The ‘no garlic or onion’ chef

Cinzia Cuneo 28 aprile, 2015 FODMAP, ristorante

In Italy, he is among the most recognisable and best-known chefs, on account of his numerous TV appearances and his rather unconventional background (he learned to cook in prison, where he spent eight months by mistake), but Filippo La Mantia is above all someone who loves to swim against the tide, because he has banned two ingredients from his restaurant that are indispensable to any other self-respecting chef: garlic and onion.

It’s a given that these two bulbs form the basis of almost every cuisine in the world and they also have excellent nutritional properties, but sadly, fragile intestines may have a hard time digesting them*, which explains why Filippo La Mantia steers clear of them. To compensate for this exclusion, this chef had to completely revisit the cuisine of his native Sicily, which, like everywhere else, highlights garlic and onion.

Judging by his growing clientele, his gamble has paid off. If you are ever in Milan, stop by at his latest restaurant for a unique fine dining experience.

In the meantime, try our “Spaghetti with citrus pesto“, inspired by this chef’s most famous dish.

*Garlic and onion are key ingredients that should not be present in the Low FODMAPs diet (for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Autori

Cinzia Cuneo

Italiana di nascita e canadese d'adozione, Cinzia ha deciso di coniugare le sue competenze professionali e la sua passione per la buona tavola sviluppando un servizio per aiutare i numerosi «aventi bisogno» a riprendere il controllo della loro alimentazione. Così è nata SOSCuisine. Ingegnere di formazione al Politecnico di Torino, Cinzia ha conseguito un Master's Degree in scienze applicate all'École Polytechnique de Montréal.