Vegan Junk Food Cookbook

Jalapeno poppers are a useful answer to anyone who hears “vegan cookbook” and immediately pictures a bowl of leaves. Vegan Junk Food: A Down and Dirty Cookbook puts the emphasis on the junk-food part, with easy-to-follow recipes for familiar cravings minus the meat and dairy. This is the book for the friend whose first question about plant-based eating is what happens to the snacks.

The menu includes Philly faux-steak, a vegan take on a Big Mac, and deep-fried banana fritters. That last one tells you plenty about the mood here. The appeal isn’t a promise to improve your diet; it’s getting to make the sort of food you already want to eat in a vegan-friendly form.

A comfort-food enthusiast who enjoys cooking is the person to give it to. Give them a reason to make poppers, not another argument about salad.