The Herbivorous Butcher cookbook 75+ recipes for plant-based deli meats and all the dishes you can make with them

"Our experience says humans become vegan for their own health and the health of the planet... not because meat and dairy taste bad," write the sibling co-owners of the eponymous "mock meat" shop in this highly original debut. In an effort to share "food that's healthier, lower in fat, and cholesterol-free" while promoting positive environmental change, they offer an array of creative plant-based alternatives to meat that aren't commercially processed. Nutritional yeast, bean, and tapioca flours, as well as natural umami-packed juices, herbs, and spices, go into plant-based burgers, steaks, chicken cutlets, and ribs featured in mouthwatering recipes such as kahlua pork sliders, white chicken chili, and cheesy pizza bowls. Crowd-friendly dishes are served up in the form of homey comfort food, including a dairy-free Ritz-cracker casserole topped with a drizzle of truffle oil, and a luscious banana pecan French toast bake that works for breakfast or dessert. Of special note are the beef and chicken broth concentrates that lean on ingredients such as soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and herbs for their "powerhouse" flavors, and Kale's Birthday Oil, a garlicky chili oil that promises to enhance "just about everything it is eaten with." There's nothing fake about the flavor or enthusiasm behind this marvelous endeavor. Agent: Joy Tutela, David Black Literary. (Aug.)