New Directions in the Fruit World

Do you remember as a kid being quite impressed when your parents brought home a watermelon from the store that stretched 2 feet or even longer? Well, according to the New York Times' Kim Severson, it's getting harder and harder to find those traditional, oversized melons.

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The idea of making upside-down cake sounds appealing, but I've never been a huge fan of pineapple. So this twist on the traditional dessert caught my eye. The L.A. Times offers alternative recipes for upside-down cake using apricots, spiced cherries and peaches, among other fruits.

A Marriage for the Melon-Obsessed

I saw this item (below), which announced the approaching marriage of Emery Gullickson and Neal Richards, in the Washington Post's Express tabloid:

FIRST DATE: A few years after meeting, they reconnected at Emery's dad's birthday party. When her dad offered them some leftover watermelon, Emery suggested she and Neal boil it to see what would happen. The week after, they made a watermelon pie. "We became quite fond of each other while our distaste for watermelon flavoring grew," Emery says.

MMM, CAKE: The groom's cake is watermelon-shaped.

I've heard of a couple bonding over a food each one of them loved, but this is the first time I've heard of a couple bonding over a flavor they disliked.

Watermelon Granita

I had one of the most refreshing yet light desserts this weekend. We were staying with friends at their cottage on the Chesapeake Bay, and the dessert was Watermelon Granita. It was a perfect no-fuss summer dessert.

I found this recipe for Watermelon Granita online at the Food Network's site. Three ingredients -- you can't beat that for simplicity. But our friends used a lime instead of the lemon called for in the FN recipe.