Read, Eat, Go: “Worry,” a Single-Serving Brownie, and Kansas City, Missouri

EDITOR’S NOTE 

Happy Saturday. Not that I’m counting, but discounted Easter candy is almost here. I’ll be stocking up on Cadbury Mini Eggs — mostly so I can make these chocolate chip cookies. That might be necessary as I continue to try and process The Cut’s viral age-gap essay. A piece of writing hasn’t triggered so much online discourse since, well, The Cut’s last viral essay. Meanwhile, on the more relatable side of the internet, Kate Hudson is declaring her love of “all kinds of stuff,” which, same. Perhaps that explains why I currently have Jimmy John’s silk scarf/shoulder bag/sandwich wrap in my cart. 

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

“Worry” by Alexandra Tanner

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Alert: A genuinely funny book has entered the chat. Jules is 28. She has an MFA in fiction, an apartment in Brooklyn, and a disappointing day job. Then her younger sister, Poppy, comes to live with her, and things get marginally more interesting (Poppy adopts a dog named Amy Klobuchar, for one). This debut novel’s observations about life in 2019 — and in your twenties — are darkly hilarious and almost too spot on. We asked Alexandra Tanner a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: Just like Jules, your younger sibling also lived with you. How did your experience compare to that of Jules and Poppy?

Tanner: My sibling came to crash in my 200-square-foot West Village studio for five months back in 2016 — it was beautiful and unbearable. I had a daybed with a trundle underneath and that was how we slept every night, basically on top of each other. The refrigerator door was broken, and we’d both have to lift it off and then haul it back on, together, anytime we wanted to get something out. I was working retail, they were working at a news network. We ate pasta like four nights a week. We were stepping all over each other’s lives literally and metaphorically — but when we look back on it now, we look back with real tenderness.

Q: What are a few things that, without a doubt, got you through the process of writing “Worry”?

Tanner: The music of Ornette Coleman and Ichiko Aoba, this candle, and getting some good moody lighting in my office. 

Q: If you had to trade places with a real or fictional sibling for six months, who would you choose and why?

Tanner: Elizabeth Olsen, so that I could get a bunch of free sh*t from The Row. 

Q: What’s the best book you’ve read recently?

Tanner: I found myself unbelievably moved and thrilled by Marie-Helene Bertino’s newest novel, “Beautyland” … [which is] about a girl named Adina who’s born in Philadelphia in the 1970s and grows up believing that she’s an alien who’s been sent to Earth to report on humanity, the conditions of planet Earth, and whether it might make a good home for her people … I heard [Bertino] say in an interview that she wrote with the goal of making the familiar feel strange and mystifying, and she does it with such warmth and humor.

A Single-Serving Brownie Recipe for Emergency Chocolate Cravings

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Picture it: You’ve had a long day and want to treat yourself to something a bit more exciting than whatever random and probably expired candy you can find. But you’re also not looking to make a batch of anything because (a) that sounds like a project and (b) you don’t need a batch of anything. You just need one freshly baked, perfectly gooey brownie — which is what you’ll get with Broma Bakery’s Single Serve Fudgy Brownie. It’s simple to make, doesn’t require any fancy equipment, and you’ll technically be left with two brownies, which you can share with someone else…or not.

The Time Commitment: Just over 20 minutes — which, for those keeping track, is less than it takes to make a normal batch of brownies. Even sweeter? There’s just five minutes of prep.

Our Tip: The recipe gives you the option of adding chocolate chips just before baking. But if you’re feeling wild, you can replace some (or all) of the chocolate chips with dried fruit, coconut flakes, peanut butter chips, or toffee bits.

Other Takes: More of a cookie person? There are also recipes for a Single-Serving Chocolate Chip Cookie, a Giant Sugar Cookie, or a Double Chocolate Cookie. Same with a wide variety of other desserts, including a Chocolate Cupcake, a Fruit Crisp, a Cinnamon Roll, a Strawberry Shortcake, and a Deep Dish S’mores Bowl. Not to mention, all those viral mug cakes.

It’s Time To Add Kansas City to Your Travel Bucket List

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Kansas City, Missouri is having a moment…and not just because of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. While “Traylor” undoubtedly boosted the city’s profile (and economy), KC was already earning many new fans, thanks to two new entertainment districts (see: Pennway Point and Rock Island Bridge), a history-making women’s sports stadium, and an evolving culinary scene. That’s in addition to the things Kansas City has long been synonymous with — namely, barbecue, jazz, and fountains (fun fact: the city has more than 200, apparently making it second to Rome).

🍴  You can’t visit Kansas City without going big on barbecue — so make sure to visit Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, popular for its Z-Man sandwich, and LC’s Bar-B-Q, run by one of the area’s few female pitmasters. Or, get a taste of the city’s increasingly diverse restaurants at Baba’s Pantry, Yoli Tortilleria, or Waldo Thai. And for something sweet, try the “Traylor”-approved cinnamon rolls at Rye. For more KC hot spots (Taylor’s Version), click here.

​​⚽️  Football season may be over, but there’s plenty of other options for sports fans. You can catch a Kansas City Current game at the new CPKC Stadium (the first built for a professional women’s soccer team) or cheer for the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Baseball fans should also visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to learn more about the sport’s rich African American history.

🌅  For a midsize city, KC has a surprising number of exceptional cultural institutions, like the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (known for its iconic shuttlecocks and standout Asian art) and the more intimate Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Another small yet impressive spot? The American Jazz Museum, which spotlights the genre’s different styles and legends. Consider it the perfect primer for a visit to Green Lady Lounge, where local jazz musicians perform until about 2:30 am, seven days a week.

🛏  In the eclectic Crossroads Arts District, once-vacant warehouses have been given a new life as galleries, restaurants, breweries, and more. That includes the Crossroads Hotel, which is housed in a former Pabst Brewing Depot. Expect lots of exposed brick walls and industrial-chic decor, along with an on-site art gallery, a cafe, and “one of the best rooftop bars in the city.”

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

Q: I invited a friend to a concert, and she’s being really noncommittal. I feel weird giving her a hard deadline, but I also want to be able to invite someone else, if needed. How should I handle this?

“More often than not the person who can’t commit is either buying time to say no because they are uncomfortable being honest or they are shopping their options [and are] waiting to see if something more appealing will come along. If the [date] is getting close, you can call [them and] ask, ‘Have you given the concert any more thought?’ If they [still] can’t commit, you can say, ‘I completely understand. Why don’t we make plans to do something on another day? It sounds like you are really busy, and I don’t want [the ticket to go to] waste.’ Yes, your response may seem a bit harsh, but if you deliver the message in an understanding tone of voice, it’s a sign of respecting yourself, setting personal boundaries with your time, and being honest about the situation … [Plus] the other person may feel uncomfortable telling you no, so [suggesting an alternative event or date] makes it easy for them to back out.”

Up for a challenge? These new puzzle games are easy to get into, but tough to excel at. (Trust us, we’re still trying.) You can play alone, as a team, or competitively against your frenemies 😈. We’ll see you on the leaderboard.

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