Famous Chefs Help Feed Hungry, Support Closed Restaurants

When Jose Andres first came to New York City, he was a young soldier in the Spanish navy¹. Many years later, he is an award-winning chef.

Andres now owns a large food business on the same New York street where he landed as a sailor. The famous chef recently announced plans to serve 40,000 meals to New Yorkers across the city, which is now the center of America's COVID-19 epidemic².

Andres has several restaurants, including one with two Michelin awards, Somni. In 2010, he opened his not-for-profit World Central Kitchen to serve food to victims of disasters.

Since the coronavirus arrived in the U.S., his organization has served more than 750,000 meals in cities from Miami to Los Angeles, to Little Rock, Arkansas, to Fairfax, Virginia.

The operation works³ out of places like libraries and closed restaurants. It feeds medical teams, hospital workers, students and others who continue to work during the epidemic.

Andres has a list of important friends who are chefs around the world, including Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri and Marcus Samuelsson. Many started cooking professionally in the United States.

"I'm in debt to America. ... That's the best I can give to America because America gave me a home. America gave me opportunity," Andres told The Associated Press in a recent phone interview.

In New York City, he set up a restaurant to serve the Mount⁴ Sinai hospital in Central Park. In Harlem, he's using Samuelsson's well-known restaurant to feed families.

Samuelsson's Miami restaurant closed, but he didn't want to leave it empty. So he loaned⁵ it to World Central Kitchen. They are giving food to those who have lost their jobs because of the epidemic.

Even in crisis⁶, these chefs aren't giving away simple meals. At centers for old people in Washington, D.C., the food was complex and tasty.

Andres was among the first to close his restaurants. He wanted to show chefs around the world how to use their restaurants and workers to feed the hungry and those out of work.

"The operation is growing every day," he said. "We want to put America to work...feeding America."

In California, Fieri is ready with his kitchen and team. "Guy is ready to go," Andres said. "This is like war. You need to have troops ready for action."

Fieri compared his longtime friendship with Andres and other famous chefs to playing with a group of musicians.

"When you hang out with... Jose Andres, all you want to do is go bigger, go better," said Fieri. Last year, he cooked with Andres to feed victims of the deadly California wildfires.

In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, Fieri bought $50,000 in gift cards to support local restaurants. He asked many of the chiefs of big food companies to donate money to his organization.

His Restaurant Employee Relief Fund⁷ quickly raised $10 million. It has a goal of raising $100 million and giving $500 to restaurant workers without jobs. The first payments⁸ went out last week.

Rachael Ray announced a $4 million donation⁹ from her two assistance¹⁰ organizations. Half of the money will go to food programs, including World Central Kitchen. The other half will support animal rescue groups.

"We are not a disaster relief fund... but that's what we've become," she told the AP in a phone interview.

She supports the efforts of Jose Andres.

"I love Jose. I'm so devoted¹¹ to him," Ray said from her home in New York state.

I'm Dorothy Gundy.

Words in This Story

chef – n. one who cooks professionally

epidemic – n. an illness that is transmitted¹² from one person to another

kitchen - n. the room where food is made

hang out - phr v. to spend time together

relief – n. assistance or aid

devote – v. to be loyal to

1 navy   

n.海军，海军人员，海军军力，藏青色

参考例句：

• My brother is in the navy.我兄弟在海军服役。
• He has transferred from the army to the navy.他从陆军转到海军。

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

5 loaned   

v.借出，贷与（尤指钱）( loan的过去式和过去分词 )；出借（贵重物品给博物馆等）

参考例句：

• I have loaned his bicycle. 我把他的自行车给借出去了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was loaned out for numerous events including pop concerts. 场地被借用来搞过无数活动，包括流行音乐会。 来自辞典例句

6 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

7 fund   

n.基金，资金，存款，财源，贮藏；vt.提供资金，积累

参考例句：

• They decided to set up a fund for this purpose.他们决定为此专立一项基金。
• This fund may not be drawn on without permission.这笔钱非经批准不得动用。

8 payments   

n.支付，付款，缴纳，报酬( payment的名词复数 )；付出的[要付出的]款项；报答，报偿

参考例句：

• Welfare payments cease as soon as an individual starts a job. 一旦就业，即停发福利救济。
• The law can compel fathers to make regular payments for their children. 这项法律可强制父亲定期支付子女的费用。

9 donation   

n.捐赠，捐献，捐助；捐赠物

参考例句：

• She made a personal donation to the fund.她以个人名义向基金会捐款。
• Then next big donation of musical instruments came from Germany.第二笔音乐乐器的大型捐助来自德国。

10 assistance   

n.援助，帮助

参考例句：

• She called and called but no one came to her assistance.她叫了又叫，但没有人来帮。
• He will get the great possible assistance.他将获得尽可能大的帮助。

11 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

12 transmitted   

v.发射，播送，广播( transmit的过去式和过去分词 )；传播；传导；传（热、声等）

参考例句：

• signals transmitted from a satellite 从卫星传送来的信号
• The power which an engine develops is transmitted to the wheels. 引擎产生的动力传递到车轮。 来自《简明英汉词典》