The Kind Kitchen is not just the title of a cookbook, or the name of a restaurant, it embodies a way of  living for Jay Mac. As he says: “We don’t have a Planet B to call home! This one is all we have, and we have the power to change the way we treat mother earth through the foods we choose to eat.”

Being vegan doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of lentils and lettuce leaves. Jay’s innovative and imaginative recipes reimagine all your favourite dishes, from mac ‘n cheese, chicken wings, burritos, bao buns and maki rolls, to burgers and bunny chow. When it comes to sweet treats, he has adapted family favourites, such as milk tart, pumpkin fritters and cheesecake to be dairy free, while his smoothies and plant-based milks mean less reliance on store-bought products. 

 Jay has mastered the art of turning mushrooms into chicken, carrots into lox, celeriac into fish and beetroot into burgers, as well as the even darker art of making meat from wheat. Join him in The Kind Kitchen and learn his secrets for how to make tasty, tempting and affordable vegan food at home.

 Jason McNamara (Jay Mac) is the creator of The Kind Kitchen, a vegan comfort food café in Woodstock, Cape Town and on the Constantia Uitsig wine estate. Jay trained at the Natural Epicurian School of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas. Before opening the Woodstock café, he offered exclusive vegan dining experiences from his home and provided take-out meals for home delivery. When Covid-19 resulted in both restaurants being shuttered, Jay switched his focus to producing a range of vegan products and ready made meals for sale online and through selected delis, but he is looking forward to the day he can return to the kitchen and continue to share his passion for plant-based foods that are both good for you and kind to the planet.

The Kind Kitchen is available at bookstores countrywide and online. Find more information on this title and other cookbooks at www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za