How do you deal with cooking w/ hot weather, especially if you don't have air conditioning by the kitchen?

Question

Do you cook a lot when you have hot weather? I know some people are lucky to have central AC...but not me.

With the hot and humid weather we've been having, I just don't feel like cooking and making the kitchen even hotter than it already is.

I wish I had central AC, but I only have a wall AC unit in a bedroom on the first floor. So it's hard for the cool AC air to reach the kitchen. I do use a fan, but hopefully I'll have a ceiling fan installed in the kitchen in the future.

Answer 1

Sometimes, cold dinners are the best on days like that. Our favorites are sandwich nights and nacho nights.
For sandwich nights, I simply put bread, mayo, lunch-meat, tuna salad, tomato slices, lettuce, mustard, peanut butter and jelly on the table and everyone makes their own dinner sandwich.
On nacho nights, I put chips, sour cream, diced tomato, salsa, cheese, refried beans (heated in the microwave so it doesn't heat the kitchen), onion, olives, and avocado chunks on the table and everyone heaps their plates as they wish.

Answer 2

I don't like to turn my oven on at that time of day either. I live in Southeast Texas where it's very hot and even though I have central AC my power bill is too high from it running non-stop and the oven raises the temperature @ least 5 degrees or more in that side of my home.
I would like to just eat a cold dinner or use the microwave but I have 3 children and a husband that like a cooked meal so i'm outvoted.
My husband is from Venezuela (now that's hot) and they fry things in hot oil, steam, boil etc when the temperature is triple digit so to him it's not unusual.

Answer 3

Maybe more stovetop cooking wouldn't heat up the kitchen as much as the oven?
Also, do you have a grill. You could do the cooking outside.
The really hot days could be cold dish nights...like sandwiches etc.
One other thing. Try cooking early in the morning or late in the evening and heating it up in the microwave when you're ready to eat.
Hope these ideas help. I know how you feel. I'm from Iowa...talk about HUMIDITY!!! Whew!

Answer 4

because all the smells intertwine when they cook and smell good. it's not hard to make food smell good. it's harder to make food taste good. my neighbors are full chinese i believe doubt they came from America but their house is a total pig sty. theirs crap they bring home from work all over their front yard and back yard and it's all broken things like tables, fridge, washing machines,etc.. but from time to time when they are cooking it smells really good. but i highly doubt it tastes that good. why? just walk infront of their door step and you will understand why theirs craps everywhere including dead plants/animals decaying like fish. Im sure they don't shop at a real grocery store either but the local china town and everyone in my state knows the china town isn;t very good for groceries as it's been known to carry rats and it isn't even that tasty. that being said don't let the smells fool you.

Answer 5

Make more salads or cool meals. Taco salad, pasta salad, cucumber boats, lots of salad recipes out there to make and keep the stove off. If you must use it, i.e. boiling pasta for pasta salad, do that part very early in the day, and refridgerate till later.

Answer 6

Use a crockpot or a toaster oven for cooking...they won't heat up the kitchen as much as the stove does.

Answer 7

put a cool damp towel around your and try not to stand in the kitchen too,also put a fan blowing toward the window to blow out the heat

Answer 8

I would use my slow cooker/crock pot you can put just about everything in them. From chicken to pork to a roast. You can even find recipes to bake a cake in them. I havent tryed that yet.

Answer 9

just go cook the problem is
if you have no windows or something for ventilation. there is drought here in the philippines but i love to cook haha