BEST AUTHOR BEST : JOSE ANDRES [ HONOURS ]

The chef and humanitarian wishes more authors wrote about '' the connection of food to everything : national security, climate,  immigration, dignity.'' His new book is called '' Change the Recipe.''

.-  What are the best books you've ever read on cooking?

'' On Food and Cooking,'' by Harold McGee, where science meets magic. On the modern side, '' Sous-Vide Cuisine,'' by Joan Roca and Salvador Brugues, is a foundation text.

'' Arroces Contemporaneous,'' by Quique Dacosta, is a revolutionary approach to rice dishes, showcasing why Spanish chefs have been the most technical in the world over the last 30 years.

Anything by Ferran Adria - his work at EI Bulli redefined modern gastronomy.

On the traditional side, '' La Cocina Completa,'' by the Marquesa de Parabere, provides an extensive look into Spain's culinary heritage.  

.-  What books are on your night stand?

A mix! Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor,'' by Yossi Klein Halevi ; '' A Sacred Oath,'' my Mark Esper ; '' EI Husar,'' by Arturo Perez-Reverte ; and Maria Duefia's '' Tiempo Entre Costuras.''

.-  What's the best book you've ever received as a gift?

'' The Little Prince,'' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Someone gave it to me when I was young, and I return to it often.

It reminds me to stay humble, curious and always look with heart. And iAdios, Cordera! ,'' by Leopoldo Alas [ Carin ].

It takes place in Asturias, the region in Spain where I was born, and it show me how even a cow, a child, a train, can carry the whole weight of a country's sorrow - a small book with a heavy heart. That story never left me.

.-  What book has had the greatest impact on you?

'' The Grapes of Wrath,'' by John Steinbeck, made me understand hunger, dignity, migration and the injustice of the systems that create suffering. It lit a fire in me that still burns.

.-  HAVE you ever gotten in trouble for reading a book?

Not trouble-trouble, but I've definitely burned a few things on the stove because I was too deep in a good story.

The smell of garlic and fiction sometimes sollide! And then there was the day I gave my daughter Carlota a first edition of '' Charlotte's Web '' on Thanksgiving....... while we were roasting a baby pig.

She looked at me and said, '' Good choice, Daddy. Very nice,'' with all the sarcasm in the world. I still laugh about it. Timing is everything.

.-  Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,'' you write. When was the last time you felt that kind of energy?

When I landed in Gaza to assess the needs after the bombings. When I went into Ukraine with my team, into hospitals, onto destroyed roads. Every crisis pushes you out of comfort and into humanity.

The Publishing continues. The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.