Weekend Reading: A Veggie Burger that Bleeds, The Truth About Comfort Foods, and More

As a frequent morning eater of oatmeal, it was with great interest that I listened to NPR's report on the results of last weekend's World Porridge Making Championship. At this year's Golden Spurtle (as the event, held in Scotland, is known), competing for Best Traditional Porridge, a kidney doctor from Aberdeen, Scotland beat out a chef and owner of a porridge bar in Copenhagen and Sweden's Nordic Porridge Making Champion to take top honors. The doctor, Izhar Khan, attributed his win to his spurtle—a special wooden oatmeal-making implement, shaped rather like a miniature baseball bat—hand-carved for him by a patient. [NPR] —Karen Shimizu, senior editor, @karemizu

In an investigative report, The New Yorker examines the hard scrabble lives of the immigrants who staff America's Chinese restaurants. [The New Yorker] —Mari Uyehara, senior editor, @mariuyehara

In May of 2013, we went goo-goo for Dominique Ansel's cronuts. We waited in long lines for them, tweeted and blogged about them, and a few folks paid upwards of $50 to get their paws on just one of them. Just when we thought the hype had died down, Ansel revealed his closely guarded cronut recipe to ABC's Good Morning America. Yippee, right? The ingredients are simple enough—butter, sugar, flour, cream—but unless you want to dedicate three days of your life in the pursuit of this irresistable confection, you might be better off getting one straight from the master himself. [ABC News] —Kellie Evans, associate food editor

Despite common folklore, a new study suggests that comfort foods, like ice cream, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese, don't actually make us feel better. [NPR] —Camille Rankin, managing editor

Time magazine's upcoming issue is dedicated to exploring "How We Eat Now." In the package, food luminaries like Michael Pollan, Ferran Adria, and Marion Nestle share their thoughts on the future of food. Rene Redzepi implores food innovators not to lose sight of deliciousness, and Mark Bittman, makes an argument for cooking more at home. Most Americans get at least one-third of their calories from outside the home these days, and most of that is comprised of snacks, pizza, and baked goods. Ok, guilty as charged This weekend, I'll be heading to the market for leafy greens. [TIME] —Erica Duecy, digital director, @ericaduecy