Eat, Read, Go: Chicken Rice with Buttered Onions, “One & Only,” and Palm Springs

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Saturday. Does any workweek feel longer than the one after vacation? My saving grace: Trader Joe’s just dropped another flavor of its cult-favorite dessert — and people are (accurately) calling it a “100,000/10.” A few other things that kept me going this week?

• I’m not proud to admit I slept on fall’s most underrated outerwear trend. But now that it’s been declared the Cool Girl coat of spring, I’m not missing out twice.

• Just when you thought Madewell jeans couldn’t get better, the brand tapped the “denim whisperer” to create what may be its most viral look yet.

• The new going-out top isn’t a top at all — it’s far more practical, far more chic, and has been in your closet this whole time.

• Apologies to Hermès, but this under-$1,000 handbag designer has quietly become the go-to for celebs, royals, and, as I discovered in London, impossibly stylish British women.

• Even I, a self-proclaimed Fruit Connoisseur, was shocked to discover you can brûlée your fruit. And you don’t even need a blowtorch.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

This Simple Chicken and Rice Recipe Is Way Better Than It Has Any Right to Be

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Look, sometimes you want to try that viral recipe that promises to change your life. But most nights, you don’t need life-changing — you just need something easy, satisfying, and actually good. That’s where Smitten Kitchen’s Chicken Rice with Buttered Onions comes in. Made mostly with ingredients you already have, this recipe does a lot with a little: perfectly browned chicken thighs, jammy caramelized onions, and fluffy white rice cook together in the same pan, along with white wine, chicken broth, and thyme, for maximum schmaltzy goodness. The result is so comforting that creator Deb Perelman said she wants “to take a nap in the pan.” Which, on second thought, is life changing.

The Time Commitment: Just over an hour.

Key Tips: This dish is made on the stovetop, but some commenters swear the rice comes out even better in the oven: Once everything’s in the pan, pop it in at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Other Takes: For more winner, winner, chicken dinners, try…

• Oven-Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and White Beans. Loaded with artichokes, shallots, lemon, and herbs, this is the kind of let-the-oven-do-the-work dinner that hits just right after a long day.

• One Pan Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice, featuring a bright, creamy avocado-coconut salsa that’s so ridiculously good, you’ll be eating it straight from the spoon (we would know).

• Honey-Lime Cilantro Chicken & Rice Bowls. Ready in 30 minutes and topped with crunchy cucumbers, tangy pickled onions, and a drinkable dressing, this is what all bowls should aspire to. 

One & Only by Maurene Goo

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In Maurene Goo’s One & Only, professional matchmaker Cassia Park can find anyone’s soulmate — except her own. For centuries, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to identify their one true love, which is how Cassia knows she’s supposed to end up with Daniel Nam. After unsuccessfully searching for Daniel for a decade, Cassia is panicking that she may never find him, so on the eve of her 40th birthday, she puts fun ahead of fate. Translation: She has a fling with Ellis, a very attractive 28-year-old, who’s definitely not her destiny. That is, until she finds out who his boss is. As Cassia finds herself inexplicably drawn to Ellis, she must decide: follow the love story she’s always been promised or choose the one she never saw coming? We asked Goo a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What’s one thing you can’t stop listening to?

Goo: The soundtrack to Love Story (the TV show, not the movie). What a needed blast [from] the past [and the] best needle drops ever. When En Vogue opened episode 2, I almost screamed.

Q: What’s your shortcut to relaxation?

Goo: Cracking open a cold La Croix and lying down on a hard floor.

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

Goo: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong. It’s about the Asian-American experience, but it touches on so many social issues in this country and what it means to be a woman and American and a human. She’s just brilliant.

TOGETHER WITH IHG ONE REWARDS PREMIER CREDIT CARD

If You’re Team Sunshine > Snow — Palm Springs Awaits

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It’s official: Winter has entered its “overstayed its welcome” era. If you, like us, are craving sun, relaxation, and a healthy dose of culture (think: world-class art museums and mid-century everything), Palm Springs, California is the West Coast getaway that’s worth trading your puffer for. And the best way to kick it off? Check into Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel, your home base for soaking up desert sunsets, larger-than-life dinosaurs (nope, not a typo), and legendary date shakes.

👟 Palm Springs is a mid-century modern playground known for its clean lines, bold colors, and architecture that feels straight out of a design coffee table book. After you spend the morning wandering neighborhoods filled with iconic homes, head to the Uptown Design District, where vintage boutiques, art galleries, and plenty of restaurants are all within easy strolling distance. 

🏜️ Outdoor lovers, this one’s for you. About an hour from Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park delivers cinematic landscapes, surreal rock formations, and hiking trails that feel like you’ve landed on another planet. Prefer to stay closer to town? Hop aboard the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which whisks you from the desert floor to spectacular alpine mountain views in minutes.

🏨 Back at Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel, claim a lounger by the rooftop pool, squeeze in a pickleball match on one of the property’s six courts, or grab a cocktail as the sun dips behind the mountains. With downtown at your doorstep and desert views in every direction, it’s the kind of place that makes slowing down feel effortless.

And we’ll let you in on a secret: with the Chase IHG^® One Rewards Premier Credit Card,^† you can earn points toward stays with IHG Hotels & Resorts, making your stay at properties like Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel even more possible. For a limited time, new cardmembers can earn 175,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Consider this your sign to start planning, but act soon — this offer ends March 18.

We asked you to vote on an etiquette question you’d like answered. The winner was:

I have a friend who is so bad at texting me back. It wouldn’t bother me, but I know she’s on her phone all the time and sees the messages. What can I do?

“Between Slack, Instagram, texts, and emails, some people are overwhelmed by the number of messages they get. Text anxiety is real, but your frustration can be made worse by the way you can surveil friends’ activity across platforms. It can bring up feelings of neglect, like [thinking] they prefer to do anything else instead of talking to you. But keep in mind: Scrolling doesn’t require any thought, while texting does — especially depending on what it’s about. Are you asking what dates work for a trip? Her availability [for dinner]? Whatever it is, it can feel like mental labor. Before addressing it, look for other ways she maintains the friendship. Some people aren’t texters, but they’re incredible at a two-hour phone call or a really fruitful hangout. You can also bring it up in a way that doesn’t sound like an accusation — something like, ‘I know texting isn’t everyone's thing. Would you prefer to do phone calls or to just talk through this stuff when we see each other?’ It opens the door for her to tell you what actually works for her, so you can figure it out together.”

Skimm’d by: Jamie Feldman and Melissa Goldberg. Fact-checked by Jordan Mamone.