| Max La Manna | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Chef |
| Spouse |
Venetia Falconer (m. 2019) |
Max La Manna is an American plant-based chef and cookbook writer that advocates waste minimisation. He has been described as bridging the gap between vegan food and waste-free cooking.
Biography
La Manna became interested in cooking as a teenager at his father's restaurants in Connecticut. As a young man he pursued a modelling career in New York City and Los Angeles where he also worked late nights at restaurants. At age 25, La Manna appeared on two episodes of Days of Our Lives. By 2017 he became interested in veganism and a zero-waste lifestyle.
He is a self-taught chef who promotes an affordable low-waste approach to cooking. It is reported that La Manna has cut his own food waste down to "nearly zero". La Manna's recipes have been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Vice, Vogue, and on the BBC.
In 2020, his cookbook More Plants Less Waste was named the "Most Sustainable Cookbook" at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. His 2023 cookbook You Can Cook This! has been described as "deliver 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. La Manna has commented that his favourite ingredient to cook with is broccoli. VegNews listed him as one of the "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food" in 2023. In 2024, Food & Wine named You Can Cook This!: Easy Vegan Recipes to Save Time, Money and Waste, one of "the 20 Best Vegan Cookbooks for Every Type of Meal."
In 2023, La Manna no longer identifies as zero-waste and has stated that "zero-waste is impossible". He describes himself as low-waste, especially in the kitchen.
Personal life
La Manna is plant-based in his personal life. La Manna married English media personality Venetia Falconer (now La Manna) in November 2019. The couple reside in England.
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
References
- "Chef Max La Manna: "We need to stop wasting food, start saving money". heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "Max La Manna". carousel-london.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "Max La Manna". thehappyfoodie.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "Meet Max La Manna, the zero‑waste pin‑up who wants us to throw less away". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Max La Manna". penguinrandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "The American model-turned-chef fighting food waste in Britain". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Max La Manna". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Max La Manna". penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Max La Manna: “I Love Being Creative With Plant-Based Recipes”". healthwellbeing.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- Pointing, Charlotte (July 27, 2023). "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food". VegNews. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- Makhijani, Pooja (2024-08-22). "The 20 Best Vegan Cookbooks for Every Type of Meal". Food & Wine. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "Max La Manna: ‘Being totally zero-waste is impossible – it’s the small changes that count’". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Max La Manna: 'It's not my place to be a preachy vegan'". twistedfood.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- Proudfoot, Jenny (22 July 2020). "Venetia La Manna explains how to make every aspect of your life more sustainable". Marie Claire. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- "Venetia Falconer – My Health Habits". Hip and Healthy. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
