Every Day Is Saturday: Recipes and Strategies for Easy Cooking, Every Day of the Week

by Sarah Copeland

From beloved cookbook author and recipe developer Sarah Copeland, Every Day Is Saturday brims with inspiration.

More than 100 beautiful recipes that make weeknight cooking a breeze, gorgeous food and lifestyle photography, and easy-to-follow tips for cooking delicious, healthful, sustaining food provide a joyous Saturday mentality of taking pleasure in food and occasion, whatever the day of the week.

Recipes cover every course, from breakfast to dessert, including dishes perfect for the life occasions of a busy family: potlucks, picnics, lazy Sundays, and casual dinners with friends. Here is a delightful and inspiring resource—in a bright and beautiful jacketed package—for weeknight cooks, weekend dreamers, and working parents who want to put great meals at the centre of the table where their family gathers.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Adult, Reference

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2019

About the author

Sarah Copeland is an award-winning writer, tastemaker and curator of good living. She is the author of the cookbooks Every Day is Saturday, Feast, and The Newlywed Cookbook, which exemplify her standard for gorgeous photography, luscious, meticulously-tested recipes, and simple luxuries.

The former Food Director at Real Simple magazine and a Food Network veteran, Sarah has spent a decade bringing her live full philosophy to homes across America. Sarah and her recipes appear regularly in top publications including The New York Times, Food & Wine, Saveur, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens and Food Network Magazine.

She and her husband live in a small village north of New York City, with their two young children.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT:
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT browse through this book whilst hungry or even peckish! You will be tempted to raid your pantry and whip up something good - or devour all the chocolate in the house.
I really loved this book from start to finish.
The three steps in "Things to have on hand to make life more delicious" was really clever. It details what you need to achieve these recipes - and no, its not loads of fancy equipment and ingredients. As a recent convert to Maldon salt, I am ecstatic to find it being used a lot here.
"Ten favorite foods" was great. I like how she explains what each food is good for.
The recipes are so simple with ingredients you usually have on hand and have well laid out methods that even the most inexperienced home chef can attempt. The background on each one is also great. They remind us that cooking for loved ones should be comforting and simple.
The practicality of the recipes is what I love - especially when it comes to her tips/suggestions for platters or house-guests i.e. the "Hungriest House-guest" is wonderful.
The "Good to Know" & "Get Ahead" sections, sprinkled throughout, are very useful - suggesting either alternatives or additions/tweaks to recipes and also supplying time-saving tips. The "Special Diets Index" is a useful addition.
And then the styling and photographs.
I LOVE the fact that there is a photograph of the final product for almost every recipe. They are visually appealing. I personally like seeing what the end result should more or less look like.
This is a book that I would recommend as a shelf staple for almost any sort of home cook. You will use these recipes over and over, you will grab a pencil and add your own tweaks and alterations.

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike the Dowager Countess of Downtown Abbey, we all know exactly what a weekend is! From it's first blush on Saturday morning with a coffee and the newspaper to its late-night frenzy on Sunday when things are being organized for the week ahead. Weekends often mean we have time -- more than what we have during the busy work week. I know it can feel like you're stuck in this continuous loop just trying to get ahead before the weekly cycle starts again. Wouldn't it be nice to make the weekdays feel a little more extra? A little more like the weekend? The answer is surely "Yes!" Sarah Copeland's newest cookbook, Every Day is Saturday, is a guide on how to approach every day like it's the weekend.

Every Day is Saturday is organized in to nine chapters: Breakfast + Brunch, Toast + Bread, Midday Meals, Grazing Platters, Mains, Cooking for Friends, Sweets, Drinks +Tonics, and Projects. One of my husband's favourite meals is a phyllo, feta, and spinach pie and I was happy to find a simpler version than the one I've been making here in Copeland's book. Her Save-the-Day Spinach Pie uses pre-made sheets of phyllo pastry, feta and frozen spinach and within 25 minutes dinner will be cooking in the oven. This is a great recipe for leftovers too! I often talk about feeding my vegetarian family and I found I made good use of the Special Diets Index at the back of the book which lists recipes for anyone who's specifically looking for Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, or Vegetarian recipes. She also offers useful strategies or tips throughout the book in little notes -- Get Ahead or Good To Know for example -- that accompany each recipe. I find Copeland's approach is useful and not prescriptive.

At the beginning of the book she provides a quick rundown on how to organize your kitchen pantry and what to stock it with. I really appreciate how the ingredients she mentions find their way into recipes throughout the cookbook. While the cornmeal was simply lovely in the Johnny cakes, it was also excellent in the recipe for Hot Oats and Polenta with Raisins and Bananas. The buttermilk used in the Chocolate Snacking Loaf was also deliciously present in her Nostalgia-Wins Blueberry Muffin recipe. Every Day is Saturday is all about finding enjoyment in home cooking by making good use of flavourful ingredients.

Delicious food. Copeland's book is full of it. Some of her recipes are as simple as a dolled-up piece of toast and others take a bit more effort. What Every Day is Saturday does is to show home cooks that cooking need not be precious or difficult. It's all about embracing joy and living with intention. Since many of the recipes are easy to pull together using pantry staples, I found myself looking forward to trying recipes I knew we'd enjoy; not just at one meal but at different times over the week. These are the recipes that pay dividends -- take the recipes for Toasted Many-Seed Muesli or the Homemade Oat-Almond Milk for example. When you make these recipes then you'll have something to fall back on because it's ready-made waiting for you. I really appreciated that her muesli is not a granola in disguise. Copeland's version is lightly sweetened with maple syrup, but the real flavour comes from being toasted golden brown -- oats, nuts, and seeds alike! You can soak it as you would with a traditional muesli, but you can also enjoy it in many other ways. Since making it, I've enjoyed it with the Homemade Oat-Almond Milk or yogurt with whatever fruit I've had on hand. In my experience it's a great breakfast or snack. My 5-year-old daughter prefers her muesli dry so as she can dip, and coat sliced fruit with it. These recipes you make once and then you're able to enjoy it throughout the week no matter how busy you get!

Speaking of recipes that pull double duty, Copeland's Chocolate Snacking Loaf is delightful and the recipe yields two gorgeously chocolatey loafs (or, one Bundt cake because the genius that Copeland is has already figured this out and left directions on how to bake the recipe this way should you so desire). The indulgence of a cake in the everyday treat of a loaf! When I made this recipe, I did so with the express purpose to bake and share. I was meeting up with my friend and I knew she'd appreciate a little surprise. A small abundance shared makes everything a little better! My daughter also didn't object when I sliced and cubed up a small piece to add to her lunch.

My daughter and I are alike in that we both love breakfast and, those times when my husband works late means we're enjoying breakfast for dinner! So, it goes without saying that my favourite chapter in the whole book is her Breakfast and Brunch chapter, which is full of delicious recipes to enjoy solo or as a family. One Saturday I made up a batch of Copeland's Johnny Cakes with Rhubarb and Sour Cherries and the leftover Johnny cakes were frozen so that my daughter could enjoy them for breakfast throughout the week (while she loves the jarred sour cherries -- a new ingredient to us -- she enjoys hers with a good swath of peanut butter and jam). I found the cornmeal in this recipe really gave the Johnny cakes such a hearty texture which I really enjoyed topped with the yogurt, rhubarb and cherries. It feels rewarding to cook recipes that we can enjoy together throughout the week.

The more I read and cook from Copeland's book, the more I find myself looking forward to each day -- weekend or not. This book is about how to cherish time together and make the most of the time we have in the kitchen. This is not a cookbook focused on aspirational recipes that we might cook one day. Every Day is Saturday is all about rediscovering the simple pleasures of home cooking using delicious and straightforward recipes. Copeland's guide on how to get those weekend "feels" any day of the week is so beautifully photographed by Gentl + Hyers.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Raincoast Books and Chronicle Books for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Nicole Flowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much to love about this cookbook, from stunningly mouth-watering photos to easy to understand directions it could appeal to just about anyone. There is one part at the beginning I am particularly fond of and I wish more cookbooks would do, the author outlines commonly used ingredients and tools that will aid in completing the recipes in the book's pages. The only real unfortunate thing about this particular collection of recipes is that although they are simple they are a bit 'above' the tastes of my family, particularly the children, and some of the ingredients would have to be a special purchase as I do not routinely keep some of them in the house. That being said, I would still try many of these recipes and impressing those around me with something so simple that looks like it would be much more complicated.

[Fen Koeswanto (ProseandPlate) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you tired of making the same dishes over and over again, this cookbook is for you!! Every Day is Saturday is such an inspiring cookbook. I love the author's writing style, gorgeous photograph, and what I love the most about this book is how easy it is to follow the recipe's instructions.
Also, there's a section for the pantry list for stuff that you need and a section for "what to do with leftover". Truly this is a must-have cookbook, Can't recommend enough!

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great cookbook. Full of ideas and recipes that were centred around family get-togethers or comfort food.
The titles of the chapters are brilliant and give you ideas of who it is aimed at as far as whom I eat with.

[January Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy, easy but satisfying meals that will come in handy during the busy week days! Unique and well laid out. The photographs are pure art!

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy, delicious looking recipes. Can’t wait to try!

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

These recipes are fine, but didn't excite me much. Also, I questioned the author's authority after misrepresenting johnnycakes as a Southern specialty--they originate in Southern New England, but that's hardly the South.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great cookbook. This one concentrates on good food that's easy to make and serve. While I was hoping for main/entree dishes to make for a meal...I'll definitely be making some of the desserts to add to my baking repertoire.

I'll definitely try making the easy chicken broth, the chicken liver pate and the chocolate snacking loaf as well.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because the author was the Food Director of Real Simple Magazine, and their recipes are great - practical, family friendly, easy to follow. And the recipes in this book are very much in that vein - it's elevated food, but the recipes are pretty easy to follow and I like that she gives variations, substitutions, etc. Her notes were very helpful, like when explaining why particular recipes use a different type of flour, etc.

I think my problem was more with the narrative and photos. The book is very design-heavy. There are photos for most recipes, but some are too arty for me. I want to see a picture of the finished dish - not the raw ingredients artfully arranged in a bowl. The author and her family aren't celebrities and I'm not reading this to see a lovely blonde woman eating soup - I want to see pictures involving the food and the processes used to make it. Along the same lines, after a while the narrative got to me. At various times throughout the book, the author mentions her lifestyle - the fast paced magazine job in the city, then running to the family's 2nd home in the Hudson Valley each weekend, trips abroad that inspired dishes. I picked up the book because of the Real Simple connection - elevated everyday food that won't take hours to prepare and most of my household will eat. I think an element of that is relatability. As the author explained how certain recipes would make my life easier, I kept wondering if her life would be more streamlined if she wasn't popping off to her 2nd home every weekend? I'm looking for cookbooks that are going to help me get through the day-to-day, and I thought it was unusual that this author had to focus on her lifestyle so much. It's not so much that I mind the lifestyle (I love Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson, and I'm sure they have multiple homes) - it was more the way the author seemed to think it was necessary to make this part of her narrative. Like, is this cookbook only for people juggling city/country life? Most people aren't in her position. The author isn't a celebrity, and this read/looked almost like a Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook - but at least in that case, Paltrow is a celebrity and some fans will want to see pictures of her eating.

So, this is worth checking out for the recipes. But you may want to skip the introduction and some of the narrative.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life of the family cook is continually changing. In 2019 we are all looking for faster, easier ways to plan meals and put healthy food on the table. It doesn't hurt if it is fresh and appetizing as well.

Sarah Copeland has put together a book that is an ode to prepping and making food that is chock full of fruit, vegetables and good things like whole grains, fresh cheese, yogurt, smoothies, etc. This is the kind of cookbook that reflects the current trends in eating - cooking at home, whole foods, full of vitamins and fiber, and reducing processed foods and refined sugar.

I think back to 1979 when I was a new bride and every recipe in my cookbooks started with some kind of processed food - from dried potato mixes to creamed soups. Now in my 60's, I am looking for a better way to feed the two of us that doesn't require me to be spending all day in the kitchen. And, to be honest, I love Sarah's idea of throwing on my swimsuit all summer to prep breakfast and start the day.

This is the way I want to cook. The recipes are fresh, quick (or can be prepared in advance), and delicious looking. I think many families will agree, this will be a staple cookbook on their shelf (or on their kindle?).

#netgalley ARC

[Storied Conversation · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


I love the title to this cookbook! I am one of those people who through the week tend to do something simple and easy. Maybe not every night but most weeknights. The recipes in this book though changed how I thought about weeknight cooking.



There are recipes for every meal from breakfast to dinner to a potluck. I loved how the recipes were simple enough to use what I almost always had on hand. Yet the meals they made were elaborate in taste and looks.



I will admit that I purchased this particular cookbook after reviewing the kindle copy so I could take notes along the side as well as have a book to flip through when I am meal planning.
This review was originally posted on A Lucky Grace

[Tracy]

This is written for upper middle class moms who prioritize making all the food for their families and hosting large gatherings - nothing wrong with that, it's just not me 😉. (Check out Virginia Sole-Smith's newsletter Burnt Toast to have your cultural beliefs about healthy food challenged.)

If you are like me there will be things you'll roll your eyes at, like the idea that you'll wait a day to even cut into a chocolate loaf, or the anecdote about how even as a teenager she could create meals out of anything during her lunch break.

I was hoping for more of bringing the attitude of the weekend into weekday foods, some of which was there but a lot was also just "spend your weekend prepping food for the week". Frankly, many of these recipes felt a bit fussy and complicated. I baked the Chocolate Snacking Cake which was quite tasty but made A Lot of dishes. I like some of her ideas about concocting tray meals out of a collection of goodies.

As a pescetarian, there were plenty of breakfasts and desserts that I could make, and I could adapt some of the mains. Several drinks sounded nice. I was disappointed that several "midday meals" were salads.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Chronicle Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and Thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

We are always on the lookout for new and upcoming cookbooks to use for our cooking demo program and this one was focused on family gatherings and comfort food which generally happen during the weekend especially on Saturdays. It's was so warm and welcoming to read a cookbook where everyday could be Saturday to have that cozy feeling everyday (trust me we all need it). The recipes and photos look delicious and are so well put together in the layout that it makes you want to try to make them. Recipes are also very easy to follow as well.

We will definitely consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction TX Cookbook collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Sarrah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Provided by #netgalley for an honest review.

Witty and with lovely photographs, Every Day Is Saturday will in few other ways appeal to the "real" people whom the author claims are her target audience. A scant handful of the recipes will appeal to the whole family; and though the recipes seem simple enough to execute, many of the ingredients are not what your average full-time-working cook would have readily available. To summarize: this cookbook follows the current trend of pretentious cooking/shopping that so few home cooks have the time, money, or product availability to actually implement.


#everydayissaturday

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was given a digital copy of this book by NetGallery, in exchange for my fair and honest review.

While I wanted to love this cookbook as a foodie, I must be realistic. Many of the ingredients would require a trip to my closest city. As a resident of a rural area, our supermarkets do not carry more of the "exotic" items needed to fulfill the recipes.

Most of the recipes would appeal to me, but I don't see them appealing to everyone dining at my table.
The dishes seem to appeal to a trendy, coastal resident, but not to the typical Midwestern audience. I found myself thinking "trendy," as I took in the book.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rate cookbooks based on three areas: 1) the quality of the writing; 2) the use of photography; and 3) the recipes (both the ease and the taste). This book fails to deliver on all accounts. The writing is pretentious and not only is it out of touch with the vast majority of America, but Copeland actually makes condescending comments geared at mothers who don’t parent the same way she does. Most of the photos don’t relate to the recipes at all (but she does have very cute children). I held off on writing this review until I could make a few of the recipes, but the three that I tried were not worth the effort. I happily returned this book to the library with no intent to purchase.

[Alisa]

These recipes are the sorts of staples or basics that you can keep in heavy rotation and easily learn to make and improvise with. Nice tips and guidelines for people looking to transition to cooking from memory, or for people trying to learn to be a "spur of the moment" pantry chef. I'm already pretty good at that.

Recipes lean towards Mexican-themed, so lots of different types of peppers are called for.... Brazil isn't big on peppers, so if it isn't a bell or a bird's eye, I'm not gonna find it.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thorough book!

Copeland shares stories and recipes along with strategies to serve time-consuming and delicious food any day of the week. This book has lots of tips and ideas for prepping in advance to save time on cooking. I like the concept, but some of the recipes are rather time intensive. I also like recipe books that have pictures of each recipe and this book didn't quite have that. There are lots of interesting recipes in this book. I'd say they're generally for more advanced pallets so some kinds may not enjoy the recipes, but overall it's an interesting find.

[Leona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth looking at

I usually don’t even read intros or comments and instead go right to the recipes, but I did enjoy the intro to this book. Recipe ingredients wouldn’t have appealed to my kids, but hers must be more adventurous. I did like the tip about poaching the chicken, and will try that at some point since I'm also a fan of broth. Good recipes for home chefs looking for recipes that can stretch a few days.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gorgeous cookbook had about 5 recipes I really want to try out (chocolate chip cookies, Family Waffles, Rice Pudding/cereal, Vegetable Soup). As someone who really doesn't cook, I found the simplicity and adaptability in these key but also love the focus on nutrition and aesthetics/atmosphere.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about the format of this book annoyed me. It felt like a lot of wasted space to use multiple pages for me recipe. This gave the feeling that they were short on recipes. It’s like when you read a cooking blog and just want to scroll to the end because of al the fluff chatter and incredibly detailed instructions for simple methods. That said, I did save a handful of recipes to try soon.

[Sophie Seehausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare I put a cookbook on Goodreads, because I almost always skip the fluffy "story of the recipe" sections. And maybe it's lockdown getting to me, but I craved hearing about farmer's market adventures, San Tropez, Sweden, and Hungary. This was an ode to food. I'm so hungry now. Also, everything was fairly simple and what I would consider toddler-friendly and week night doable.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but there are quite a few I’m looking forward to testing out myself!

Nice organization, beautiful pictures throughout and each recipe has an accompanying picture ( though it might not be in the same page ), especially liked the added tips/notes/substitutions the author took the extra time to add at the end of each recipe.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in return for my honest review.

I was a bit disappointed it showed great photos of the end result but it would have been more helpful to have photos as it went along to show if the audience was following correctly.

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeous photos. The recipes have titles that sound like names for nail polish: "Green Goddess Salad Bowls," ""Ode to Avocado," "Moroccan Tomato Toast." Lots of special purchase items (in my rural area). Could get expensive. Not foodstuff I'm likely to have on hand in my kitchen...

[Emily Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a gorgeous book in the style of the sparse and modern food blog, but honestly nothing was groundbreaking or eye catching enough to want to cook.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more of a coffee table book for me. The photography is beautiful but there isn’t much in the way of recipes that is exciting to me. Dropped this back off at the library pretty quick.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely appreciate prepping on weekends to make the week easier, but I just didn't find any recipes in here that I wanted to keep.

[Laura Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous recipe book with super simple instructions. I have made several recipes from this book and loved them all!