Get Cooking: Our 4 Favorite Cookbooks of the Season

Additional contributions by Matthew Wexler.

Fruit: a Savor the South Cookbook
From Southern fruit (and we're not talking about the crowd at Southern Decadence!) to Japanese-inspired family dishes, the summer has yielded a new crop of cookbooks to keep pros, enthusiasts, and foodies occupied in the kitchen. Here are our picks for the four must-cook titles of the season.

Sweet and bursting with southern goodness, Nancie McDermott's "Fruit: a Savor the South Cookbook" (The University of North Carolina Press, 2017) is jam packed with over fifty recipes highlighting the fruit native to the south and a few very special transplants.

Straight forward and well-written recipes range from classics known even up in Yankee country like Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Fig Preserves to low country faves like Surry County Peach Sonker with Dip and Watermelon Rind Pickles.

In true southern fashion, the recipes are enriched with tales of the fruits themselves. McDermott's tone is rich and friendly, yet information packed as she describes widely known fruits like blackberries, strawberries and watermelon and then delves into some only known down south like pawpaws and mayhaws.

Whether you are a native southerner and these recipes speak to your own history or not, this is a great go to book for some satisfyingly sweet and sometimes surprisingly savory treats. (A.S.)

Cold Brew Coffee
Arriving just in time for the end of summer, Chlo� Callow's "Cold Brew Coffee" (Mitchell Beazley, 2017) offers tips and tricks for the best cup of joe. From brewing techniques like "immersion" and "slow drip" to where to find the best beans, readers will be equipped to make their artisan brew and then use the results for a variety of coffee cocktails.

Featuring illustrations by Emma Dibben, "Cold Brew Coffee"'s compact 112 pages deliver plenty of information in a small package, and the book makes a great housewarming gift (or it's not too early to think about stocking stuffers). For coffee fanatics, Callow details four methods: cold drip, immersion, Japanese-style ice, concentrate, and cascara (the dried coffee cherry from which the beans are extracted.

Callow's tips on storing and sourcing beans are pretty straightforward, but it's a handy reference guide before your Sunday shopping. The cocktail recipes include classics like the White Russian and Irish Coffee, but funky riffs on classics such as the Campari & Coffee Soda and Espresso Gin & Tonic are worth giving a shake. (M.W.)

Beirut to Boston: A Cookbook
To call "Beirut to Boston: A Cookbook" (Page Street Publishing, 2017), eclectic and full of hope in the American dream would be an extreme understatement. Chef Jay Hajj, a native of Lebanon was just five years old when the horrific Beirut Bus Massacre destroyed much of his family's community at the beginning of the Lebanon Civil War.

After a childhood full of near starvation, violence and fear in his native Lebanon, his family escaped in 1978 to the tough streets of Boston's Roslindale neighborhood. Through all of this, Hajj found safety and passion in restaurant kitchens and cultivated a true love of food, both from his family's culture and his new home.

Perhaps most known as the chef/owner of the beloved Mike's City Diner, some of Hajj's recipes ring classic diner like his famous Pilgrim Sandwich, but many hale from his origins in Lebanon. Manakish, a traditional Lebanese flatbread, and Ken Oringer's Mushrooms San Sebastian each reveal a part of Hajj's dynamic culinary journey. (A.S.)

The Zen Kitchen: Real Japanese Family Food
We're going to the Land Down Under for our final cookbook pick of the summer: Adam Liaw's "The Zen Kitchen" (Hamlyn, 2017). Winner of MasterChef Australia, Liaw's latest cookbook focuses on easy-to-prepare Japanese food, along with Zen philosophies to enjoy everyday meals. Appointed in 2016 by the Japanese government as an official Goodwill Ambassador for Japanese cuisine, Liaw is spreading the culinary message of one of the "most food-loving nations on Earth."

Before diving into recipes, Liaw discusses the Japanese culinary philosophy, which is based on seasonal eating, quality ingredients, and moderation. He also outlines the five essential preparations of Japanese cooking: grilling, stewing, deep-frying, steaming and raw. Some kitchen equipment might be a bit foreign to the average household, such as a Japanese grater, flat strainer and a stovetop fish grill, though modifications can be made on many of the recipes. Some ingredients, too, might be unfamiliar, such as Japanese mayonnaise (less acidic than typical mayo), kombu (dried kelp), and bonito flakes, but with easy online access, most can be ordered by mail.

Core recipes include different variations on stock, which are used throughout the cookbook in different applications such as cherry tomato miso soup and eggplant nibitashi. Desserts are on the lighter side, but with the fall season quickly approaching, Liaw's pumpkin pudding will be a delight as the temperatures cool. (M.W.)