The Six O’Clock Scramble

I knew this book was a winner as I glanced through the recipes. I’m getting pretty good at “reading” recipes and have loved the ones I’ve tried so far, plus have my little sticky notes on a ton more! Since I’ve been on a yogurt kick lately, I was thrilled to find a few good recipes using yogurt in here, including a yogurt marinade for chicken breasts and a lentil stew with a ginger-yogurt sauce.

As I understand it, first there was a newsletter service. Each week you get 5 recipes suitable for weeknights, complete with a grocery list to make your life simple. The recipes are organized seasonally and provide a really nice variety, with everything from beef to fish to vegetarian entrees. Suggested side dishes are noted as well.

What I have is the book that came after the newsletter but it’s organized the same way. You get 52 weeks of seasonal recipes. You can copy the grocery lists from the book or go online and print them out. You don’t have to follow the menus, of course. I don’t. But if you wanted someone to do the work for you of planning your meals until you get the hang of it yourself, you’ll find some awfully good food on your table with very little effort.

The recipes are clear and well-written. The index is done well, so you can find a particular recipe you might want to repeat later. Some seasonally organized cookbooks get too cutesy with the names and I can never find a recipe again later! Plus there’s an extra index of recipes by category, making it easy to find something for potlucks or to make ahead. I’ve already recommended the book to a few friends who struggle with what to cook every night.