By Thomas Rojek

With summer officially coming to a close, we’re taking a look at cookbooks that embody robust spices, which invite Fall cooking.

One Dish – Four Seasons
By Jordan Zucker
Publisher: Home Sauce Publications
$44.00, 208 pages

One Dish – Four Seasons brings an interesting idea on cooking to the table. What about a single recipe with four variations based on the season that you are in to help you utilize those fresh ingredients? And, if that alone isn’t enough for you, then what about a wine pairing for each season in the recipe? Still not interested? What if each recipe came with an album to accompany it? Featuring more than 80 recipes, jokes, and beautiful photography, this cookbook is bound to delight the foodie in you.

Tahini and Turmeric: 101 Middle Eastern Classics–Made Irresistibly Vegan
By Ruth Fox • Vicky Cohen
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
$24.99, 304 pages

Vegan food gets a bad rap as far as most people are concerned because of the idea that substitution of meat/animal products takes away from the authenticity of a dish. Cohen and Fox are here to prove otherwise. There are thousands of traditional dishes that are vegan right out of the gate, and a big one is Middle Eastern cuisine. Featuring beautiful color photographs, excellent instructions, descriptions of traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, and walkthroughs on how to build up the perfect pantry, Tahini & Tumeric is a wonderful addition to any culinary library.

Japanese Table
By Sofia Hellsten
Publisher: Hardie Grant (UK)
$29.99, 192 pages

Most of my diet during college consisted of Japanese cuisine and running into little ramen/sushi restaurants, enjoying a few simple dishes and reading/working on whatever project I had at that time. Japanese Table is a beautiful book that discusses the elements of setting out a simple and elegant meal with wonderfully flavored dishes. Sofi Hellsten walks us through the basics of setting up the pantry with ingredients we will be using regularly, discusses the basics of flavor profiles, and how to properly prepare and plate the food. This book is beautiful and features breathtaking photos to help inspire you on your journey.

Spiced: Unlock the Power of Spices to Transform Your Cooking
By America’s Test Kitchen
Publisher: America’s Test Kitchen
$19.49, 304 pages

We all know that person who is overwhelmed with the idea of seasoning/spices and who worries of over seasoning something or using the wrong thing. Spiced is here for you, with easy-to-follow instructions and ideas. This book will help you or friends who suffer from a lack of flavor to gain some good tips and tricks for seasoning, as well as the beautiful recipes and photos to help you create high quality meals.