Entertainment
My Best Friend’s Mom’s Paprikash
There’s one meal that everyone in my household loves, and it’s not mac and cheese. It’s not even my own recipe! It’s my best friend’s mom’s mushroom paprikash.
I got hooked on this meal back in my twenties, when I started making it with my best friend, Chrissy, who learned it from her mom, Monika, who learned how to make it as a child in Slovakia. “Traditionally, paprikash is made with chicken,” Monika told me. “But in the old days, behind the Iron Curtain, we didn’t have meat most days, so people used what was available. In summertime, if it was a nice day, all us kids would go out into the woods and gather mushrooms. That’s how the mushroom paprikash came about. And it was wonderful!”
It still is. Which is why I follow Monika’s version to the letter. I still have her instructions saved in a decade-old text message, which I can now recite from memory (though I’ve copied it into my Notes app JUST IN CASE). It’s our family’s favorite winter meal, by far, but I’ll just as easily whip it out in July. Monika’s paprikash has a 100% success rate, even with my preschooler — even when she’s sick and I have to beg her to consider a popsicle. She will willingly dehydrate before my eyes, but if she sees me slicing mushrooms, she’ll throw her hands up and shout, “PAPRIKASHHH!” And then her dad comes in and goes, “Paprikash?” And then I nod and we all chant the word “paprikash” because it’s also fun to say. The meal puts everyone in a good mood — until someone eats the last portion without asking, and then we’re all grumpy and some of us cry. All this to say: do yourself a favor and double the recipe.
Monika’s Mushroom Paprikash
serves 3-4
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced or grated
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2+ tbsp sweet paprika (Monika recommends a Hungarian paprika, like this one)*
16 oz mushrooms (baby bella/cremini/brown button), sliced thin
Salt, to taste
1+ cups sour cream
Egg noodles or spaetzle**, for serving
Add olive oil to a large pan or Dutch oven (enough to coat the bottom well), and turn the heat on medium-low. Add the onion, and sauté just until it begins to turn translucent and golden. Next, add the paprika (see below!) and turn the heat low. Monika suggests adding a tiny splash of water here, to ensure the paprika doesn’t burn. This is the #1 rule: Do not let the paprika burn! Keep the heat low from here on out, and keep an eye on the pan to make sure the paprika doesn’t start to darken.
Add the mushrooms and quickly stir them into the onion mixture so they’re well coated, and sauté, stirring frequently. You can inch the heat up a little once the mushrooms have released their liquid, but be careful not to let it boil off entirely (again: no burning the paprika!).
Once the mushrooms are nice and soft, take the pan off the heat and give it a quick taste. “I sometimes add a little salt here, if it needs it, but only after everything’s cooked,” Monika says. FYI, this is another key to the recipe. I’ve accidentally added the salt too early before, and noticed that the mushrooms don’t release as much liquid — a major flavor element.
Stir in the sour cream, adding more as needed. You want it a bit thicker than a sauce — more like the consistency of whole-milk yogurt. Boil up your egg noodles or spaetzle, and serve beneath a good scoop of paprikash. (Make sure to leave some for seconds.)
*As for how much paprika to add to the pan, it’s not an exact science. I usually start with a heaping tablespoon — which seems like a lot, but then I inevitably add another (and sometimes more). In my experience, it’s pretty hard to add too much. When in doubt, Monika says: “You want enough to make it red.”
**Paprikash is traditionally served on spaetzle — which I have never made, though it looks delicious. Monika says it’s fine to be flexible here. “Egg noodles or any similar short pasta will do!”
Big thanks to Moni for sharing this treasured family recipe with me! Any great recipes you’ve nabbed from someone else’s mom?
P.S. The #1 thing we’d tell new parents about family dinner, and what are five recipes in your arsenal?
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
