Daily Skimm

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Saturday. Forget false spring. Here in DC, we skipped straight to false summer — with temps in the 90s this week. To prepare for the (very) warm days ahead, here’s what I’m up to this weekend:

I haven’t been to Old Navy since the flip-flop wall days, but I have my eye on this highly anticipated designer collab, which is Katie Holmes-approved and sure to sell out. Perfect tank top, I’m coming for you.
According to Vogue, this is the only dress you need this summer. And considering I already have one wedding and a couple baby showers to attend, who am I to argue with Vogue?
Upgrading my patio with this $17 find. It’s secretly the key to a chic outdoor space — and it looks just as expensive as versions that cost five times as much.
I’ll cool down at Milk Bar, which just teamed up with a truly unexpected brand on a new breakfast-inspired dessert. It’s sweet, salty, and might actually be the best thing since Cereal Milk Soft Serve (IYKYK).
After a full year of denial, I’m finally embracing this shoe trend — apparently, the only one millennials and Gen Z can agree on. Elementary-school me would be stunned.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

Dishing Out Health’s Creamy Caramelized Leek Pasta

Sure, This Weeknight-Friendly Pasta Looks Stunning — But It Tastes Even Better

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Another week, another dinner where we’re torn between eating our veggies like responsible adults and just face-planting into a bowl of creamy pasta. Dishing Out Health’s Creamy Caramelized Leek Pasta is how you do both. The gloriously green dish starts with jammy leeks, sweet peas, fresh basil, and what seems like an absurd amount of spinach, all of which is blended into a creamy, dreamy sauce that perfectly clings to every ridge of rigatoni. Add plenty of Parm and a crispy breadcrumb topping — and you’ll have what’s objectively the best and most delicious way to get your greens.

The Time Commitment: About 45 minutes.

Key Tips: While the recipe calls for anchovy-infused breadcrumbs, you can skip the tinned fish entirely, says Jamie Vespa (aka Dishing Out Health). And don’t be afraid to make swaps: Use kale, arugula, or Swiss chard instead of spinach, and any short pasta shape (orecchiette, fusilli, shells) will work equally well.

Other Takes: For more light, bright, and impossibly good spring pastas, try…

Creamy Burrata Pea Pasta. Any dish with the World’s Greatest Pasta Shape™ will be good. But throw in an unforgettable sauce and a generous serving of cheese? Even better.
Pasta al Limone with Asparagus. Even asparagus skeptics will be converted by this 30-minute dinner. Just take this comment: “This dish was tasty, satisfying, AND made my husband look favorably upon asparagus.”
Artichoke Pesto Lumache. This twist on traditional pesto includes lemon juice, artichokes, and peppery arugula — so yeah, make extra. Trust us.

What’s new in food & home:

👀 Desperate for more kitchen storage? You’re probably overlooking this surprisingly useful spot.

🧀 We were today years old when we learned we’ve been using a cheese grater wrong our whole lives — and you probably have too.

🌸 If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by your spring cleaning list, good news: These are the seven tasks experts say you can — in fact, should — skip for now.

Famesick by Lena Dunham

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Millennials, stop what you’re doing: The voice of our generation — sorry, a voice of a generation — Lena Dunham just released a new memoir. Famesick chronicles the decade or so that defined her, starting in 2010, when at just 23 years old, HBO called to offer her the blind pilot deal for Girls. And while she delivers all the behind-the-scenes Girls drama you’d expect — her fallout with collaborator Jenni Konner, her complicated relationship with costar Adam Driver — the book goes much deeper as Dunham reckons with the cost of her ambition. That includes her struggle with chronic illness (endometriosis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), which worsened as fame grew; her addiction to prescription drugs and subsequent rehab stint; her split with Jack Antonoff; racking up more controversies than she can keep track of; and what it took to finally reconnect with herself. It’s unflinchingly honest. It’s brutally self-aware. It’s laugh-out-loud funny. It’s classic Dunham.

Meanwhile, on the internet…

Bad news: There’s a new batch of text abbreviations to learn. Worse news: Even ASL doesn’t mean what you think anymore.
One woman went on an epic journey to find the best free restaurant bread in America — and let’s just say The Cheesecake Factory fans will not be pleased.
We never would’ve guessed that a rotisserie chicken would send the internet into a spiral. But one look at the price and, well, we get it.

Start Your Engine — Detroit Awaits

Detroit, Michigan might be the Motor City, but these days it’s running on a whole lot more than horsepower. After years of reinvention, this Midwest gem is having a full-on glow-up — with world-class museums, a legendary music scene (hi, Aretha and Stevie), and enough Detroit-style pizza to justify the trip alone. Translation: there’s a lot to cover, and the best way to do it is behind the wheel of something that brings comfort, capability, and confidence to every mile — like the Jeep_® Grand Cherokee L.

🎨 When it comes to culture, Detroit’s got range. Start at the Motown Museum, then head to the Detroit Institute of Arts (home to more than 65,000 works). Wander through Hart Plaza — the city’s riverfront gathering spot known for public art, waterfront views, and summer festivals. Finally, don’t miss the Guardian Building downtown and the Fisher Building in Midtown, two art deco landmarks that have been turning heads since the 1920s.

🌳 Green space, but make it scenic. Belle Isle Park — a 985-acre island located in (yes, in) the Detroit River — is home to the country’s oldest aquarium, a lush conservatory, and plenty of space to roam. Back on the mainland, stroll or bike the Detroit Riverwalk, consistently ranked one of the best in the country, with skyline views that hit especially hard at sunset.

⛱️ Ready to get out of the city? Load up the car (thanks to three rows of seating and flexible cargo space, there’s room for everyone — and all the snacks), and head north to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, about four hours away. Think: towering sand dunes, crystal-clear water, and 35 miles of beaches that feel more “ocean escape” than “Midwest road trip.” With multiple drive modes and confident 4x4 capability, getting there is part of the adventure.

Detroit’s calling and the Jeep_® Grand Cherokee L is built to keep up with it all. With space for up to seven and intuitive tech that helps every drive feel smooth and in control, it’s ready for wherever your plans take you. Visit Jeep.com to find what drives your adventure today.*

Jeep and the Jeep grille are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC.

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

My in-laws live hours away, so our visits usually last a few days — and I always wake up sore from the guest room’s ancient twin mattresses. The family can afford new ones, but it doesn’t seem to have crossed their mind. What’s a polite way to bring it up?

“The real issue here isn’t whether your in-laws can afford new mattresses — it’s that [you’re losing sleep every visit]. Unless you think your opinion will make a difference, it’s best not to bring it up at all and instead [consider one of these alternatives]: Buy them new twin mattresses under the guise of a gift, book a nearby hotel and say you’ve been having back issues, or bring a mattress topper next time to quietly solve the problem yourself.”

Featured Expert

Jacqueline Whitmore

Founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach

Which etiquette question should an expert answer next week?

Every year, my partner’s family takes the same week-long beach vacation. I’ve gone before, but I’m not a beach person — and it’s a significant chunk of PTO. Is there a graceful way to bow out?

My sister’s friends are planning her bachelorette — and they’re including an activity that doesn’t really seem like her. I’m not close with them, so I feel awkward chiming in. How do I say something without stepping on anyone’s toes?

I have a friend who never calls me back — she just texts instead. I know it’s a small thing, but it makes me feel like my preferences don’t matter. What’s a non-confrontational way to bring it up?

Have a dicey etiquette question you want answered by an expert? Submit it here.

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Is It OK to Ask Your In-Laws for This? 🛏️