Eat, Read, Go: Cold Cucumber Noodle Salad, “L.A. Women,” and Crested Butte

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Saturday. Given *gestures broadly at everything* very little news shocks me. But that And Just Like That… announcement? Well, I definitely didn’t have that on my 2025 (or 2026) bingo card. And it wasn’t the only thing that took me by surprise this week. So did:

• Women are trading barely-there bikinis and cheeky one-pieces for this deeply unexpected swim style. (I, for one, am 1,000% on board.)

• The expensive-looking sunglasses worn by Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and pretty much every other celeb are actually affordable — like under-$100 affordable.

• The GOAT of Y2K sports comedies is finally getting a sequel. (If you’re like me, it made you want to play pro soccer — at least, briefly.)

• Don’t be fooled by the name: There’s nothing shy about the viral “shy girl” makeup trend.

• Could this Kaia Gerber-approved shoe color be even chicer and more practical than black and brown? The answer is a resounding yes.

• And finally, it seems like everyone wants to play my grandmother’s favorite game — as evidenced by the fact that it keeps popping up in my group chats.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

This Crunchy, Cold Cucumber Noodle Salad Is a Summertime Savior

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When it’s so hot, so stuffy, and so sweaty that ice-cold everything seems like the only acceptable food group, a chilled noodle salad is exactly what you need. Specifically, this Chili Crisp Cucumber Soba Noodle Salad from Munching with Mariyah. Not only does it require minimal prep and ingredients, but the cooking — if you can even call it that — is limited to boiling the noodles and blanching the edamame (the recipe says the latter are optional, but they are not). Add in sliced cucumbers and scallions, chopped cilantro, an addictively zingy chili crisp lime dressing, and lots of crunchy toppings — and enjoy while ideally planted in front of the AC.

The Time Commitment: This simple and satisfying meal comes together in just 25 minutes — leaving plenty of time for your second shower of the day.

Key Tips: This dish can easily be tailored to your taste or what you have on hand. Yasmeen Ali (aka Munching with Mariyah) says you can add ginger or garlic to the sauce for extra flavor, replace the cucumbers with snap peas, and swap edamame for diced steak or crispy tofu. It’s also worth noting the recipe yields one serving, so you may want to double, triple, or even quadruple it.

Other Takes: For more low-cook dinners that’ll keep you (and your kitchen) cool, try:

• This savory, sesame-y, Asian-inspired Cold Ramen Noodle Salad — the second-best thing you can make with a package of instant ramen noodles.

• Cold Noodles with Tomatoes and Peanut Sauce. Not only does it use the season’s star produce, but according to a commenter, it’s “one of the simplest, fastest, most delicious recipes to ever come out of my kitchen.”

• Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Chicken, which, thanks a crave-worthy nước chấm sauce and a colorful assortment of herbs and veggies, is “guaranteed to perk you back up.”

L.A. Women by Ella Berman

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If you thought The White Lotus’s friendship trio had a, shall we say, complicated dynamic, wait until you read Ella Berman’s L.A. Women. Set against the glittering backdrop of ’60s and ’70s Los Angeles, Berman’s latest book follows two creatives who couldn’t be more different: Lane Warren is a quiet, Joan Didion-esque journalist who moves to LA to work on her first novel, while Eve Babitz-like Gala Margolis is a free-spirited socialite turned aspiring writer with deep Hollywood roots. Despite their differences, the two forge an unlikely friendship — until ambition, jealousy, and the “ultimate artistic betrayal” drive them apart in what’s been described as “My Brilliant Friend meets Daisy Jones & the Six.” We asked Berman a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What’s the last thing you read that you can’t stop thinking about?

Berman: I reread Bonjour Tristesse [by Françoise Sagan] every June, and it always sets the tone for the wistful yet bratty summer I still want to achieve.

Q: What’s one thing you can’t leave the house without?

Berman: I’m obsessed with those dissolving Listerine tongue strips everyone else stopped using in [the mid 2000s].

Q: What’s a corner of the internet you recently discovered?

Berman: The Wedding Attire Approval subreddit. Wedding invitees post their outfit options and the responses range from heartwarming to lovingly brutal.

You’re Probably Missing Out on This Lesser-Known Colorado Mountain Town

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Let’s get this out of the way: Is Crested Butte the most convenient town to get to in Colorado? No, but that’s precisely what makes it so special. CB has all the beauty of better-known Rocky Mountain towns (say, Aspen or Vail), yet as any local will proudly tell you, it’s quieter and less pretentious. The historic downtown is filled with mom-and-pop shops, beloved restaurants, and picture-perfect Victorian buildings. The accommodations are largely rustic ski lodges and inns (stay at the Old Town Inn). And while CB is best known as a ski destination, it’s — dare we say — even more spectacular in warmer months, when the “the Wildflower Capital of Colorado” bursts with color, and residents and guests alike take advantage of every outdoor adventure imaginable.

⛰️ In what should be a surprise to no one, Crested Butte is paradise for people who love the outdoors. Hop on one of the chairlifts at Mt. Crested Butte and relish the unparalleled views as you hike or mountain bike down the various multiuse trails. Or, head farther north on Gothic Road to the 5.8-mile Snodgrass Mountain Trail — another popular hiking and mountain biking spot that winds through lush aspen groves and wildflower meadows. Feeling even more adventurous? Push even deeper into the mountains, past the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Gothic (home to a shockingly good coffee shop and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory), and you’ll eventually reach Emerald Lake, where swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking in the bright turquoise water are well worth the (very rugged) drive.

🛍️ Soak up the ridiculously charming, small-town vibes with a stroll down Elk Avenue — CB’s vibrant main street. First, fuel up at Camp 4 Coffee (order an iced vanilla latte and you’ll understand the lines). Then browse the racks of mountain-chic clothes at Favor the Kind, pick out a handcrafted hat at Björkstam Hat Co., flip through new releases at Townie Books, and enjoy Chillberg’s New Zealand-style ice cream (essentially, soft serve blended with fresh and frozen fruit). And be sure to stop in the many impressive art galleries, like the Shaun Horne Gallery (the owners specialize in dreamy plein-air paintings) and Paragon Art Gallery (showcasing local wood-carvers, ceramicists, jewelry designers, and glass artists).

🍴 We never would’ve predicted that in a roughly 1,600-person town, you’d find truly wonderful bagels (yes, by New York standards) — but one bite of Butte Bagels’ pretzel everything was all it took to change our minds. When you’re ready for dinner, head to Two Twelve, where dishes like ramp pesto gnocchi and Black Angus filet are cooked over a live fire hearth. Or, snag a seat at The Breadery, a local fave known for — you guessed it — a daily specialty bread and loaded flatbreads, all made from a 60-year-old starter…named Trisha. Finally, end the night at The Dogwood to enjoy inventive cocktails (see: the London Press or Good Vibrations) in an old miners’ cabin.

You’ve figured out your next vacation destination. Great choice. Skip the scramble for a place to stay and use booking.com. It serves up thousands of vetted hotels, villas, apartments, and other accommodations that you can filter according to your nice-to-haves and nonnegotiables. Plus, their price match guarantee helps you lock in the best rate. Enjoy that (necessary) hot tub.

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

Q: My parents’ health has started to decline, and I know we need to talk about long-term care. Every time I try to bring it up, they get defensive. What’s the best way to navigate this?

“It’s incredibly common, and completely understandable, for aging parents to get defensive [about] the topic of long-term care. These conversations can stir up fears about losing independence or becoming a burden. But putting them off until a crisis hits usually leads to rushed, stressful decisions. The key is to approach the conversation with empathy, patience, and strategy.  

Timing is everything, so choose the right moment … [such as] a calm, quiet time, after a shared meal or on a walk. [Instead of] jumping right into logistics on housing or caregiving, start with questions that center on what matters most to them, like: ‘What would help you feel safe and comfortable as you get older? How do you want to be supported if you ever need more help?’ … [Also, focus on] your love and respect for them, rather than making it seem like you have an agenda of some sort. [You could say], ‘I want to know your wishes now, so I can make sure we follow them’ or ‘Having a plan in place would really give me peace of mind.’

If the topic still feels too direct, you could ease into it by talking about someone else’s experience, like, ‘When Aunt Mary had her fall, it made me think, what would you want if something like that happened?’ And if things stay stuck, suggest meeting with a geriatric-care manager, social worker, or trusted physician. Sometimes hearing it from a neutral third party makes all the difference.”

PS: Need more help with the dreaded long-term care talk? We’ve got you. Our Skimm Script has additional ways to make it feel loving, not loaded. Plus, a step-by-step checklist to plan your parents’ care and estate — only on Skimm+.

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.