Longer Tables | José Andrés
A meal is never just a plate of food. It has the power to change the world. To bring people together. To tell the story of who we are, and where we’re going.
That’s why I started talking about longer tables when others wanted to build higher walls. We need to talk to each other, to enjoy our differences, to celebrate our diversity. Not push people away because they look or sound different.
Our challenges may be complicated, but the solutions are sometimes very simple.
Longer Tables, the name of this newsletter, is my way of saying that we are not Democrats or Republicans, Americans or immigrants, meat-eaters or vegans. We are the people of the world, who cook and eat and drink together.
Why do I believe in the power of food to change the world? Because I’ve seen it happen in so many places.
It’s easy to learn to expect the worst of people in the worst disasters. But what I’ve seen in war zones and hurricanes, wildfires and food deserts, and most recently in Ukraine and Uvalde, is just the opposite. In times of need, people step up. In times of disaster, you can see communities coming together. You can see the best of people. All you need to do is help them to help themselves, one plate at a time. A hot meal tells them someone, somewhere, cares.
Food is the beginning of a better life. It’s a plate of hope.
