If you forget everything I’ve said, remember this one meal: cold soba noodles with a dipping sauce. Soba noodles are buckwheat, they don’t go mushy, and you can eat them straight out of the fridge. Pair them with a side of chilled edamame (steam them, then throw them in ice water) and a stack of sliced mango. You’ve just eaten a gourmet meal with zero oven usage. You are a culinary genius. Pat yourself on the back. You’ve earned that sweat-stain-free shirt.
Lastly, pro tip from a veteran of many heat waves: wrap a damp, cold washcloth around a bag of frozen peas and put it on your neck while you eat your cold noodles. You will look ridiculous. You will feel like a king. And that’s exactly the energy we need when the sun is out and the AC is broken. Now go—eat a cucumber, drink some gazpacho, and for the love of all that is holy, stay out of the kitchen.
