| Cooking in the summer can provide a unique challenge. | | | | to suit individual pallets and served with a wide variety |
| In the winter, turning a cold kitchen in to a warm and | | | | of sides such as coleslaw or any of the ideas above. |
| cozy place is a benefit of cooking. In the summer, | | | | The traditional American answer to keeping the |
| turning that same kitchen into a sweltering inferno is | | | | summer cool is to grill outside. Virtually anything can be |
| not. With a little forethought this can be avoided. | | | | grilled outside, from corn to cucumbers to beef and |
| Gazpacho a Portuguese and Spanish soup made | | | | vegetarian hotdogs. This flexibility can be combined |
| from stale bread, garlic olive oil, salt, vinegar and | | | | with any of the other ideas above to make a |
| vegetables doesn't need any cooking and has | | | | complete meal. |
| undergone many changes since its inception. Modern | | | | A crock-pot can also be cook meats without heating |
| gazpacho includes a tomato base and a wider range | | | | up the rest of the kitchen as much as a traditional |
| of vegetables. It can be easily made with a food | | | | stove. Prepared the night before and left to cook on |
| processor and stored beforehand in a refrigerator. | | | | its own without much attention, the crock-pot not only |
| Ceviche is a Peruvian seafood salad marinated in | | | | keeps the kitchen cool, but allows the chef to work on |
| citrus. Traditionally made from raw fish, onions with lime | | | | other parts of meal preparation, or enjoying the |
| or lemon juice, modern variations include using a | | | | summer weather. |
| tomato sauce or ketchup. In its original form, it can be | | | | Salads also offer a wealth of options for summer |
| adapted to most tastes by using a wide variety of fish | | | | meals. Using lettuce as a base, the options of what |
| - you should check with your local fishmonger to make | | | | you can put on a salad are limitless, from common |
| sure the quality is good enough that it can be eaten | | | | vegetables such as tomatoes, onions and carrots to |
| raw - and cold vegetables. The citrus juice is there to | | | | fruit, nuts and diced meats and hardboiled eggs, salads |
| allow it to be served at room temperature without risk | | | | are not only an effective way to prepare a summer |
| of immediate bacterial growth. | | | | meal without heating up the kitchen, but can also be |
| Pickled cucumbers and beats can be prepared the | | | | used to help clean out leftovers. |
| night before, ranging from simply placing julienne | | | | For the more exotic among you, looking up Asian or |
| vegetables in vinegar to more complex and elaborate | | | | Mediterranean cuisine online or at your local bookstore |
| preparations that include chili oil and sugar, this idea | | | | will provide a wide range of inspiration. Using rice paper |
| allows for a wide variety based on what you have | | | | wrappers, traditionally hot serve food can be served |
| available. | | | | cold. |
| Likewise, sandwiches are easy to prepare without | | | | Whether you're seeking the traditional or the exotic, |
| heating the kitchen, using coldcuts and already cooked | | | | summer cooking doesn't have to revolve around |
| meats and vegetables, they can be quickly prepared | | | | turning your kitchen into an inferno. |