How is everyone cooking in this heat?

[dr morbius]

Chicago today had a heat index of about 100 degrees F, and we will have the same over the next few days. We've had it easy, though; many parts of the country have seen temperatures over 110 for weeks at a time. Hot or not, though, ya gotta eat and that means ya gotta cook! For Sunday, we had Italian beef from the deli; simmer it in broth for a minute and you're done. Monday we'll get fried chicken from the deli at Jewel, a different grocery store. They fry it in a pressure cooker, and on "cheep Chicken Mondays" it's only $5.99 for 8 pieces (best chicken in town!). Tuesday I'm planning a pasta salad (which I'll make overnight when it's cooler). Wednesday it's hot dogs. Thursday... well, I don't yet know.

I can't imagine dealing with such heat for such a long time. Cold foods, foods that cook quickly... one soon gets bored with the limited options. How do you deal with it?

 

[taxlady]

I would look to cultures that have been dealing with high heat for a long time. I'm sure there is plenty of inspiration there.

What is it you are trying to accomplish? Are you trying to avoid heating up the house? Not heating yourself up with hot food? Not heat yourself up too much by cooking?

 

[dr morbius]

All the above, really. I was just looking for inspiration from others on the board, and if that's a problem, delete the thread. Insofar as cultures which have dealt with heat for a long time, they tend to have spicy food... and that doesn't work for my wife.

 

[Aunt Bea]

No good answers here!

When it’s hot and miserable I tend to make poor choices.

Cooking when it’s cool is a great idea.

A baked ham or meatloaf for sandwiches and a potato salad would be nice.

Stock the fridge with things that are easy to scoop, nuke, and eat.

 

[Badjak]

We are getting back into our hot season.
I cook pretty much the same yearround.
In winter a bit more grilling as that keeps you nice and warm.
Local food here is not exciting, so I wouldn't look at that for inspiration.
I figure stir fries, maybe with 2 minute noodles.
Mediterean food maybe, like mezze. Only a little cooking involved

 

[taxlady]

One of the things I do is the big leafy salad with the kind of other veg you like in a salad. Then put that out with some ready to eat protein, like meat you cooked ahead of time or it's leftover chicken or other meat from a previous meal. It could be canned tuna, hard cooked eggs, cheese, garnishes like olives, pickles, capers, croutons, crumbled bacon, toasted nuts or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, etc. Then a bowl of creamy dressing. We usually go with a homemade ranch-like dressing. There are usually two or three choices of protein. Hardcooked eggs in wedges or slices and crumbled or cubed cheese or maybe shavings of Parm are something that we often put out. I don't out everything every time. Each person takes some salad and puts their protein, etc to their choice. And some good bread on the side can be nice. This can be varied a whole lot. For some combos of proteins, a nice blue cheese dressing would work well.

 

[cjmmytunes]

We mostly have our cooked meals at breakfast, then utilize the lovely microwave for lunch and supper as needed. Sometimes, we have salads, and we go out for lunch at least 2x a week.

 

[dragnlaw]

Rice, boiling water for vegies, potato - can all be done either very late in the evening when it starts to cool down, or very early in the morning before it starts to heat up.
Yeah, I know, sometimes there isn't a lot of difference in the temperature - it's the thought that counts. Concentrate on mind over matter.

Hopefully you have a toaster oven, doesn't heat up the kitchen as much. Utilize the BBQ Grill outside as much as possible - cooking several things together at the same time.

Even if you are only boiling water, turn on the stove fan/vent - it helps to throw that extra steam/heat outside.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I deal with it the old fashioned way: I turn on the air conditioning.

 

[Jusa]

We've been pretty lucky and it's been minimally hot here. Today the high is 87F and tomorrow and Wednesday the highs are 80, then 90 on Thursday, but after that, low 80s and high 70s for the rest of the month.

It doesn't alter the way I cook (inside) much when it's hot, though. On hot days we would not grill for sure, being outside is miserable.

 

[Marlingardener]

Texas is in a record breaking heat wave, and I've been concentrating on cold foods--salads mostly. However, we can eat just so many salads and sandwiches, and when I cook I do something quick, like thin-sliced chicken breasts with julienned vegetables, or a pork lo mein, or risotto.
Dr M, spicy foods when it is hot is counterintuitive, I think. I agree that spicy foods can make you hotter, and also upset your stomach, which is really fun when you're hot!

 

[Jusa]

Texas is in a record breaking heat wave, and I've been concentrating on cold foods--salads mostly. However, we can eat just so many salads and sandwiches, and when I cook I do something quick, like thin-sliced chicken breasts with julienned vegetables, or a pork lo mein, or risotto.
Dr M, spicy foods when it is hot is counterintuitive, I think. I agree that spicy foods can make you hotter, and also upset your stomach, which is really fun when you're hot!

Yes, I've got lots of family there. I was there in July and at 102 I thought it was awful. I can't imagine 108!

 

[medtran49]

Dishes with very little to minimal cooking time.

Toaster oven if a quick bake/roast. If longer, I use the big oven and try to cook 2 meals at once, like cooking some chicken for later use in something.

I use the induction burner(s) for cooking on the stove when possible. Not all of our cookware can be used on induction burners.

We do use the grill, but I have been picking things that are either really fast cooking or are long cooking with no need to check frequently. Plus, we have a thermometer set up that has a remote we can keep inside to check grill and food temps. I also try to have him cook 2 meals at once, like I do with the oven.

 

[dragnlaw]

Sister lives in Oklahoma, at the country place it has been 110.

 

[thymeless]

A good venting hood that vents outside, not just recirculate the heat. I pay some extra in cooling but it stays nice inside.

Also fast cooking asian foods are great in the summer. A bit more prep up front, but much less time and heat to cook it. Put the rice cooker outside to keep that heat out there if you have a plug or extension cord handy.

 

[Andy M.]

We haven't had a super hot summer as others have. It's been among the rainiest summers in history for this area.

When it is hot, I'll make a batch of potato or pasta salad that will last for a few days and cook on the grill for proteins and vegetables.

 

[Jusa]

Even though it hasn't been extremely hot here, the air quality outside has been poor many days this summer due to the Canadian wildfires. So that keeps us inside on those days. I bought my husband a smoker for his birthday and we would love to use it sometime, but no need to add more pollution to the air. Maybe this fall.

 

[blissful]

It's suppose to be 100 deg F here (wisconsin USA) on thursday. I might eat my breakfast cereal and fruit cold.
Stir fries (or for us, stir steamed) are fast. I made some soy curls 'chicken' with yellow and green zucchini and 3 colors of peppers, a quick cornstarch, stir fry sauce, soy sauce, to glaze it. Thawed out some brown basmati veggie rice.
Fresh diced pears or apple sauce from the refrigerator.
Fresh apples, bananas, and oranges.
Iced green tea is refreshing.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Put the rice cooker outside to keep that heat out there if you have a plug or extension cord handy.

That’s a great idea for many small appliances.

 

[dragnlaw]

Item on the far left.... I thought they were shiny black wellingtons.