Can you out-mix Joanne Chang's vegan vanilla-mixed berry muffins? Enter Stir It Up's muffin mix-off contest! (Laura Edwins/The Christian Science Monitor)

Muffin mix-off contest and cookbook giveaway

By Laura Edwins, Contributor / 07.18.13

Have you had the perfect muffin? Whether it was blueberry, lemon poppy seed, or banana nut, chances are it was made from a well-worn recipe, baked in a much-used muffin tin, and served warm from the oven.

Muffins might just be the greatest breakfast food ever invented. You can pop the top, you can eat the whole thing in three bites (and then have another), and you can take them to go. It's hard to find a wrong way to eat a muffin. 

This spring a new cookbook arrived on the desk of Stir It Up!, "Flour, Too" by Joanne Chang. Here in Boston, we're big fans of Ms. Chang and her chain of bakeries, Flour, where muffins aren't the only breakfast stars (think brioche, croissants, homemade pop tarts, and out-of-this-world sticky buns). Ms. Chang's first cookbook "Flour," which highlights her baked goods, left our hands itching for some dough. "Flour, Too" is organized more like a traditional cookbook with sections for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and party ideas. 

The breakfast section of "Flour, Too" is divided into sweet and savory chapters, and has two versatile muffin recipes. We tested Chang's vegan vanilla mixed-berry muffins and found the recipe simple and unfussy, and the muffins moist, dense, and packed with fruit. Substituting regular milk for soy milk and skipping butter or eggs makes this recipe vegan, but doesn't compromise the taste or texture. They may just be the perfect muffins. (Try them yourself by following the recipe below.)

But we are wondering: Is it possible that somewhere out yonder an even greater muffin recipe is waiting to be discovered and shared with the world? So we turn to you, dear readers, for your best homemade muffin recipes. Follow our guidelines to submit your recipe. Stir It Up! will narrow down submissions to three finalists, and the folks here in CSMonitor.com newsroom will vote on the winner. The winning recipe will be featured on Stir It Up!, and the baker will receive a copy of "Flour, Too" signed by chef-author Joanne Change.

The muffin mix-off contest: How to enter

Send your favorite homemade muffin recipe to food@csps.com. Please include an ingredient list, step-by-step numbered instructions, along with your name, hometown, and e-mail address. Please submit your recipe by August 1. We will contact the winner. (To keep things fair and unbiased, this contest is not open to employees of CSMonitor.com or their families. But if you want to bake for us anyway, we do accept care packages.)

Show us your creations: We also love food photos. Pictures inspire readers to try something new. So be sure to submit your mouth-watering muffins artfully displayed. (Hint: natural light works best. For reproduction on the web, photos should be 600 x 400 DPI.) Pin your photo on Pinterest or tweet your Instagram picture using the hashtag #muffinmixoff. Follow us on Pinterest and Twitter for contest updates.

We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions, please feel to be in touch: food@csps.com

Vegan vanilla-mixed berry muffins
Reprinted with permission from "Flour, Too," by Joanne Chang 

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as canola

1-1/3 cups plain soy milk

2 tablespoons distilled white or cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line the cups of the muffin tin with paper liners or generously oil and flour them.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and stir until well mixed. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, soy milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the middle of the well. Stir with a rubber spatula until well mixed. Add the raspberries and blueberries and mix until the fruit is evenly distributed.

3. Spoon an equal amount of batter into each prepared muffin cup. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins are pale gold and the tops spring back when pressed gently in the middle. Let cool in the tin on a wire rack before popping them out. The muffins taste best on the day they are baked, but any uneaten muffins can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for 2 or 3 days. For the best results, refresh them in a 300 degree F oven for 4 to 5 minutes. 

Feta, kalamata olives, red onion and cucumber can be added to almost anything to make a delicious meal. Mix the combo with pasta, salad greens, chopped chicken, or a whole grain like bulgur or quinoa. (Whipped, The Blog)

Greek bulgur salad

By Caroline Lubbers, Whipped, The Blog / 07.17.13

It is so odd how we are born with unique palates and preferences. Our oldest daughter is much more like a normal carb-loving kid. She is somewhat picky about meat, adores pasta and pancakes and is always bargaining for sweets. We knew something was different about Baby Whipped (who is now Toddler Whipped) when she turned away from her cupcake on her first birthday. Gasp!

Over the past year, we have discovered that the little one has an affinity for kalamata olives, broccoli, cucumbers and feta cheese. She likes to torture herself by repeatedly trying spicy things. She shudders, her eyes water, she guzzles milk and giggles as she goes at it again. 

Our little rascal has been known to sneak sips of coffee when she finds unattended mugs. Don’t call the authorities. We don’t let her drink caffeine. I just find it interesting that she even expresses an interest in them.

My food hasn’t exemplified the utmost creativity of late. I’m starting to weave new recipes back into the fold. But, there have been a lot of standbys, or variations on a theme. We almost always keep good quality feta cheese in our refrigerator from a local ethnic grocer. I have found that feta, kalamata olives, red onion and cucumber can be added to almost anything to make a delicious meal. Mix the combo with pasta, salad greens, chopped chicken or quinoa. Drizzle with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar and you’ve got a meal.

Recently I bought my first bag of bulgur to make some vegetarian bean burgers. The hearty whole grain wheat is a bit like couscous but tastes nuttier. I toasted my bulgur before cooking it to bring out the flavor. We ate the cold salad on top of a bed of arugula (also a bit of a nutty flavor) for dinner and a few time the following days for lunch. It holds up well and gets even tastier over time.

If you don’t have bulgur or don’t like it, you can follow this recipe with your favorite grain or pasta. Be sure to use the best quality feta and olives that you can find.

Bulgur Salad with Feta, Cucumber and Kalamata Olives
 

Serves 4-6

4 cups cooked and cooled Bulgur (follow package directions)

1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives

3/4 cup feta cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup cucumber cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup red onion, diced

Olive oil & red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper

Arugula or other salad greens for serving (optional)

1. If you like a nuttier flavor, toast the dry bulgur in the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil before following package directions to cook. Let cool before mixing with other ingredients.

2. Toss the bulgur, cucumber, feta, onions and olives together with a fork to combine. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over a bed of salad greens if desired.

Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Fresh peaches, prosciutto, mozzarella, mint, dried cherries, and almonds drizzled with a chocolate dressing combine for a flavorful dinner salad. (Kitchen Report)

Too hot too cook? Try Summer peach salad with chocolate vinaigrette.

By Kendra Nordin, Kitchen Report / 07.16.13

A few weeks ago I received a cookbook to review: “The No-Cook, No-Bake Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes for When It's Too Hot to Cook” by Matt Kadey. With summer temperatures in Boston this year especially sultry for days and days on end, it seemed like a perfect time to test out one of the recipes.

Flipping through breakfast, starters and sides, main dishes, and desserts, Peach Salad with Chocolate Vinaigrette caught my eye. Fresh peaches, prosciutto, mozzarella, mint, dried cherries, and almonds drizzled with a chocolate dressing? What’s not to like? And it was considered a main dish. Chocolate for dinner, hooray!

I don’t have too much experience using chocolate in savory dishes. When I attended Chocolate Week at the Cotton Tree Lodge with Taza Chocolate in Belize, the experience culminated with a grand dinner that included chocolate in every course. The main course was chicken mole. Taza Chocolate introduced me to chocolate covered cacao nibs and I’ve started using them to add flavor and crunch in anything from smoothies to salads.

Matt Kadey’s chocolate vinaigrette dressing has some of those elements found in Mexican cooking with its spicy and heat flavors provided by Dijon mustard and chili flakes. I was a little skeptical but somehow all the flavors work. The dressing is both tangy and sweet, with a salty finish. The key really is to just drizzle enough for flavoring so the peach doesn’t get overpowered. Another tip: If you have any leftover vinaigrette and it solidifies, just add a teaspoon or two of hot water and stir until it liquifies again. The recipe notes indicate that the mozzarella can be swapped out for goat cheese.

After a run in 80 degree humid heat one evening this week, pulling together this salad when I got home was quick, tasty, and satisfying. Best of all: no cooking.

Peach salad with chocolate vinaigrette

From “The No-Cook, No-Bake Cookbook” by Matt Kadey

Serves 4

3 cups baby spinach

3 cups arugula

1/4 cup fresh mint

2 ripe peaches, thinly sliced

2 ounces prosciutto, sliced

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1/2 cup dried cherries (optional)

In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, arugula, mint, and peaches. Divide the salad among the serving plates and top with equal amounts of prosciutto, mozzarella, almonds, and cherries if using. Drizzle chocolate dressing over top.

Chocolate dressing:

2 ounces dark chocolate (about 1/2 cup) finely chopped

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Pinch of dried red chile flakes

Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring water to a boil in an electric kettle pour 1/2 cup over the chocolate, and let sit 10 minutes without stirring. Carefully drain as much water as possible from the bowl and immediately stir in the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and chile flakes until smooth.

Soba noodles topped with a black sesame paste, shredded carrot and cucumber, and a little bit of heat from chili pepper flakes. (The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook)

Black sesame noodle salad

By Patricia Tanumihardja, The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook / 07.15.13

Soba, made from buckwheat flour, is prettily packed in bundles about 8 to a package. Note that many sobas are also made with wheat flour so it isn’t a gluten-free food. Juwari, the finest – and usually most expensive – soba is made entirely of buckwheat, but please, please read the labels especially if you are allergic or intolerant to wheat!

This is turning out to be my go-to recipe for a simple summer lunch. It’s done in 15 minutes, even less if you make the sesame paste ahead and refrigerate. Top the noodles with whatever you have on hand – poached chicken, pan-fried tofu, pickles, your options are only limited to what you have in your fridge!

Black Sesame Noodles

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 15 minutes

1/2 cup toasted black sesame seeds

2-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1-1/2 teaspoon mirin or dry sherry

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of chili pepper flakes or cayenne

12 ounces soba (3 bundles)

1 small cucumber, shredded

1 small carrot, shredded

1. Grind the sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle, or in a small food processor, until it resembles coarse black sand.

2. Stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sugar, and chili flakes and mix until a smooth paste forms. Taste and adjust accordingly.

3. Cook the soba according to package directions, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Rinse the noodles with cold water and drain.

4. Thin the sesame paste with the cooking water and toss with the noodles. Garnish with cucumber and carrot and slurp up! This dish is tasty eaten at room temperature or chilled first.

Blistering tomatoes gives them a rich, almost slow-roasted taste. (The Runaway Spoon)

Blistered tomato sauce

By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon / 07.14.13

Quick, simple and delicious. What more could you want in a summer meal?

The trick here is that blistering the tomatoes gives them a rich, almost slow-roasted taste. I love this with the Italianate taste of oregano, but basil or thyme work wonderfully well too. I generally serve this over pasta, but it makes a great topping for bruschetta or a pizza.

Blistered tomato sauce
Serves 2 

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat until it is blisteringly hot. Flick a drop of water on it and it should dance and bounce around. Tumble the tomatoes into the pan, reduce the heat to medium and cover the skillet. Cook the tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the covered pan several times.

2. Remove the lid from the skillet and pour in the olive oil. The tomatoes will be slightly blackened and charred. Sprinkle over the garlic, oregano and sugar and stir. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes or so, crushing the tomatoes with a spatula or the back of the spoon until you have a nice, chunky sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Delicious brownies are always a welcomed treat. This recipe keeps things sweet but also includes zucchini and almond butter. (Beyond the Peel)

Maple pecan brownies (bonus: they are dairy- and gluten-free)

By France Morissette and Joshua Sprague, Beyond the Peel / 07.13.13

You’re probably thinking, “Another brownie recipe?” Brownies twice in one month? Crazy. Overkill? I don’t think so. At least not in the current circumstances.

My sweet little dog died recently. Shasta was 10. We rescued her at 6-1/2. We hope we gave her a good life, that we did right by her. Gosh, I miss her little face, her little cheesy Dorito smell she gives off when she’s all curled up and sleeping like a log. Her big begging eyes that say “I’m not begging, but if you loved me you’d share.” (But not chocolate, of course.)

Hence the brownies. To find some comfort.

So next time you’re sad or just need a treat, please bookmark these to try. They really are delicious in all the right ways a brownie should be. I’ve also included some variations for those of you who like to change things up.

This brownie recipe, like the last, is relatively healthy, but not so "healthy" that the brownies don’t taste good. This one is unique in that it only requires 1/2 cup of sweetener. The best part? You’d never know it.

Even better than that? The glue that holds this recipe together is zucchini and almond butter. No flour or flour substitutes. You’d never know that this recipe is almost made up entirely of vegetables. How awesome is that? This recipe will even hold up if you choose to not use egg and use an egg replacement instead. So essentially, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, uses only natural sweeteners, and can be altered for vegans. I love that!

If you really want to hide the zucchini, peel it before grating. If a little fleck of green (like any other zucchini cake) doesn’t bother you, than leave it as is.

Maple pecan brownies
Inspired by Karielyn at The Healthy Family and Home

1 cup natural almond butter

1-1/2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup raw cacao or cocoa

1 egg (vegans use 1 egg replacement)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon maple extract (or use 2 teaspoons of vanilla)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pecans (toasted pecans will give a better flavor profile)

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Pour mixture into an 8- by 8-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top with a spatula.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Substitutions

The recipe will work with an egg replacement. You can also use honey or agave and forsake the maple flavor and these will still be delicious.

Nut allergy? Switch out the almond butter for sunflower seed butter and use carob or chocolate chips instead of pecans.

Peanut butter brownies: Substitute natural peanut butter for almond butter. Omit maple extract and use 2 teaspoons vanilla. Switch the nuts to peanuts or chocolate chips.

Orange espresso brownies: Substitute 2 teaspoons orange zest for maple extract, use honey instead of maple syrup and add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder (or instant coffee). Try it with Espresso Icing! Yum.

Watermelon Oreos, the famous dunkable cookie's newest makeover seen here, is causing a stir among fans and detractors alike on social media. Curiously absent from the conversation, Oreo's typically savvy social media managers. (Screenshot KPRC Local 2)

The newsroom weighs in: Traditional Oreos take the cake

By Colby Bermel, Contributor / 07.12.13

Elections are all the rage these days. Citizens went to the polls to determine the next Iranian president and the next Massachusetts senator, among other widely covered races. Upcoming high-profile elections include the 11-candidate fight for New York City mayor and the dead-tie in Virginia for governor.

But there's one hot-button choice that needs more press: Are novelty Oreos better than the original? We got curious following the recent hubub over Oreo's newest summer flavor: Watermelon.

The Christian Science Monitor prides itself in thoughtful, fair reporting. We apply these standards to all of our journalistic endeavors, including an Oreo taste test recently conducted in the Monitor newsroom.

We purchased three novelty flavors of Oreos – Watermelon; Rainbow Shure, Bert!; and Neapolitan. For the purposes of this article, we'll call the Rainbow Shure, Bert! flavor – yes, that's how Oreo stylizes it – Sherbet.

The independent variable (this was conducted with scientific rigor, after all) was of course the original chocolate wafer, vanilla cream flavor. Milk was provided to cleanse the palate.

As the "Meet the Press" theme song looped in the background – who doesn't get excited about journalism after listening to David Gregory's walk-up song? – Monitor staffers from college interns to managing editors came to the voting area to sample the four Oreo flavors. Ballots were distributed.

Thirty-two people filled out ballots, although three of them had to be disqualified because they voted for two flavors instead of one. The instructions typed on the ballot were clearly stated: "you only vote once #YOVO." So for the purposes of this article, 29 people voted.

What were the results? Not surprisingly, the original flavor won by a landslide, capturing 23 out of 29 votes – or 79 percent. But what came as an even greater shock was how the six other people voted. Two voted for Watermelon, two voted for Sherbet, and two voted for Neapolitan.

We clearly see that the original flavor continued to reign king here in the newsroom. And with the votes evenly distributed for the three specialty flavors, how are we as intrepid Monitor journalists supposed to provide you with information about this pressing issue? With a trusty intern jotting down quotes, of course.

Here's what Monitor staffers had to say about the three novelty flavors:

Watermelon

The Watermelon flavor – limited edition – consists of vanilla wafers sandwiching a half-green, half-pink layer of cream. National news staff editor Judy Douglass said that she was "fascinated" with the colors. Business writer Schuyler Velasco agreed with Ms. Douglass, saying that "it's interesting to look at."

When prompted to try it, deputy online editor Pat Murphy said "I don't even want to try it," later pleading "No, no, no. Please, no." Books intern Casey Lee had the same sentiment, predicting beforehand that "it's one of those 'eat it quickly and chase it with milk' flavors."

Virtually all of our tasters said that the Watermelon Oreos did not, in fact, taste like their fruit counterparts. The Web team was especially vocal in this regard. Project manager David Javier called his tasting experience "disturbing," and analytics intern Colin Jamerson said that the Oreo he consumed "didn't go down well."

Several staffers said it tasted like a Jolly Rancher, one of them being business intern Akane Otani. But she was quick to add that "it's scary because of the chemicals." Food editor Kendra Nordin echoed Otani's concerns, saying that it "tastes weird and artificial, like Bonne Bell lipstick."

Others said it tasted like gum – the Bubblicious brand, to be specific.

National news intern Chelsea Sheasley – one of the kindest people in the newsroom – shocked us all by saying something negative for the first time in her life. Specifically, she thought that the Watermelon Oreo was "weird." Home Forum intern Ben Frederick also thought it tasted weird, but for a different reason: "The green [cream] doesn't taste like rind. That's false advertising."

Some staffers went beyond taste in their analysis of the Watermelon Oreo. "How many ways is watermelon not like a cookie? It has no business being an Oreo," design director John Kehe said. "It should be wet, cold, slurpy, and refreshing. It's none of those things as a cookie."

Deputy international editor Ben Arnoldy was a bit nicer to the Watermelon Oreo. Although he looked down on the Bubblicious taste of the cream, "there's still the yummy cookie."

Managing editor Marshall Ingwerson, a man who chooses his words wisely, said two words of the Watermelon Oreo: "doesn't work." 

Sherbet

The Sherbet Oreo – also limited edition – looks suspiciously similar to the Watermelon Oreo: vanilla wafers, green-pink cream. This proved to be problematic for some of our tasters, despite the Oreo sleeves being clearly labeled. Norm Williams of content sales initially thought the Watermelon Oreo tasted like sherbet, but was later shocked to discover that there actually was a sherbet-flavored Oreo.

"It tastes like sherbet. Kind of," Latin America editor Whitney Eulich said of the Sherbet Oreo.

Ms. Velasco, a woman with high standards, thought that there was "not enough sherbet-y tang." But several of us thought the opposite. Mr. Jamerson said that it was "too sweet," and Ms. Douglass said it "definitely has more 'pow'" than its Watermelon counterpart. Mr. Williams described this overwhelming taste as having "pop."

Middle East editor Ariel Zirulnick seemed to pinpoint what exactly this strong taste was: "dish soap, or how I think dish soap would taste." The ever-discerning Mr. Ingwerson said that "there's a weird chemical taste, maybe even a little vinyl, in there."

Innovation intern Katherine Jacobsen looked genuinely afraid when saying that she could "taste the dyes."

Ms. Otani didn't even consider the sherbet-flavored cookie to be an Oreo: "It's awkward. It's aspiring to be an Oreo." Mr. Javier disagreed, saying that "although it's a little creepy, I can still detect its essential Oreo-ness."

With regards to Javier's comment, Ms. Lee asked: "Wait, did you make note that this flavor is evil?"

Interestingly enough, two of us thought of alternate ways to consume Sherbet Oreos. "If you froze these, it'd be the closest thing to sherbet," magazine cover story intern Andrew Averill said. Mr. Arnoldy agreed, saying "I like my sherbet cold."

Sarah Oakes, the Monitor's bubbly marketing associate, said "I actually kind of like it." But Mr. Murphy, now infamous in the newsroom for his "no, no, no" comment, invalidated Oakes' praise with a thumbs-down gesture.  

Neapolitan

The Neapolitan slightly departs from its Watermelon and Sherbet counterparts in appearance. Although it has vanilla wafers, it is actually what Oreo describes as a "triple double." It has three wafers and two cream layers, one chocolate and one strawberry. Ms. Nordin said that it "looks like a Big Mac" in terms of its layering, and social media coordinator Laura Edwins said "the double stack is cool."

Since the Neapolitan Oreo is physically larger than a regular-sized Oreo, there were fewer cookies in its sleeve than the number of Watermelon and Sherbet cookies. Thus, the Neapolitan ones ran out more quickly, so we didn't get a full range of opinions on them.

Nonetheless, those who did taste the Neapolitan had mixed reviews. Staffers discussing the three flavors amongst each other agreed that the Neapolitan was better than Watermelon and Sherbet, although all three of them tied in the votes. "At least the Neapolitans were decent," said Ms. Lee, who was never too keen on trying any of the three flavors. "The Neapolitans were stupid, but decent."

Despite some positivity – Ms. Edwins thought it actually tasted like ice cream – our tasters didn't let the Neapolitan get off easy. "The strawberry tastes like strawberry-flavored taffy," senior editor Clara Germani said. Ms. Velasco agreed, saying that "the chocolate doesn't taste like chocolate. It's not very tasty."

Conclusion

Oreo claims to be "America's favorite cookie." And the company makes an even more boastful statement when saying it's "milk's favorite cookie." Well, all of this seems to be true, at least in the Monitor newsroom.

"The original flavor is in our DNA," Mr. Murphy said. "How can you reject the original?" Mr. Kehe agrees, saying it's "the best cookie ever. They're tough to beat. These gimmicky pretenders don't come close."

Ms. Germani, always asking deeper questions in her job as editor for the magazine cover stories, asked what the choice of selling specialty flavors does for the Oreo brand. Ms. Velasco, drawing on her expert business reporting knowledge, made the following hypothesis: "It seems like they had a surplus of vanilla cookies and wanted to sell them. They're all the same wafer color; it's silly."

Speaking generally about the three flavors, international news intern Jeremy Ravinsky said "it's not that they're bad. They just taste like warm, dry ice cream."

Asia editor Jenna Fisher believes that "you have to pretend that they're not Oreos."

Mr. Frederick felt that "cream filling doesn't lend itself to fruit flavors." Mr. Averill showed more sympathy, saying that the cream is "all about 'mouth-feel'" and not necessarily taste.

What's the verdict? It seems as if we at The Christian Science Monitor are not particular fans of the Watermelon, Sherbet, or Neapolitan Oreos.

"Nothing's going to change our love of original Oreos," Ms. Douglass said.

Normally reserved copy editor Casey Fedde made a simple but profound statement regarding the specialty flavors that sums it up: "These are not milk's favorite cookies."

Toss kale with dried fruit, toasted nuts, and top with shredded Parmesan cheese for a unique summer salad. (Garden of Eating)

Citrus-massaged kale salad

By Eve Fox, Garden of Eating / 07.11.13

Since I always hate the next "hot, new thing!" on principle, it took me a while to start liking kale (ditto quinoa). But ever since I silenced my inner Scrooge, I've been making up for lost time with this splendid leafy green.

What was I thinking?! This citrus-massaged kale salad is so good! I even love the way it smells. Have you ever leaned over the cutting board and given some freshly-cut kale a good sniff? Kale's got a really unique smell – it's rich and earthy and fresh and mineral-like and just makes me think "green."

Although I enjoy kale prepared in many ways, this is by far my favorite at the moment. I actually find myself thinking about it at random moments and craving it. I haven't felt this way about a salad since I was introduced to this one a few years ago. I didn't think I could ever love like that again. I was wrong.

The recipe was inspired by a similar salad my friend, Kali, made a couple months back when she and her husband invited us to their gorgeous home for dinner. I loved it then and I love it even more now that it's kale season again.

The main idea here is to "massage" thinly cut kale with lemon juice and olive oil. Rubbing it with the acid and the oil makes it softer and easier to chew and just generally helps it to relax.

I add a little maple syrup to counter all the sourness of the lemon, some dried cherries, cranberries or currants to provide some pops of sweetness, toasted nuts for crunch and substance and fresh Parmesan cheese provides the salty goodness that ties the whole thing together.

It's pretty incredible. And probably pretty good for you, too, though I have to admit that health always takes a back seat to taste in my cooking.

The recipe below is not hard and fast in its proportions – it's all open to interpretation based on your taste buds – the main thing is to soften the kale up using some acid – you can use lemon juice or vinegar, any kind of dried fruit, any kind of nuts (or omit them if you prefer), etc., etc. No need to feel boxed in here. 

Massaged kale salad with toasted nuts, dried cherries & Parmesan
Serves 4

2 bunches of kale (about 1 lb), rinsed and dried, center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise

Juice of 2-3 lemons

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or almonds

1/4 cup dried cherries, cranberries or currants

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheeses plus some bigger shavings to top the salad with

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the thinly sliced kale in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil (add more of either thing if you feel like there's not enough to cover everything.) Massage the mixture with your fingers until all of the kale is well-coated and looks a bit darker in color. Let sit for a half hour (or not, if you're in a hurry!)

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Top with the shaved cheese and serve.

Where there's squash blossoms, there's squash. Use diced summer squash with tomato, jalapeno, and spices to make a savory salsa. (The Runaway Spoon)

Mexican quesadillas with squash blossoms

By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon / 07.10.13

I love squash blossoms, as I have said before. So imagine my delight on my recent trip to Tepotzlan in the central mountains of Mexico, to find squash blossoms used in a huge variety of dishes. I had freshly made quesadillas with Oaxaca cheese for breakfast each morning, and stalls in the market offered sautéed squash blossoms as an add-in for tacos. The restaurant at the hotel offered them in more nuanced dishes. But perhaps the best use of squash blossoms I have ever experienced was incorporated into hand-made tamales at Cocinar Mexicano cooking school. I could never duplicate that experience, so I guess I’ll have to go back someday.

But the quesadillas I could copy. I wanted to zazz them up a little, so I came up with a simple squash salsa. After all, where there are blossoms there are squash. For me, this is all about the blossoms, so I don’t want to mask their flavor too much. Many of the taco vendors in Tepotzlan, and many of the recipes I’ve read at home include poblano peppers, but I’ve left that out so the blossoms sing. I only use a small amount of jalapeno in the salsa for the same reason; the squash should really shine through. That’s also why I use mild flour or white corn tortillas.

Oaxaca cheese is a mild, stringy melting cheese that I find easily at an ethnic market and frequently at my regular grocery. If you can’t find it, shredded mozzarella is a decent substitute. This recipe makes 5 quesadillas and enough salsa to accompany them.  It’s an odd number, I know, but it is hard around these parts to get squash blossoms in bulk, and 2 dozen is about all I can wrangle from my grower at a time (he doesn’t want me to corner the market). If you can get your hands on more, please feel free to double the recipe.

Cut in half, these quesadillas make 10 lovely little nibbles. The squash salsa is also good with corn chips, or over a grilled fish.

Squash blossom quesadillas with summer squash salsa
Makes 5 quesadillas 

For the salsa

1/2 cup diced onion

1 cup finely diced summer squash, divided (about 1 large squash)

1 plum tomato

1-inch piece of jalapeno pepper, seeds removed

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

1 clove garlic

2 squash blossoms

Juice of half a lime

Salt

For the quesadillas

20 squash blossoms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

4 ounces Oaxaca cheese, shredded into strings, or mozzarella

5 small flour or white corn tortillas

For the salsa

1. Place the onion, 1/2 cup of the squash, the tomato, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and squash blossoms in a blender and blend until you have a chunky purée.

2. Pour the oil into a large skillet and add the remaining diced squash. Sauté over medium high heat for about 3 minutes, until the squash is slightly softened.  Add the purée from the blender and cook for a further 3-5 minutes, until the salsa is thickened and any excess liquid has evaporated. Salt to taste. Set aside to cool.

For the quesadillas

1. Pull any hard stems and spike leaves off the blossoms and pull the stamen out of the center. Shred the blossoms into narrow strands, using your fingers or scissors. Pour the olive oil into a skillet and ad the onions. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, but do not brown, about 8 minutes. Reserve a handful of the shredded squash blossoms, and then add the rest to the onions in the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the blossoms are soft and wilted. Take the filling off the heat.

2. Lay the tortillas on the counter (if you use white corn tortillas, wrap them in a wet paper towel and zap them in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften). Layer about an ounce of cheese and a good dollop of the squash blossom filling over on each. Sprinkle a few of the remaining strands of squash blossom over each, then fold in half.

3. Heat a skillet to high heat and cook the quesadillas two at a time until the cheese is melted and each side is golden brown.

4. Serve immediately with the squash salsa.