [applause] said hes backstage signing books right now because if he doesnt he wont be able to catch his plane. Following the 2,010th pick in haiti, jeff andreassen formed over the central kitchen to feed the distrust island nation and then after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2017, he once again answered the call for relief efforts by providing millions of meals for this team. [applause] his efforts and experiences are recounted in his book we fed an island for true story of rebuilding puerto rico one meal at a time. Jose andres and his team have said the people and the dominican republic, peru, colombia and cambodia. Hes been named one of Time Magazine 100 most influential people and ill forward it outstanding chef and humanitarian of the year. He came to america in 1991 when he landed in new york city and has since gone on to become the worlds finest restaurants and now has more than 30 awardwinning to his credit. Washington, d. C. Is very fortunate that he calls this area is home. [applause] this restaurants range from food truck im getting hungry reading this [laughter] featuring preparations that pushed the limit of what is possible with food, and he will be discussing his new cookbook vegetables unleashed, designed to transform how we think about and eat vegetables including brussels sprouts. [laughter] he will be joined in conversation by the queen of talk radio. [applause] [cheering] a native who began her career as a volunteer in 1973. [cheering] and just six years later, she began hosting the morning talkshow it was later named donny annameddiane ream show atf only in whispers and i have to tell you i was one of them. The final broadcast of the show was on december 2016 and her show lives on as a podcast, however, called on my mind so please welcome Chef Jose Andres and diane ream. [applause] but they will come for you. [applause] i think, let me finish one thing i am very excited to be here besides being here with you all is to be next to this amazing person, this amazing woman that can make it for another round of applause . [applause] youve probably already heard that he isnt going to additionally signed books because he is taking off immediately after this is over to fly to florida. Where else though, really. [applause] so, here we are nearly two years after the hurricane in puerto rico. You went and you did as much as you could. They are still recovering. You need to understand the destruction, but this is going to take a long time to recover. Remember katrina and this happened so many years ago i think yesterday was the unfortunate anniversary we are talking about what, ten years . Still they are recovering in many parts and this is only telling me one thing. I had no doubt that america is the most amazing country. My wife and i could join as immigrants when they came over 25 years ago. As i learned when america comes together and put aside petty fights and Political Parties and republicans and democrats and we only bring the best part of every single american people, we can recover out of anything. But we need to leave the politics out of it. [applause] and thats it. I cannot have my president do fingerpointing. That is a the moment to do it. [applause] to bring all of us together even people that see differently than that come the people that dont see these issues the same way as us but at the end generally we all agree more than we disagree that we the people is stronger than anybody so thats what i believe and reconstruction. The answer is tradeoff and i made that my own answer. Politicians never answer anything until after they arrive and even those like me we just learned that way and i apologize for that. [laughter] one thing that you did not say when you got here to the united states, how much money did you have in your pocket parks i arrived to times to the united states. The first time, i was in the spanish navy and i came sailing in a tall ship. I remember the day that i arrived in new york at ellis island. I didnt have much money because i was young but i had food on the ship and the second time is the one that counts when i came to stay in case there is an immigration officer in the room, i came legally. [laughter] there were a few hiccups later on. I came more or less with the promise of a job and a bed and that made my life easy thats es way as an immigrant sometimes i do believe in the moment we are living. I want to send a message to everybody. Immigration is not a problem for america to solve, it is an opportunity for america to cease. We need to be asking our congress to Fund Immigration reform. We had a virgin and bush tried to give it and republicans and democrats, but at the end they dont want that to happen. Why . Thats what we need to be asking ourselves. So that is my answer about how much money i had. [laughter] im telling you im not going to need to say very much here this morning. So, when Hurricane Maria erupt erupted, you chose to go directly down there as we were going to florida today. Tell me why you felt you had to do that . We saw that it was going to be total destruction and i felt its not the first time. Ive been doing this for many years before. What happened was Something Like everybody at war. When i go to more again i dont do press releases. I used to have my wife for help putting together some clothes and thats it. I show up. For me the inspiration i guarantee almost none of you have done a. One of the most important buildings that you should visit his home state of tennessee. The she was able to singlehandedly take care of many of the wounded and because of this the American Red Cross was created. When i moved into my apartment was across from hers. My mom and dad for nurses and they were able to do so much good for the american soldiers on both sides. White coats like me really the first time was in haiti and then they became going to hurricanes all around. When i landed, i told my wife i landed on him and they three days after maria and then after, i told my wife i will be back by the weekend because we had some friends visiting. I remember calling her three days later telling her im not coming this weekend. I dont know when im coming back because the problem, but the structure if it could destruction is even bigger. We have 3. 7 million puerto rican americans on an island without electricity and water because the systems broke down, and on paper without food so with the cook can do is put the service in for what we know. After the servers, the food, the kitchen to. So what did you cook, what were you relying on . Spin it the first day i sent a whats up not knowing if any of my friends were going to be able to receive it. When this happens you have to be very clear you need to give a simple message everybody understands. I had the time to go around and see what was the damage and to see what companies were, to Start Talking to them directly and when i arrived, all of the friends that i, they were there and that first day of cooking. There were 20 friends and one restaurant. We went from 100,020 friends to volunteers. We went from one kitchen to 23 kitchens all across the island and at the end over 4 Million People were fed. [applause] that wasnt your first hurricane. You went down to haiti before you went to puerto rico. If you buy the book and i dont need to remind you because 100 of the earnings go to our kitchen. In the bucket a chapter that we conquer after the earthquake and our own native to our own and in this chapter we compare a number of people that were sent, a number of helicopters and military personnel and meals, all of the access and if you take a look you will see that it responds and it was so much quicker and faster than the response we get to puerto rico. Im not very proud as an american that america did so in haiti helping the great but as an american equally i was so sad to see that the aid that we gave to puerto rico american territory wasnt equal to that we gave to haiti so the message is that men and women of fema are amazing peopl people, the md women of our national guard, the many ngos that have helped our astonishing. Everybody should an author they are really good people but fundamentally the way theyve been a structure isnt the best way to help anymore. What is it that they dont do that you were able to do . It needs more handling contrast. If you are hungry when we go to california if and the firefighters and a we cannot be conflicted. We help nobody is there to help. The data are not selfcritical to not be critical if its nothing will ever change should. I would like to talk about what it was a its to send a it is a stored question by the great diane greene. You try to do what you can with what you have. We have all of those things that we begin making its big parts. The first was a hospital they got the phone call bringing them to the local hospitals obligating sometimes i arrived and i saw them with an iphone. Very quickly what happened as soon as people knew we were setting the phone calls we forgetting and i mean messages people would show up thats when i solved the problem was bigger. They can get into the san go inn allow us to have six of those trades. All these issues we make are based on the ingredients we have a van to give them something a plate of food that sends one message very clearly we care. Be patient and things will get better. That is why we were so hard in bringing this up. [applause] they begin helping us because they saw what we were doing. I was in mozambique and we had three kitchens. Last month i was in venezuela and w fear in the border in el paso so everywhere we go we dont impose what we like. It is in the way of food in puerto rico. Im amazed i have many in the military and when they go they have what they call the mrd its ready to eat but if you go and search many different names and theres too many kids in the audience for me to be telling you. But you can put it in the middle of the highway and come back 50 years later. Weve made it. You come back 50 years later and its still there. Its for you to understand. That is the way we do it. Lets follow this trend right now. Only to provide one at a per Million People you need them by the hundreds. The another thing happens when we deliver food, we divided them in person that is when we have 25,000 volunteers to. Thats what happens, they show up every day and they drop them and leave. When you show up every day, you begin gathering information. You begin gathering the knowhow and all of a sudden we know some people have Health Issues with some foods. My grandfather is going to die because so his machin this macht working and we are able to bring them. We need the medicine for a person that is sick. Its content in the response and we care for them and connect them and bring them back to reality and try to make sure they have everything they need. Thats why its so important we show up every day and believe the problem is solved and then slowly we moved out. We dropped it and go and forget about the people. Nobody knows anything of the public community. This isnt the way to provide relief. We need to start providing the relief. [applause] from what you just described sounds as if you have a plan to feed the world. Lets say washington, d. C. , we dont need to go any further in a city of 600,000 people, it is a city from congress and the senate lets say the. Othe. Many of the things should be happening here is a test to make sure the. As a country we cannot allow that so i dont mind to sound like a fool but to me i need to make sure my own city doesnt. We want to solve problems in other parts of the world and we need to solve issues right here at home. We cannot forget the rest of the world. The border problem with immigrants coming into knocking at the door. No matter how many we built, no matter how many taxes we have, let me tell you when you have people that are hungry there is nothing that will defend you against that because if you are a mother and her children are hungry, you are going to do whatever it takes to feed her children. What they tell you what we should build. I believe. If we buil built the war of incn versus exclusion an unless we bd walls in the soup kitchen at universities and schools and hospitals and employment jobs in factories they are doing well, they are doing okay they take care of the poor countries in the world like it or not it is the right thing to do. Lets talk about your new book this is a book about vegetables and a book with fabulous recipes of vegetables. The what you call it the chuckles unleashed . I have friends that have a belly like mine. I did this but for a simple reason. I love vegetables and believe me some of you say that because sure he wants to sell his book. My wife is right here. She isnt here because of me, shes here because she loves you. Many of the recipes in this book were from her mother i have a Fast Food Restaurant called beefsteak and it was my way to put lets call them money where their mouth is a. But then you go home and everybody forgets. 99 of vegetables, feeding americas vegetables in the right way, and thats what it is. Do you know that today we could be talking about our farmers and Rural America and they seem not to make it. It is getting emptier are they going to vote for somebody that promises the moon. We need to make sure that we take care of those people. Im told we dont change the farm bill, america will be getting fatter and healthier also putting a farm bill that tried to make us healthier. [applause] [inaudible] i love tomatoes. Only two people . [laughter] he brought me from his estate. The if you dont like it posted, its fine. We give them too much freedom. They start with something and end wit up with something else. [applause] to build a wall you have an avocado, people. [laughter] [applause] there will be people on the other side catching them and if they dont catch them you have immediate free of charge. But that recipe, i love more often than not. Better grab that you bought at the Farmers Market and spent your entire savings to you have all of the juices flowing around your mouth and telling you whats going on and you didnt finish the first bite you are like an animal. [laughter] [applause] think about the number of people in this country and city who do not have access to good vegetables to even anything in the way of good vegetables. The farmland is very plentiful. How many of you go to the Farmers Market during the week . It is expensive but you need to understand that somehow it is expensive for a lot of reasons we are still talking about before. More often than not it is the effort to learn a and believe me, dont buy your eyes. You see a beautiful tomato in a supermarket doesnt mean that its tasty. Sometimes ugly vegetables are the best ones. Be nice to them. [laughter] they have feelings and emotions. We should behave equally with every single other human being next to us. Why is it that with a head of broccoli or cauliflower is more expensive than a hamburger . Lets go back to the farm of. Its fascinating. When i say america three other country in the world but if you go and look to the usda, the department of agriculture, and you go and put a now something in the oldage used to be in the food pyramid now they are more interplanetary and i dont know why they change it, but thats fine if you look what they tell us on my plate of toast you we should be eating 60, 70 of fruits and vegetables. We should all be clapping to our government saying they want us better, they want us hope because they want an america that is invincible but when you go to the farm bill and see how much money the government puts towards subsidies its like one or 2 of the entire farm bill so they want us to eat more vegetables, they are telling us 70 , but the government doesnt support the money to make sure. I have no problem with the big corn farmers, the farmers and everybody else to make money. I am a business guy, but the subsidies of making the big companies. They dont receive the same subsidies. Im only asking why we dont level out the Playing Field if we give to the big organizatio organizations. What does that have to do with it, it is so subsidized to the feeding of grains all of us so that its cheaper than the broccoli and cauliflower. If we do that, america will be healthier. Farmers in Rural America will be better for the community is could create more employment in Rural America. America would have enough soldiers to join the military that right now we cant because the there is a whole bunch of problems that wont go away with a better america moving forward one place at a time. [applause] i have a beautiful head of cauliflower in my refrigerator right now. Give me a wonderful fast recipe to cook tonight. Everybody has a great her at home. Go to your neighborhood and ask for a greater. I will get the cauliflower and great it and make it into little pieces. Are you with me, then, i am from spain and i dont like to be using ingredients from other countries like italy. [laughter] little hostel like orzo little pasta like orzo and some olive oil. If it is in spanish it isnt going to be good. And then maybe theyll saw mac, apple cider, local cider, even better. Okay, cheese, you like cheese. You have this one that has been in the refrigerator. You should put you should say i have been aging this cheese for the last seven years. You boil the pasta, get the cauliflower one minute before you take the pasta outcome you put the cauliflower into the water if you like it raw leave it outside, then you strain it cant have the pasta and the cauliflower and they are talking to each other, they are excited because they are meeting people from another part of the world like where are you from. I am from naples in you are from virginia, having a good time. Then you add the cheese, the leal, ball saw olive oil, asked her, you dont want it to heart, it is the perfect dish. You need to be thinking this way, one ingredients in the two ingredients, then bring somebody else, the conversation goes on, they are happy and if they are happy the dish is going to be good. [applause] we have time now for just a couple of questions. I dont know where the microphones are. Herheres the first question. Go ahead. Thank you for bringing healthy food to the world and also Sustainable Food practices including promoting local and seasonal vegetables. So, i wanted to ask you what recommendations would you give to the customers out here on how we can find and promote eco Friendly Restaurants around the world . Thank you. I dont mention french people out in the open. I am a cook. [laughter] tell me what you eat and i will tell you who you are. But i dont want now to do is not patronizing restaurants because they have plastic straws. The world is changing quick and Everyone Wants to do better. We need to be supportive. Every restaurant wants to do better, but that is a conversation that its important that you show up including my restaurant. I am not perfect. 20 years ago i used to have sharks on my menu because it was a tradition, it wasnt a probl problem. I took shark out of my restaurant and it took time for everybody to be educated but never anything again, everybody can do anything they wanted these to be an educational process. Everybody can do whatever they want, but we should do it in an elegant way with a good dialogue, with education and listening to each other so together we can keep moving america and the world in the right course. [inaudible] i want to thank you for the humanitarian aid you provided also ask what is your favorite puerto rican dish. So many. My favorite would be with lobsters. I would tell everybody to go on google and find jimmy fallon when he went to puerto rico invite him on a tour and there you will be learning more about puerto rico. There are people that will learn more about your Beautiful Island which now i call it home. [applause] we went yesterday and it was some of my favorite food ive ever eaten but i wanted to know what is your favorite food in the whole world . I am not patronizing anybody, it is when my wife cooks at ho home. When she writes home she has a plea to fund plate of lentils. Tomorrow is the 24th anniversary that we have been married. [applause] i know im not going to be with you tomorrow, but its one way to make it up. My question is related to volunteering. You had like 25,000 volunteers or have had going from the spanish armada to the humanitarian armada. How can i and how can any of us get involved as volunteers with ropes and will pitch in i would say forget what is in the kitchen. Sometimes when you come from far away and try to goes your way to the locals sometimes you are providing aid they dont need but that is that sometimes the best way. But it will be what is in your kitchen. Org and there are many different ways you can see like right now we have people in south carolina. Everybody can do something. Sometimes you dont even need to join the organization. If you see an elderly person crossing the street and you see that they are having difficulty, go and help that person cross the street. Maybe in the supermarket by yours everybody can volunteer any moment. You dont even need to join the organization. We only have to do one thing. I believe the new American Dream isnt only about taking care of your own and or people and yourt the new American Dream is about pushing for people you dont know the same thing that you were wishing for in your own. [applause] thats it. Thank you for joining the organization. Sometimes your neighbor next door is the one who needs your help. We are our own organization. Shes going to be the last one. Im sorry. I think doing that, we honor the men and women in uniform that go beyond every day. Thank you for this opportunity to ask a question and also for your time at the forefront of humanitarian efforts around the world. You spoke earlier about a possible reform in government subsidized aid. How important do you think including a Cultural ResourceResearch Sector would be . As in being able to research which customs or in the local area you spoke about how just choosing the right type of food since a different message to the victims and those in need of a. We need to understand like when you are in government and in charge of taking care of an emergency with millions of americans, what we have shown is not one system that is good for everything but we need to have more than one way to do it. You know what happens when you plan to much, when the plan, when things dont go as planned, we lose. We does the possibility to react. Peoples are focused on the plan that when things dont go as planned, nobody knows what to do. Everybody freezes. A good will always be important. We have kosher meals sometimes because of religious issues and only vegetables because some people cannot eat because of their health, need, etc. So this is also important for me to respond but because its cute like they are bringing these dishes. So i know fema does that and we do that at every level we need to always be looking. Feeding people at the end of the day it is what we want to do. Its one of the most important things for humanity. Anything we do, how we do it in the process we can start fixing many of the other problems we have surrounding us. [applause] i am from puerto rico and i want to thank you for what you have given to the island since the hurricane. That said, my question is when we look at situations around the world we look at poverty and hunger. Is there any way to part her more effectively with organizations that do the same kind of work you do or the same kind of work World Kitchen does and if we can do that partnership, how . Thank you for the question. Partnerships are one of the most powerful things we have as humans. A marriage is a partnership between two people and making a family. Its what keeps moving our society forward. Friendships are a partnership. You decide to have those friends. Nobody is making you befriend them but when we talk about these moments, part airships are powerful when they work in a smart way. Everybody come if you read the book you will see that they have a very big disappointment with red cross. Not with the men and women volunteering 24 7. As a partner, i was critical we were the little brother and they were the big brother. Brother. In the book to understand what happened and yes we had some work together. If you see what has happened lately in california we have good for the ceo of tha good grh in california and weve been in the fires if they do an amazing job taking care of the shelters. We began partnering with them taking sure every one of those shelters will have food every single day