Every Day is Saturday

April 15, 2019
Copeland (Feast) offers a reliable collection of everyday recipes for those short on time. Longing for weekends to make time-intensive meals that she couldn’t cook on weekdays, Copeland devised a plan to cook and eat as if every day were Saturday. The program she came up with focuses on time management, keeping and using a well-stocked pantry, and cooking dishes that do double duty. A wonderfully eclectic chapter of “project” recipes that can be prepared ahead of time includes an Italian Sunday sauce, salad dressings, pickled onions, and salmon gravlax. She includes a large variety of dishes, such as Not My Mama’s Banana Bread, made with a healthy mix of oats and applesauce; creamy mushroom soup, which uses both dried and fresh mushrooms and canned cannellini beans; and a mouthwatering braised short rib supper. She highlights useful strategies for maximizing time (take 10 minutes to clean, cut, and seal herbs for the week) and ways to use up small bits of food (scraps from root vegetables and peppers can go into tacos and omelets). With meal ideas for every palate, this versatile collection will be a useful addition to busy home cooks’ libraries.