So... in many parts of the country the dog-days of August are nearing. When the mercury hits 90 and 100+ and it's too hot and sticky to even consider turning on the stove, what do you guys eat?

About the only real change I make is use of the oven.

I do cut back on baked/roasted stuff a bit. I can't forego homemade bread, though, so find I bake more at night and in the cool of the morning.

Other than that, it's pretty much business as usual.

My favorite 5 letter word: grill..

I always have to turn my air conditioning off anytime I bake no matter what time of the year it is. In the winter there is so much heat from the offices downstairs and the other apartments that we usually keep it on AC instead of heat. In the winter when I turn it off to bake it stays pretty comfortable. In the summer it gets hot in here and fast without the AC on. I try and bake late at night or early in the day. Same thing with that stove top smoker. I always turn off the ac when I use it and shut my bedroom door where the fire detector is to keep it from going off because little wisps of smoke do escape. My little Nu Wave oven comes in handy for roasting things without having to use my big oven. It doesnt put off much heat at all. I have another small round convection cooker that I use alot also. They are great for baking potatoes, roasting garlic or broiling bread.

>My favorite 5 letter word: grill.. <

I reckon you're like most people in that regard, Jeff. Come the summertime and grilling represents a greater proportion of their cookery.

But I grill year round, at about the same level. So that doesn't change things for me.

I wonder, though, how many people go the outdoor kitchen route? If we can believe the Food Network and DIY Network and HGTV, outdoor kitchens are all the rage for leisure living.

Personally, I've never seen one in a private home. But what do I know.