Eat, Read, Go: Southern Tea Cakes, “The Missed Connection,” and the Obama Presidential Center

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Friday. Skimm HQ is off for Juneteenth (aka Freedom Day or Emancipation Day), the federal holiday commemorating when one of the last groups of enslaved African Americans learned of their freedom — marking the symbolic end of slavery. (For a deeper understanding of the holiday and its significance, read this.) But we always want to keep you informed, so we’re bringing you a few things to know to start your day, plus recommendations for what to eat and read, and where to go in honor of today’s holiday. 

— theSkimm editors

The News in 5

🗞️ On Thursday, Ukraine launched the biggest attack on Russia’s capital since the war first started four years ago. 

🗞️ Ireland’s Parliament voted to remove this abortion restriction by a small margin. 

🗞️ President Donald Trump had harsh words for critics of the US-Iran agreement — including those in his own party.

🗞️ The Supreme Court unanimously agreed to loosen a federal law on gun ownership for one very particular group of people. 

🗞️ After more than a decade at the top of the food chain, Chick-fil-A lost its ranking to Americans’ new favorite fast food restaurant. It really is a sub above…

These Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes Are Buttery, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Perfection

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It’s Juneteenth, so you can bet these Old Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes are on food blogger Monique Kilgore’s table. Described as a “cross between a sweet cornbread, a pound cake, and a biscuit, but in cookie form,” the recipe dates back to Kilgore’s great-grandmother Eubenia, who baked them in her tiny farmhouse kitchen in Georgia. Still supremely simple, they don’t require any fancy techniques or equipment — just pantry staples you likely already have, all coming together to create buttery, vanilla bean-speckled cookies that somehow taste even better the next day. And then there’s this: “It amazes me to think about how far this recipe has traveled through the generations and how many hands have made it before mine,” says Kilgore. “There’s something almost magical about that connection to family history.” We couldn’t agree more.

The Time Commitment: About 30 minutes.

Key Tips: Don’t add extra flour even if the dough feels sticky — it could dry out the cookies. Instead, roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. Also, be careful of overbaking, warns Kilgore, who pulls them out “when the edges are just lightly golden.” The centers might look slightly undercooked, but they’ll continue to set as they cool.

Other Takes: To round out your Juneteenth menu, Kilgore recommends…

• Southern BBQ Ribs. If fall-off-the-bone beef ribs sound out of your wheelhouse, this foolproof recipe will trick your friends — even yourself — into thinking otherwise. Just serve with a ton of napkins. 

• Baked Macaroni & Cheese. Rich, creamy, and undeniably comforting, this is “usually the first dish to disappear at family gatherings.”

• Fresh Strawberry Soda. Red drinks are a Juneteenth classic, and this no-machine-necessary recipe is so refreshing it might become your go-to all summer.

The Missed Connection by Tia Williams

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Romance fans, our long national nightmare is over: Tia Williams is back. The Missed Connection follows Sasha, a successful casting agent who’s sworn off relationships — until an unexpected meet-cute with a man on a flight to Paris changes everything. The problem? They never exchange names or contact info, sending Sasha on a wild hunt to track down Mr. Seat F. That includes hiring Wesley, an attractive private investigator with whom she has…quite a bit of history. Expect blazing chemistry, laugh-out-loud chaos, and one very unfortunate company-wide email. We asked Williams a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What’s your most prized possession?

Williams: My great-grandmother’s porcelain Black baby doll from the 1930s.

Q: What should be required reading for every human being?

Williams: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson.

Q: What’s one thing you’re an armchair expert on?

Williams: Real Housewives.

PS: To find out which underrated Italian city Williams thinks everyone needs to visit, read our extended author interview.

Not That You Needed Another Reason To Visit Chicago, But the Obama Presidential Center Is Now Open

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How do you commemorate the nation’s first Black president? A 19.3-acre, $850 million complex more than a decade in the making is a start. Today, the Obama Presidential Center opens to the public — and if the 225-foot-tall “Obamalisk” wasn’t an indication, it’s nothing like your average presidential library. Inside, visitors can eat the Obama Family Chili and Mrs. Robinson’s Red Rice, take in incredible views of the city from the Sky Room, and explore the presidential museum. A few highlights: a handful of Michelle Obama’s iconic looks; a replica of the Obama Oval Office and Resolute Desk (with his beloved Blackberry, no less); what Barack called “probably my favorite exhibit in the entire place”; and some of the 28 original artworks commissioned by the couple, including their first official portrait together. All of which is in addition to a fruit and vegetable garden, an NBA-regulation-size basketball court, a winter sledding hill (a non-negotiable for the former first lady), and a new Chicago Public Library branch — with thousands of books chosen by the Obamas and reading chairs similar to the ones in their home. 

Of course, you can’t open a library without a proper celebration first. Yesterday, the Obamas kicked things off with a star-studded dedication ceremony attended by some of Hollywood’s biggest names (see: Quinta Brunson, Oprah Winfrey, and Stephen Colbert, who nodded to one of Barack’s most controversial fashion choices), a very grown-up Malia and Sasha Obama, and (almost) every living president — including George W. Bush, who did, in fact, give Michelle another Altoid. One person not in attendance? President Donald Trump, who (perhaps unsurprisingly) didn’t make the invite list. And while the celebration included performances by the likes of John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, and Jennifer Hudson (consider this our official petition to have her sing the national anthem at every major event), it was Michelle who really brought the house down with a speech so moving, Barack joked “I’m gonna look down” before it even really began. Barack, we get it.

Bluey just took over Apple Arcade — and honestly, it's the distraction the whole family didn't know they needed. The beloved Emmy award-winning series has a limited-time crossover in five fan-favorite games: dodge yoga balls in Crossy Road Castle, match fruits in Suika Game+, complete hoops in stitch, color Bluey pages in Disney Coloring World+, and solve puzzles in puffies. Play solo or team up — kids, adults, everyone’s invited. No ads, no in-app purchases. Just download once and play anywhere. You’re welcome, Mum.*

Skimm’d by: Molly Longman, Julia Reinstein, and Melissa Goldberg. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.