We Have Zero — And I Mean Zero — Notes for This One-Pot Chicken Marsala Orzo
theSkimm
Summer is quickly waning, and along with it, our patience for any recipe that’s more complicated than it needs to be. You too? Then let us introduce you to the only weeknight dinner we want to make right now: this One-Pot Chicken Marsala Orzo from The Defined Dish, aka Alex Snodgrass. The recipe — which appears in Snodgrass’s new cookbook, Everyday Eats — combines juicy chicken, savory mushrooms, fragrant thyme, and tender orzo for a succulent, comforting dinner that’s ready in about half an hour. And here’s the kicker: It all comes together in one pan, so you’ll barely have to do dishes after. You’re welcome.
The Time Commitment: About 35 minutes.
Key Tips: Don’t have Marsala wine? A dry white will work just fine. If you can’t get your hands on crème fraîche, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt should do the trick.
Other Takes: For other winner, winner chicken dinners that are light on cleanup, try…
Miso Chicken and Rice. Turns out, your rice cooker can do a whole lot more than just cook rice. Like whip up this entire super-umami recipe in one go.
One-Pan Tuscan Chicken. Respectfully, this recipe might give Olive Garden a run for its money.
Sheet-Pan Chicken and Potatoes With Feta, Lemon, and Dill. The platonic ideal of an easy dinner-party recipe. One fan raved that it’s “always a hit and almost impossible to mess up.”
Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty
theSkimm
Thought you’d heard the last of the Big Little Lies moms? Think again. More than a decade after the novel that inspired one of our favorite HBO series, Big Little Lies is getting the sequel treatment. Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Truths finds us about 10 years after the events of the first book, with Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie’s children now in high school. Amid all the usual drama of parenting teenagers, a series of unnerving incidents shake their well-to-do seaside town of Pirriwee, Australia: The high school principal receives a severed human finger in the mail, and a mysterious man starts lurking around the community, asking questions that threaten to unravel the dark secrets these women have held onto for years. Before you ask, yes, a third season of Big Little Lies based on this book is already in the works, so we’ll be reading this one ASAP. Everyone say thank you to Laura Dern. We asked Moriarty a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…
Q: What’s one thing everyone needs to watch?
A: Tom Holland’s Lip Sync Battle. I mean, I think everyone probably already has watched it. I just love him and Zendaya so much, and have a devoted, maternal, parasocial relationship with them.
Q: What's your favorite unapologetic indulgence?
A: An Aperol spritz made by my husband on a Friday night. I float away on an apricot sea.
Q: What is your most prized possession?
A: My signed first edition of Anne Tyler’s book The Accidental Tourist. It was a gift from my editor Amy Einhorn and I once offended my husband by saying it was the best gift I had ever received in my entire life. I would save it in a fire.
PS: The book Moriarty called “gorgeous, hilarious, [and] profoundly thought-provoking”? Find out here.
Visit This Coastal California City Once, and You’ll Want to Move Here ASAP
theSkimm
If a trip to the Mediterranean isn’t in the cards anytime soon, good news: There’s a Spanish Riviera dupe a couple hours outside Los Angeles. Yes, we’re talking about Santa Barbara, the coastal California enclave that’s long been dubbed the “American Riviera” — thanks to its spectacular sandy beaches, almost always perfect weather, established food and wine scenes, ridiculously chic hotels (stay at Drift Santa Barbara), and stunning Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Add in day trips to Montecito (where homeowners include Oprah and a certain royal couple) and the Santa Ynez Valley (a must-visit for wine lovers), and a scoop from McConnell’s — and you’ll be pulling up Zillow listings before your trip is over.
👟 Spend a day on State Street, Santa Barbara’s palm tree-lined main drag. It’s packed with buzzy restaurants, hip tasting rooms and wine bars (don’t miss the natural pours at Satellite), cultural gems like the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (its 25,000-plus works range from Impressionist paintings to classical antiquities), and a dizzying number of cute boutiques. Those include Domecíl (for handwoven baskets, ceramic bowls, and more coastal-cool home decor) and Diani (for boho-chic clothes and accessories). And pay a visit to the nearby Santa Barbara County Courthouse (yes, you read that right), which boasts a climbable clock tower with 360-degree views, impressive murals, and sunken gardens.
🌊 Now, for the main event: the glorious, cliff-draped beaches. Rent a bike and cruise along the 4.5-mile-long Cabrillo Bike Path, which hugs the coastline and passes some postcard-worthy spots. Stop at East Beach (one of the largest and liveliest), Leadbetter Beach (a go-to for surfers), and Butterfly Beach (a local fave with calmer vibes and striking sunsets). For more aquatic activities, explore the Santa Barbara Harbor via kayak or paddleboard (keep an eye out for sea lions), join a whale-watching excursion, or book a boat tour to Channel Islands National Park — where tide pools, scenic hikes, and more wildlife than a Nat Geo special await.
🍴 Santa Barbara takes its tacos seriously — so, naturally, your first agenda item should be Lilly’s Taqueria, a no-frills spot known for pillowy corn tortillas, marinated pork adobada, and an extensive salsa bar. For dinner, head to Bettina, where exceptional wood-fired pizzas (topped with hand-pulled mozzarella and seasonal ingredients) are served alongside whipped ricotta and cacio e pepe arancini. Or, snag a reservation at Barbareño for California-inspired dishes, like grilled avocado and ahi crudo — and whatever you do, don’t skip the Baked California for dessert.
We asked you to vote on an etiquette question you’d like answered. The winner was:
Three women cut right in front of me at a concert, insisting their friend had saved them a spot. I was there first and couldn’t see anything. What’s the proper etiquette here — for them, and for me, in the moment?
“As far as concert etiquette: You can save a spot for a friend who went to the bathroom or grabbed a drink. You cannot have one person hold a spot for three people who show up later, cut in front of someone who was already there, and completely block their view. In your case, it sounds like these women violated the social contract — you were there first!
Try setting a healthy boundary. Say something like, 'Hey, I was here first, and now I can't see. You need to stand behind me.' Be calm, be clear, and don’t apologize.
They might be annoyed, they might argue, and they might not even move — most likely, they won't. Who cares? This is an opportunity to practice a much bigger life lesson. You don't have to be aggressive, but you do have to be willing to let someone else be unhappy with you when they're the one behaving badly. So advocate for yourself and hold your ground — and depending on who you’re seeing, there’s probably a song about that.”
FEATURED EXPERT:
Julie Slavin
Licensed marriage and family therapist, and DJ merging music and mental health
Unleash your competitive side with today's games and puzzles. Go wild.
We Have Zero — And I Mean Zero — Notes for This One-Pot Chicken Marsala Orzo
theSkimm
Summer is quickly waning, and along with it, our patience for any recipe that’s more complicated than it needs to be. You too? Then let us introduce you to the only weeknight dinner we want to make right now: this One-Pot Chicken Marsala Orzo from The Defined Dish, aka Alex Snodgrass. The recipe — which appears in Snodgrass’s new cookbook, Everyday Eats — combines juicy chicken, savory mushrooms, fragrant thyme, and tender orzo for a succulent, comforting dinner that’s ready in about half an hour. And here’s the kicker: It all comes together in one pan, so you’ll barely have to do dishes after. You’re welcome.
The Time Commitment: About 35 minutes.
Key Tips: Don’t have Marsala wine? A dry white will work just fine. If you can’t get your hands on crème fraîche, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt should do the trick.
Other Takes: For other winner, winner chicken dinners that are light on cleanup, try…
Miso Chicken and Rice. Turns out, your rice cooker can do a whole lot more than just cook rice. Like whip up this entire super-umami recipe in one go.
One-Pan Tuscan Chicken. Respectfully, this recipe might give Olive Garden a run for its money.
Sheet-Pan Chicken and Potatoes With Feta, Lemon, and Dill. The platonic ideal of an easy dinner-party recipe. One fan raved that it’s “always a hit and almost impossible to mess up.”
Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty
theSkimm
Thought you’d heard the last of the Big Little Lies moms? Think again. More than a decade after the novel that inspired one of our favorite HBO series, Big Little Lies is getting the sequel treatment. Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Truths finds us about 10 years after the events of the first book, with Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie’s children now in high school. Amid all the usual drama of parenting teenagers, a series of unnerving incidents shake their well-to-do seaside town of Pirriwee, Australia: The high school principal receives a severed human finger in the mail, and a mysterious man starts lurking around the community, asking questions that threaten to unravel the dark secrets these women have held onto for years. Before you ask, yes, a third season of Big Little Lies based on this book is already in the works, so we’ll be reading this one ASAP. Everyone say thank you to Laura Dern. We asked Moriarty a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…
Q: What’s one thing everyone needs to watch?
A: Tom Holland’s Lip Sync Battle. I mean, I think everyone probably already has watched it. I just love him and Zendaya so much, and have a devoted, maternal, parasocial relationship with them.
Q: What's your favorite unapologetic indulgence?
A: An Aperol spritz made by my husband on a Friday night. I float away on an apricot sea.
Q: What is your most prized possession?
A: My signed first edition of Anne Tyler’s book The Accidental Tourist. It was a gift from my editor Amy Einhorn and I once offended my husband by saying it was the best gift I had ever received in my entire life. I would save it in a fire.
PS: The book Moriarty called “gorgeous, hilarious, [and] profoundly thought-provoking”? Find out here.
Visit This Coastal California City Once, and You’ll Want to Move Here ASAP
theSkimm
If a trip to the Mediterranean isn’t in the cards anytime soon, good news: There’s a Spanish Riviera dupe a couple hours outside Los Angeles. Yes, we’re talking about Santa Barbara, the coastal California enclave that’s long been dubbed the “American Riviera” — thanks to its spectacular sandy beaches, almost always perfect weather, established food and wine scenes, ridiculously chic hotels (stay at Drift Santa Barbara), and stunning Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Add in day trips to Montecito (where homeowners include Oprah and a certain royal couple) and the Santa Ynez Valley (a must-visit for wine lovers), and a scoop from McConnell’s — and you’ll be pulling up Zillow listings before your trip is over.
👟 Spend a day on State Street, Santa Barbara’s palm tree-lined main drag. It’s packed with buzzy restaurants, hip tasting rooms and wine bars (don’t miss the natural pours at Satellite), cultural gems like the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (its 25,000-plus works range from Impressionist paintings to classical antiquities), and a dizzying number of cute boutiques. Those include Domecíl (for handwoven baskets, ceramic bowls, and more coastal-cool home decor) and Diani (for boho-chic clothes and accessories). And pay a visit to the nearby Santa Barbara County Courthouse (yes, you read that right), which boasts a climbable clock tower with 360-degree views, impressive murals, and sunken gardens.
🌊 Now, for the main event: the glorious, cliff-draped beaches. Rent a bike and cruise along the 4.5-mile-long Cabrillo Bike Path, which hugs the coastline and passes some postcard-worthy spots. Stop at East Beach (one of the largest and liveliest), Leadbetter Beach (a go-to for surfers), and Butterfly Beach (a local fave with calmer vibes and striking sunsets). For more aquatic activities, explore the Santa Barbara Harbor via kayak or paddleboard (keep an eye out for sea lions), join a whale-watching excursion, or book a boat tour to Channel Islands National Park — where tide pools, scenic hikes, and more wildlife than a Nat Geo special await.
🍴 Santa Barbara takes its tacos seriously — so, naturally, your first agenda item should be Lilly’s Taqueria, a no-frills spot known for pillowy corn tortillas, marinated pork adobada, and an extensive salsa bar. For dinner, head to Bettina, where exceptional wood-fired pizzas (topped with hand-pulled mozzarella and seasonal ingredients) are served alongside whipped ricotta and cacio e pepe arancini. Or, snag a reservation at Barbareño for California-inspired dishes, like grilled avocado and ahi crudo — and whatever you do, don’t skip the Baked California for dessert.
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