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Max La Manna

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Max La Manna
OccupationChef

Max La Manna is an American plant-based chef and cookbook writer that advocates waste minimisation.[1] He has been described as bridging the gap between vegan food and waste-free cooking.[2]

Biography

La Manna became interested in cooking as a teenager at his father's restaurants in Connecticut.[2] As a young man he pursued a modelling career in New York City and Los Angeles where he also worked late nights at restaurants.[2][3] At age 25, La Manna appeared on two episodes of Days of Our Lives.[4] By 2017 he became interested in veganism and a zero-waste lifestyle.[4]

He is a self-taught chef who promotes an affordable low-waste approach to cooking.[5] It is reported that La Manna has cut his own food waste down to "nearly zero".[6] La Manna's recipes have been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Vice, Vogue, and on the BBC.[2][3][7]

In 2020, his cookbook More Plants Less Waste was named the "Most Sustainable Cookbook" at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.[3] His 2023 cookbook You Can Cook This! has been described as "deliver[ing] simple vegan food with big flavour to keep things quick and easy" and was voted "World's Best Vegan Cookbook" at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. [8] La Manna has commented that his favourite ingredient to cook with is broccoli.[9] VegNews listed him as one of the "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food" in 2023.[10]

In 2023, La Manna no longer identifies as zero-waste and has stated that "zero-waste is impossible".[11] He describes himself as low-waste, especially in the kitchen.[11]

Personal life

La Manna is plant-based in his personal life.[12] He resides with his wife in the United Kingdom.[2]

Selected publications

  • More Plants Less Waste: Plant-based Recipes + Zero Waste Life Hacks with Purpose (Yellow Kite, 2019) ISBN 978-1529396201
  • You Can Cook This!: Easy Vegan Recipes to Save Time, Money and Waste (Ebury Press, 2023) ISBN 978-1529148800
  1. ^ "Chef Max La Manna: "We need to stop wasting food, start saving money". heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Max La Manna". carousel-london.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Max La Manna". thehappyfoodie.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Meet Max La Manna, the zero‑waste pin‑up who wants us to throw less away". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Max La Manna". penguinrandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  6. ^ "The American model-turned-chef fighting food waste in Britain". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Max La Manna". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Max La Manna". penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Max La Manna: “I Love Being Creative With Plant-Based Recipes”". healthwellbeing.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  10. ^ Pointing, Charlotte (July 27, 2023). "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food". VegNews. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Max La Manna: ‘Being totally zero-waste is impossible – it’s the small changes that count’". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Max La Manna: ‘It’s not my place to be a preachy vegan’". twistedfood.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.