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Before she started at Venissa, the Venetian restaurant owned by Bisol, Antonia Klugmann worked with the best Italian chefs and even managed her own restaurant. Her cooking is based on territory, seasons and vegetable elements, and in 2014 she earned a Michelin star.
Antonia Klugmann is one of the finalists of The Vegetarian Chance, a festival organized by journalist Gabriel Eschenazi and Pietro Leemann, chef at Joia, in Milan. The first international vegetarian festival will be the occasion to discuss this rising life choice.
The Vegetarian Chance will be divided in two days: the first on June 7th at the Monte Verità, in Ascona, Switzerland, the second on June 22th at Joia where eight chefs will be competing with their vegetarian dish. The jury will be composed by Leemann, American vegan chef Kristen Thibeault, experts Marco Bianchi and Lorenzo Sonogini, journalist Davide Paolini and chef Luca Sacchi.
While we wait for the contest, Fine Dining Lovers met with Antonia for a chat. Here's what she had to say:
Describe yourself in three words.
Passionate, free, a thinker.
How do you define your cooking style?
Personal.
Do you usually cook vegan in your restaurant? If so, since when? Why did you choose vegan?
I always incorporate a vegan choice and a couple of vegetarian choices on the menu. I get my inspiration from the ingredients. Knowing that death is not part of what I make, greatly stimulates my work.
What are the products from the surrounding area that you use the most in your restaurant?
Wild herbs.
What do you think about the rise of the vegetarian and vegan diets?
Since we live in abundance, we should think more about what we eat. We should ponder upon our relationship with nature – the legacy we leave to our children – our lives.
What is in your opinion the most iconic dish of vegan cuisine?
“Narce” by Pier Giorgio Parini.
What do you see in your future as a chef?
I foresee more and more people producing their own ingredients.
