— Taylor Trudon / Writer, Culture & Lifestyle / Brooklyn, NY
This Thai Curry Poached Fish Is Bold, Bright, and Ridiculously Easy to Make
theSkimm
Welcome to cooking no-man’s-land — also known as March, when we’re not quite ready for Spring Salad Mode, but we can’t face yet another braise or stew. The perfect in-between? This Thai Curry Poached Fish from Zena’s Kitchen. In the virtually impossible-to-mess-up dish, cod fillets are cooked in a brothy base made of coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, turmeric, chicken stock, and ginger — so it’s warm and hearty, but also tangy and bright. Add some rice and a squeeze of lime, and suddenly, spring doesn’t feel so far away.
The Time Commitment: Less than 30 minutes — which is honestly the max amount of time we’re willing to spend in the kitchen as the days get longer.
Key Tips: The recipe calls for cod, but nearly any mild, flaky white fish — like haddock or pollock — will do. Plus, as Zena of Zena’s Kitchen points out, not all curry pastes and coconut milks are created equal. So use a high-quality Thai red curry paste “with a short ingredient list that includes fresh spices, herbs, and aromatics” (she recommends this one) and a coconut milk “with at least 70% coconut extract.”
Other Takes: For more shoulder-season recipes, start with this Roasted Cauliflower and Arugula Salad — which combines gloriously browned florets with briny capers, pickled red onions, and golden raisins. Or, this meal-prep-friendly Salmon Couscous Salad that comes together in 35 minutes and is tossed in “the most dynamite feta dressing.” Still clinging to soup season? This Spring Green Minestrone is lively and vibrant, but cozy enough for those surprisingly (read: annoyingly) chilly days. Finally, this lemony, crispy One-Skillet Chicken with Buttery Orzo is a certified winner, winner, almost-spring chicken dinner.
Legendary author Curtis Sittenfeld (of Prep and Rodham fame) is back — with Show Don’t Tell, a short story collection that’s funny, sharp, and full of characters who feel like old friends. Some are Midwestern, some are headline adjacent, but many are middle-aged women navigating marriage, friendship, fame, and ambition. Among the standouts: an artist on a mission to debunk the so-called “Mike Pence rule,” a woman reuniting with friends postdivorce, and — yes — Prep’s Lee Fiora, who returns to her elite boarding school for a 30-year reunion. Filled with Sittenfeld’s signature wit and amusing observations, each story is “messy, delicious, [and] spun through with bits of quotable wisdom.” We asked Sittenfeld a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…
Q: What’s one thing everyone needs to watch?
Sittenfeld: I couldn’t love Somebody Somewhere more — such a hilarious, touching ode to friendship and finding your place, however belatedly.
Q: What’s a corner of the internet you recently discovered?
Sittenfeld: The relationship therapists of Instagram. Who knew?! The algorithm now brings me a lot of Jeff Guenther and Nicole LePera. [Though], full disclosure: Instagram itself is a corner of the internet I discovered only recently (August 2023), making me the last woman in her 40s to do so?
Q: What’s one unpopular opinion you have?
Sittenfeld: Most antiaging interventions make people look worse than aging naturally.
Tucson Is the Magical Desert Destination You’ve Been Sleeping On
theSkimm
Pardon the hot take, but we’re convinced Tucson may be the most underappreciated spot in the US — or, at the very least, the Southwest. Often overlooked in favor of Scottsdale and Sedona, the dynamic city has quietly been leveling up, with burgeoning art and music scenes, buzzy bars and restaurants, and eclectic shops (leave time for Fourth Avenue). And that’s on top of what Tucson and its immediate surroundings have always delivered: jaw-dropping desert landscapes (make sure to catch a sunset at Gates Pass), renowned cultural landmarks (like the San Xavier del Bac Mission), and Sonoran hot dogs from El Güero Canelo — which may or may not change your life.
🛏 Located in the heart of downtown, consider the Leo Kent Hotel as your chic base camp for soaking up all that Tucson has to offer. Each of the boutique property’s 145 rooms and suites perfectly blends regional charm (clock the patterned carpets and desert-inspired art) with stylish touches, like Eames chairs and worn-leather Chesterfields. But if you’re looking for the true resort experience, you can’t go wrong at Hacienda del Sol.
👟 Whether you join a walking tour or explore on your own, a visit to Barrio Viejo is a must. One of the oldest and most culturally significant parts of Tucson, the neighborhood — named one of the best places to see by the New York Times and Condé Nast Traveler — includes the historic Teatro Carmen and colorful, 19th-century Sonoran row houses. And, thanks to a major revitalization, it’s also home to hip studios (pick up striking, hand-glazed tiles at Carly Quinn Designs), galleries (check out the contemporary photography at Etherton Gallery), and cafes (fuel up at Exo Roast Co.).
🌵 We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t tell you to get outside. Start with Saguaro National Park and its 2 million towering saguaro cacti (pro tip: if you can only visit one section of the park, head west to the Tucson Mountain District). Then, hit Sabino Canyon, where more than a dozen trails wind past creeks, desert foliage, and a dam. Or, take a drive up the Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway, a breathtaking 27-mile stretch of switchbacks and vistas that nearly reach the 9,100-foot summit. There, you’ll find Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter — one of the stops on Tucson’s new Astro Trail — where you can look through two of the Southwest’s largest public telescopes.
🍴 Visiting Tucson without eating as many flour tortillas as possible is like going to Paris and skipping the croissants. Get your fill at Paco’s Mexican Food (go first thing for some of the city’s best breakfast burritos) and Boca, where the chef serves close to 20 taco varieties with a rotating selection of inventive salsas (past ingredients have included Girl Scout Cookies). For dinner, head to Tito & Pep, where it’s practically state law to get the queso fundido — and the buttermilk panna cotta for dessert. Or, switch things up at Anello, where the menu of Neapolitan-style pizzas (don’t miss the Verde) is small but mighty.
We asked you to vote on an etiquette question you’d like answered. The winner was:
Q: I’m single, and the only time my married friends ask to get together is when their spouse is away or busy — which I find hurtful. Am I being too sensitive?
“It can feel insulting when it seems like our time with a friend is predicated on somebody else’s schedule. [But you don’t want to make her feel like] she has to choose between you and her spouse. One idea is to ask your friend to commit to a regular time when you can see each other … Say, ‘I know it can be hard to know exactly when [we’ll be free], but are you able to commit to coffee every other Saturday?’
Your friend might say, ‘I don’t know. It depends on what Dave is doing.’ Then you can address it [more straightforwardly]: ‘Are we only able to see each other when he’s busy? If so, it makes it hard for me to plan.’ [If that’s the truth], it allows her to say it. Otherwise, commit to a certain day that you two can hang out because it works for you both.”
I recently received some presents that I don’t like — but none of them came with a gift receipt. Is there a way to ask for one, without it being awkward?
Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.
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Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.
Have a book, recipe, or travel rec? Or, a dicey etiquette question you want answered by an expert? Submit them here.
Skimm’d by: Taylor Trudon, Alex Carr, Melissa Goldberg, and Margaret Wheeler Johnson. Fact-checked by Jordan Mamone.
Photos by Zena’s Kitchen, Random House, benedek via Getty Images, dszc via iStock, PixelsEffect via Getty Images, courtesy of Danielle Bayard Jackson, Brand Partners
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