Read, Eat, Go: “Real Americans,” Gooey Lemon Butter Cake, and St. Albans

EDITOR’S NOTE 

Happy Saturday. I love a good food fight, so I was thrilled to see the internet debating the most superior Starburst flavor. Though, I’m not sure how anyone picked anything but pink. Another deeply perplexing discovery? People are supposedly driving more than an hour to get peelable mango gummies made by, of all places, Walgreens. I won’t go that far for candy, particularly since I’ll be spending my weekend catching up on sleep — after, in what can only be described as a truly masochistic moment, I used this interactive tool to see how my sleep compared to my peers. I’ll also be avoiding 37 and a half birthday parties, which are apparently real and something I can’t support.

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

“Real Americans” by Rachel Khong

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We couldn’t get enough of Rachel Khong’s debut novel “Goodbye, Vitamin,” when it came out roughly seven years ago and have looked forward to her sophomore release ever since. “Real Americans” follows Lily Chen, a young woman in pre-Y2K New York City, and her romance with a down-to-earth (but extremely wealthy) guy named Matthew. From there, it fast forwards twenty years to follow their son in San Francisco, and then reverses to cover Lily’s parents in Mao’s China. For those who love intergenerational dramas or are itching to read something substantial going into summer, this buzzy novel is a must (and has already gotten plenty of high-profile praise). We asked Khong a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What’s something you learned from writing “Goodbye, Vitamin” that informed your approach to writing “Real Americans”?

Khong: “Goodbye, Vitamin” is a book about Alzheimer’s that’s of course sad but also funny. [When] writing, I’m interested in capturing the richness of life and consciousness. Emotions intrude at inopportune moments or don’t make sense. As a human being, I can feel elated one second and devastated the next. I can be a mystery to myself; I can lack motivations and reasons for my decisions. I can be driven by feeling but convinced I’m acting out of logic. “Goodbye, Vitamin” doesn’t shy away from that complexity, those character dissonances. Writing it helped me learn to write layered characters who hopefully feel real.

Q: You’ve said when you started writing “Real Americans,” you wanted to write something that would really immerse readers in its world. What was the last book that sucked you away from the world for a while?

Khong: Rachel Lyon’s “Fruit of the Dead” is a modern-day retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth, about a camp counselor who is whisked away to a private island by the billionaire father of one of her charges. It’s beautifully, compellingly told. And Emma Copley Eisenberg’s “Housemates” isn’t out until May 28 but is worth the preorder. It’s a road-trip novel about a photographer and writer, about art and community and connection.

Q: In “Real Americans,” all three main characters experience instances where time gets stuck or stops. If you could go back to any point in your past and have time get stuck temporarily, what would you choose?

Khong: I didn’t have a wedding; my husband, Eli, and I got married at San Francisco’s City Hall in 2017. But my mother wanted to throw us a Chinese banquet. And so the fall after our City Hall vows, and after my first book was published, we flew to Malaysia to celebrate with extended family and friends. That’s where I would go: not to the banquet, but to a moment with just the two of us, sitting on plastic stools and eating spicy-sour noodle soup from a street vendor in the sweltering heat.

The Ultimate Spring Dessert? This Gooey Lemon Butter Cake 

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Apologies to whoever came up with the saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” but they obviously never had a bite of Flouring Kitchen’s ooey, gooey Lemon Butter Cake. Essentially the love child of a lemon bar and a cheesecake, the sweet and tangy treat has a buttery, dense lemon cake base and an equally zesty, custardy filling that sinks into the cake as it bakes. The result? Something so decadent and delicious that it truly lives up to its name.

The Time Commitment: All it takes is one hour and nine ingredients to make this no-mixer-required recipe. But it’s worth noting that if you want a firmer texture (think: more like a cheesecake than a pudding), you should chill the cake for a few hours before serving.

Key Tip: The recipe calls for a 9-inch springform pan (this is our favorite). But if you don’t own one, you can also use a 8- or 9-inch square or rectangular baking pan and cut the cake into bars. Just make sure to line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper so the cake will easily lift out.

Other Takes: Not sure what to do with the rest of that Costco-sized bag of lemons? Lemon Ricotta Cake and Lemon Olive Oil Cake are two other great cake options — and a reminder that cake can and should be eaten for breakfast. Meanwhile, if you’re more of a cookie fan, you can’t go wrong with Lemon Crinkle Cookies or Lemon Bar Butter Cookies. And for a twist on classic Lemon Bars, consider No-Bake Lemon Fluff Bars or Lemon Meringue Bars.

The Historic English City That Feels Like a Fairytale

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Step off a 20-minute train ride from London and you’ll find yourself walking through a storybook. The small city of St. Albans is home to Roman ruins, one of England’s oldest pubs, and a historic cathedral that happens to be where they filmed Princess Margaret’s wedding for season two of “The Crown.” Psst…this club will send you email alerts when they find almost-too-good-to-be-true-but-actually-real airfare deals — including roundtrip flights to London this summer from $258. And if you sign up by midnight tonight, it’ll only cost you $1 to save up to 90% on flights from your home airport to bucket list destinations.

🛏 For a luxurious stay, St. Michael’s Manor townhouse hotel has private country gardens and its own lake. Bonus: The onsite restaurant that overlooks the scenic grounds is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea. For an option in the heart of the city, try the charming White Hart Hotel, centrally located in one of the oldest buildings in St. Albans.

🏛️ When you’re ready to tour the historic sights, start with St. Albans Cathedral to admire medieval wall paintings and 1,700-year-old architecture. Swing by the Roman Wall to see the ruins, built between 265 and 270 to defend the Roman city of Verulamium. Then stop by the Verulamium Museum to see a recreation of what it would have looked like in its ancient heyday. If you’ve got more energy, climb the 93 stairs to the top of the Clock Tower — which was built in 1405 and still rings on the hour every day — for stunning views of the city.

☀️ While there’s plenty of great shopping on the high street, the 1,100-year-old St Albans Market is the place to be on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Browse stall after stall of street food, farm produce, and local crafts. If you’re looking for a full day of kid-friendly fun, head to Willows Activity Farm and enjoy farm animals, tractor rides, indoor and outdoor play areas, and live children’s shows.  

🍴 For a fine dining experience at a more accessible price, hit Thompson St. Albans. When the weather’s nice, ask for a table in their outdoor courtyard. Or try Lussmanns, conveniently located next to the cathedral, for local, sustainable options. And definitely don’t miss your chance to snag a pint and a bite at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, which dates back to the 8th Century (ye olde indeed) and serves “traditional pub fare with a modern twist.”

Get there for $2,000 less by…joining this club for just $1 before midnight tonight. They’ll update you on must-snag travel deals like flights to London from $258 or $500 off your grown-up summer break. Don’t believe us? Ask their 1 million happy members.*

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

Q: My ex-best friend just reached out to catch up. She was the one that broke off the friendship, and I’m still hurt by it all. Do I have to respond?

“[Unless the friend] has done something so egregious that responding will put you in a psychological spiral, the best way to handle this is to … acknowledg[e] that you received their message, instead of just not responding. 

If they want to get together and the answer is no, it’s OK to say, ‘I’m surprised to hear from you, considering how things ended. I don’t think I’m in a space to reconnect right now, but I really do hope that you’re doing well.’ This is a script for the person who is trying to be polite — but also has zero interest in reconnecting.

If you’re thinking, That’s interesting, I wonder what this is about, you have total permission to frontload the conversation with that: ‘I’m surprised to hear from you, considering how things ended. Why were you looking to reconnect?’ It’s totally within your rights to understand what the person’s objective is — so you can determine, based on that, whether you want to [move forward]. 

If you do, you can say, ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to meet up, but I’m more than happy to have a phone call.’ That way there’s less stress about getting together, and when [you’re] ready to exit, [you] can exit. 

If you want to meet in-person, it’s okay to slap a duration on there: ‘I have these two days, and I can definitely get together for a 30-minute catch up.’ It doesn’t have to be an all-night dinner where you’re on pins and needles.”

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.