Purchase a whole watermelon? Learn how to use up the extra.

Photo: Moryce, Flickr

Watermelon inspires utter devotion in some and utter nonchalance in others. Like pickles or mayonnaise, it is not one of those "middle ground" foods.

This photograph of the ruby-hued fruit seems designed precisely to make the watermelon lover lose track of whatever else she was working on: "Would I eat one slice? Two?"

Even the typically stodgy "The New Food Lover's Companion" seems smitten: "The watermelon is considered less sophisticated than other categories of melon because it lacks flavor complexity and has a watery texture. But there are those who wouldn't trade a slice of watermelon on a hot summer day for anything."

Or -- to paraphase this Very Serious Encyclopedia of Culinary Knowledge -- "Watermelon: It Rules."

Guacamole and condiments. Photo: rick, Flickr

• Seven recipes to make condiments more memorable.
• The wonders of watermelon, from Mark Twain's musings to how to pick your own.
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• Product watch: Allen Brothers' prime steak, MolliCoolz Shakers ice cream drink, the practical "Dad's Awesome Grilling Book," Wickles pickles, and Eggland's Best Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs.
• Recipes: Pasta with Peas, Mushrooms, and Tomato-Cream Sauce, Crab Bisque, BBQ Ginger Lamb Satays with Thai Dipping Sauce, Dragon Berry Strawberry Basil Lemonade, Patriotic Twinkie Pie.
• A list of Houston's local farmers markets.

For your lunchtime pleasure, I'm presenting a series of my favorite bento boxes. Bento are Japanese home-prepared meals served in special boxes, usually eaten for lunch at work or school. These days, bento enthusiasts from all over the world share their creations on Flickr.

This afternoon's bento, courtesy of Wendy Copley, is a kid-sized creation. A lucky preschooler gets to snack on homemade cheese men with sad, angry and happy faces, lying on a bed of rolled up turkey slices (but how will we teach our children that cannibalism is wrong!). On the side are watermelon cubes, grape tomatoes, a homemade granola bar and a slice of banana bread.

By this time of the year, markets and grocery stores are overflowing with a gorgeous array of melons. There are a few ways to know when your melon is ripe. They involve understanding that there are two classes of melon: the muskmelons and the watermelons.

Summer is watermelon season. I look forward to it every year and the only problem I'm able to spot when it comes to watermelons is that they contain so much fruit that you either need a whole lot of refrigerator space in which to store it, or you need to have a party in order to crack open a melon.

If you find yourself with some extra watermelon and no excess fridge space or party guests, Allen at Eating Out Loud is dedicating the entire week to profiling good ways to incorporate watermelon into your cooking. Yesterday he published a recipe for watermelon mint ice pops that look extremely delicious. I mean, talk about food porn. Not only are the pops beautiful, they're incredibly easy to make.

If you want a special, tasty, home made treat that's also good-ish for you, you might want to give these watermelon mint pops a try! And make sure to check back in with Eating Out Loud all week long to see what other watermelon treats he's got up his sleeve.

You know what I love most about America? The way that we have a holiday for everything. And even when we run out of holidays, we just make up more holidays and continue using them as excuses to glut. And when it's a food holiday, we are officially permissed to double-gorge! So here's a heads-up for my favorite August food holidays -- y'know, so you can get your shopping done early and beat the mad holiday rush.

• August 1 - Raspberry Cream Pie Day: This shortcut Chilled Raspberry Cream Pie recipe from Rachael Ray can be whipped up in a jif. It'll be just like one of those No-Bake commercials when your friends and family are fawning over you for spending the day slaving over the stove while you're secretly sniggering to yourself, "Heh heh, it was no bake, you fools!"
• August 2 - Ice Cream Sandwich Day: Sure, you could wade through the freezer case, or you could man up and make your own. Consider these decadent peanut-butter-'n'-honey-flavored "Bee-Nut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches" from Domestic Goddess.

We are just hours away from a national holiday, and nothing ushers in a summer celebration better than a cool, fruit-based drink. This sparkling beverage, with bits of watermelon floating throughout and a matching straw, begs to be imitated for your Independence Day festivities (there's no recipe on the photo page, but watermelon would go nicely with any number of fizzy drinks).

Thanks to a.rud.beth for adding her beautiful image to the Slashfood Flickr pool!

A black watermelon fetched $6,100 at a Japanese auction on Friday, making it one of the most expensive melons ever sold.

The 17-pound black-skinned "Densuke" watermelon drew the unusually high price or its rare color. It is said to have an extraordinarily delicate taste and perfume. The purchase came on the heels of another record fruit auction - a pair of cantaloupes went for $23,500 last month.

In Japan, where specially cultivated "gift fruits" are given as presents and tokens of respect, melons usually retail for upwards of $100. These special fruits are grown in air-conditioned greenhouses lined with rich soil. Growers only allow three melons to grow on each plant, and when the baby melons are the size of a fist, two are chopped off to allow the best one to suck all the nourishment from the vine. The "perfect" melon is then wrapped in fine tissue papers and sold in a carved wooden box. A gift pear can cost $40, 10 ounces of cultivated winter cherries might sell for $400.

Yes, there are regular fruits too. A conventionally grown melon might retail for $5.

Watermelon salad with mint and feta cheese was one of those things that I wanted to hate when I first heard about it five or six years ago. I couldn't imagine that the saltiness of feta cheese would go well the watery sweetness of watermelon. However, with so many things in life, as soon as I gave it a try, I was proven happily wrong. It's a magical combination and one that you should try out if you haven't yet had a chance.

This picture by Flickr user Ayngelina is a gorgeous example of this tasty salad. Thanks for adding it to the Slashfood Flickr pool!

I recently experienced excruciatingly hot weather while in Dubai, about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The extreme humidity made matters worse. Living under such sizzling heat, people in Dubai must find the best way to quench their thirst. Watermelon juice saves the day!

I first tried this sweet, smooth, hydrating drink at a friend's house last week in Sharjah, a neighboring city of Dubai. Sipping the watermelon juice, I felt as though I was being cleansed. It was as if my body was being restored after being exposed to such scorching high temperatures all day. The juice cooled me down like no other drink has previously done. And so, the rest of my trip I drank a couple of glasses of watermelon juice.

This summer, as temperatures start to rise, I suggest watermelon juice. Unlike citrus juices, there is very little acidity. And for those of you concerned with your health, watermelon juice is a great alternative to other juices. Read on to find out its health benefits.

In Japan, the "flavor of the month" isn't barbecue, or citrus, or licorice, it's...citrulline.

Sound strange? It's an amino acid found in large amounts in watermelon, and it's being touted as a performance enhancer to the Olympic athletes in Beijing, China. It widens blood vessels, allowing for improved circulation, as well as increasing levels of nitric oxide, as well as breaking down lactic acid, (which, as our readers have gently reminded me, is not the scary substance we once thought it to be).

L-Citrulline has long been available in supplement form, but the Japanese are seeing how far they can market it, putting it into sports drinks, sports bars and even gum.

But mainly, it's just another excuse to eat a huge, juicy slice of watermelon.

via [inventorspot]

According to 2camels.com, the standing record for watermelon seed spitting is 68 feet and 9 1/8 inches set by Luling, Texas local Lee Wheells in 1989. I can't even imagine spitting that far. Sure, it's gross, but you've got a take a minute and be impressed with that skill. I wonder what the practice regiment was for that.

Looking to start a new family tradition? How about hosting your own Memorial Day watermelon seed spitting contest? Be sure to measure how far the seed goes so that you can track progress over the years. Make sure to not buy those new-fangled seedless watermelons. Those are no fun!

Let me know how long your family's winning seed spitter performs.

P-tooey! Watermelon would be perfect if not for those pesky seeds.

Luckily, Instructables provides a great tutorial on how to remove most (key word: most) of the seeds from your average watermelon. It's easy and quick, with no fancy tools needed.

Or, if you're feeling ca-razy, you could inject your watermelon with a pre-mixed martini (yes, you'll need a syringe - it's a little creepy, but worth it), let it chill for an hour, and indulge in some alcoholic fruit. Just keep it away from the kids.