I love getting your emails. Here's a recent and timely comment and question that you might have as well:

From Sarah: "My kitchen doesn't have air conditioning or good air flow. It's like a sauna in there when I turn on the oven. I love entertaining and don't want to give up gathering folks in for a meal, so do you have any tips for dinners when it's just too hot to cook?"

This is a great question and here's what I would tell Sarah and all the rest of you that are finding it just too hot to cook:

First, THINK SALAD. Is there anything more pleasant than an ice-cold, crisp salad with a delicious dressing on a hot summer night? In fact, think two or three salads. Heck, why not serve up a salad buffet? Each attendee could bring their favorite. You round the meal out with a crunchy, satisfying bread and there's your meal.

And that tip leads to a related answer. DON'T COOK, JUST GATHER. Focus on no-heat-required boards and platters such as charcuterie, smoked fish, and bagel boards. Fruit platters or 'crudites are excellent as well. Even a gazpacho if you have the energy and are feeling creative.

Or GO FROZEN. It's an unusual meal idea, but it's easy and will keep everyone cool. Frozen popsicles, frozen fruit, frozen sorbet or gelato. Serve these items after a hearty dip and chips.

PROVIDE A SANDWICH BAR. Lay out all the makings for satisfying sandwiches and invite your guests to go for it. Top it off with a no-bake frozen dessert (such as the Oreo Ice Cream Bar--see NOTE below).

Finally, let's hear from you. What are your no-cook meal ideas? How do you survive the summer heat but still keep everyone fed? And just out of curiosity, how many of you use a slow cooker in the summer, and if you do, what do you cook in it?

NOTE: OK, now for the Oreo ice cream sandwiches (found on www.simplyrecipes.com). This is so simple it's dumb. But it's a crowd pleaser, and that's what counts, right?

OREO Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

16 Oreo sandwich cookies (plus extras as needed if any cookies break)
1 pint premium ice cream (any flavor that works well with chocolate) straight from the freezer

Directions:

PREP ICE CREAM:
Lay a piece of parchment paper at least 18 inches long on a flat surface. Run a dull knife around the edge of the pint to loosen the ice cream, and let it slip out onto the parchment. Cut the cylinder in half, lengthwise, and lay the two halves on their sides next to each other, end to end. Wrap the parchment around the ice cream and use your hands to gently and quickly form it into a log shape, approximately the diameter of one Oreo cookie. Wrap tightly and place in the freezer until frozen solid, at least 1 hour.

PREP OREOS:
Working on a baking sheet that can fit in the freezer, twist the oreo cookie open and scrape the filling away with a dull knife. Discard filling, or share with a nearby child who is desperate for sugar. Repeat with remaining Oreos and arrange 16 cookie halves scraped side up in preparation for ice cream. Set aside.

SLICE ICE CREAM:
Once the ice cream log is solid, remove from the freezer and cut into approximately 16 slices, each approximately 1/2 inch thick, using a thin, sharp knife.

ASSEMBLE:
Working quickly, place one ice cream disc on every upturned cookie, and top with the cookie’s other half. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to allow the ice cream to solidify before storing in an airtight container.
Time eating the ice cream sandwiches based on your preference. For a tender cookie that still has some crunch, wait about 12 hours before eating. After 24 hours or more, the cookies will be very soft, more like the wafers of purchased ice cream sandwiches. The ice cream sandwiches are best consumed within 1 week.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.