Vegan Junk Food Cookbook

Deep-fried mac ’n’ cheese balls are a fairly clear statement of intent. Vegan Junk Food: A Down and Dirty Cookbook puts plant-based cooking to work on the foods people crave after a long day: jalapeño poppers, Philly faux-steak, and a burger called The Big Zac. Fried banana fritters carry that same thinking through to dessert. Meat and dairy are out; the enthusiasm for greasy comfort food remains intact.

The recipes are designed for beginners and use supermarket-ready ingredients, giving plant-curious cooks a familiar place to start. For vegans missing a favorite takeout order, there’s something more inviting here than another vegetable-centered dinner. Several of the featured dishes involve frying, though, so expect hot oil and the cleanup that goes with it. A book built around poppers and fried cheese balls belongs in a kitchen where that sounds worth the trouble.

This would be an easy holiday gift for the home cook in a vegan household, especially one who enjoys feeding skeptical friends. The menu gives everyone a recognizable starting point without turning dinner into a discussion about dietary virtue. Wrap it for the person who volunteers to make the snacks, and let them decide between poppers and faux-steak.