Max La Manna (born April 18, 1989)https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrOfPXCLxf_/ is an American plant-based chef and cookbook writer that advocates waste minimisation."Chef Max La Manna: "We need to stop wasting food, start saving money". heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023. He has been described as bridging the gap between vegan food and waste-free cooking."Max La Manna". carousel-london.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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."Max La Manna". thehappyfoodie.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023. At age 25, La Manna appeared on two episodes of Days of Our Lives."Meet Max La Manna, the zero‑waste pin‑up who wants us to throw less away". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023. 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."Max La Manna". penguinrandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023. It is reported that La Manna has cut his own food waste down to "nearly zero"."The American model-turned-chef fighting food waste in Britain". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023. La Manna's recipes have been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Vice, Vogue, and on the BBC."Max La Manna". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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[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."Max La Manna". penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023. La Manna has commented that his favourite ingredient to cook with is broccoli."Max La Manna: “I Love Being Creative With Plant-Based Recipes”". healthwellbeing.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023. 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"."Max La Manna: ‘Being totally zero-waste is impossible – it’s the small changes that count’". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2023. He describes himself as low-waste, especially in the kitchen.
Selected publications
More Plants Less Waste: Plant-based Recipes + Zero Waste Life Hacks with Purpose (Yellow Kite, 2019) You Can Cook This!: Easy Vegan Recipes to Save Time, Money and Waste (Ebury Press, 2023)
References
External links